Interprofessional Education Week: the impact of active and passive learning activities on students' perceptions of interprofessional education.

Healthcare professions faculty at a private Midwestern university designed an Interprofessional Education (IPE) Week, consisting of 12 different interprofessional learning activities over the span of one week. The purpose of the study was to determine students' perceptions toward interprofessional healthcare, as measured by the Student Perceptions of Interprofessional Clinical Education-Revised (SPICE-R), one week before and one week after the events to determine if the type of learning activity - more passive, didactic-type events or active learning events - impacted outcomes. Of the over 400 students representing predominantly athletic training, nursing, occupational therapy, and physical therapy programs who attended IPE Week, a total of 190 health professions students completed the pre- and post-IPE Week SPICE-R. Students who attended an active learning activity had a statistically significant increase in all three factors of the tool (interprofessional teamwork and team-based practice, roles/responsibilities for collaborative practice, and patient outcomes from collaborative practice) while students who attended more passive didactic type events only showed a statistically significant increase in roles/responsibilities and patient outcomes. This study demonstrates the utility of an IPE Week on student perceptions and highlights the potential importance of active interprofessional learning offerings.

Soft skills and implications for future professional practice: Qualitative findings of a nursing education escape room.

BACKGROUND: Educational escape rooms have been shown to improve student content knowledge; however, research about other skills developed during escape rooms is lacking. OBJECTIVES: To explore baccalaureate nursing students' perceptions of a cardiovascular-themed educational escape room. During the data analysis, researchers uncovered unique findings related to participant soft skill development and implications for participant future professional practice. DESIGN: A basic interpretive qualitative methodology was used. SETTING: The study was conducted at a medium-sized, private, not-for-profit university in the Midwest United States. PARTICIPANTS: Baccalaureate nursing students who had recently participated in a cardiovascular-themed educational escape room were purposefully recruited. METHODS: A total of two focus groups were conducted using a semi-structured focus group guide. Data were analyzed using a conventional content analysis approach with both inductive and deductive components. RESULTS: Four overarching themes were identified in the data, including game and learner characteristics, learning outcomes, and implications for future professional practice. The theme of implications for future professional practice included two sub-themes: soft skill development and the real-life nature of the activity. CONCLUSION: A nursing educational escape room may be one strategy to enhance student professional practice skills.

Escape the Generational Gap: A Cardiovascular Escape Room for Nursing Education.

BACKGROUND: Generation Z college students often prefer individualized, immersive learning experiences. Faculty designed an educational escape room to engage nursing students and improve knowledge in cardiovascular critical care. METHOD: This study evaluated the educational innovation's impact on changes in knowledge and perceptions of the educational innovation with a pre- and postknowledge assessment and a validated perception survey. Students discussed their experiences and reflections in a focus group. RESULTS: Pre- and postknowledge assessment scores showed statistically significant improvements in knowledge (p < .05). Student perceptions were statistically significantly higher than the mean value for the evaluation scale (p < .001). Analysis of focus group transcriptions revealed four themes: Logistics of the Learning Activity, Cognitive Learning, Team Learning, and Professional Practice Skills. CONCLUSION: The cardiovascular escape room increased student knowledge and was positively received by students. The educational innovation encouraged student engagement in learning, content application, peer communication, and nursing practice skills. [J Nurs Educ. 2020;59(2):111-115.].

Differences in Psychomotor Skills Teaching and Evaluation Practices in Undergraduate Nursing Programs.

AIM: The purpose of this study was to understand the methods faculty use to teach and evaluate psychomotor skill performance in associate and baccalaureate nursing programs, resources available to students to master these skills, and policies and procedures related to summative evaluation of psychomotor skills. BACKGROUND: Despite the importance of psychomotor skills competency in registered nursing programs, published methods for teaching and evaluating competency vary. The literature does not support a particular strategy for teaching or evaluation. METHOD: In this primarily quantitative descriptive study, participants completed a 28-item questionnaire developed by the authors based on a review of the literature and personal teaching experience. RESULTS: All respondents indicated that their institutions conducted summative assessment of psychomotor skills; however, the methods for teaching and evaluation varied widely. CONCLUSION: Well-designed control studies and consensus guidelines from professional nursing education organizations would assist faculty in implementing consistent, effective, evidence-based strategies.

Can You Escape Nursing School? Educational Escape Room in Nursing Education.

Escape rooms, a form of collaborative live-action gaming requiring participants to solve clues to escape a locked room, have grown in popularity across the nation. Games bring together problem solving, critical thinking, and teamwork. This game method has not yet appeared in nursing education literature. The authors describe two versions of the innovative escape room pedagogical method used in undergraduate nursing education. Theoretical bases, learning activities, and types of game clues that could be used are detailed. Future research will address the ability of students to reach learning objectives before and after the game.

Two Paths to Competency Validation: A Pilot for Use of Exemplars and Simulation for Validating Nurses' Responses to Patients with Opiate-Induced Respiratory Depression.

To determine nurses' ability to intervene appropriately in cases of opiate-induced respiratory depression, educators piloted two competency validation options. Nurses could choose to write an exemplar or perform in a simulation. A comparison of how nurses prepared for the methods and how educators validated their competency is described. Although unofficial staff and leadership responses to the competency methods were positive, further exploration is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of the strategies in improving nurses' care practices and patient outcomes.