A collaborative project to apply and evaluate the clinical judgment model through simulation.

As use of simulations increases in nursing education, nurse educators are challenged to evaluate students' clinical judgment skills. The purpose of this article is to describe faculty development in the use of the Lasater Clinical Judgment Rubric (LCJR); faculty application of LCJR in evaluating students' clinical judgment skills during a simulation scenario; and faculty and students' perception transference from the simulation to the clinical setting.Tanner's Clinical Judgment Model was used in an assigned adult health simulation. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from faculty and student evaluations and students' reflective statements. Findings support the importance of simulation's contribution to clinical judgment development. However, more work remains to improve the integration of clinical judgment and use of a conceptual framework and evidence-based rubric. For long-term change, both faculty and students need ongoing practice and encouragement in applying the clinical judgment framework to clinical and simulation experiences. For application of the model, a recommendation is to incorporate the clinical judgment language into course syllabi, course assignments, and evaluations.

Integration of global health concepts in nursing curricula: a national study.

The concept of global health is evolving with a growing recognition that international social, political, economic, environmental, and cultural issues affect health and health care around the world. Nurse faculty are challenged to find ways to prepare future nurses to provide care in an environment that is increasingly affected by globalization. This article presents results of a national survey of schools of nursing designed to identify a consensus definition for global health, attributes of the concept, and ways in which global health is identified and addressed in nursing curricula. Attributes of global health identified in this study are congruent with the literature. Implications for educators are presented, along with examples of how technology can be used to facilitate global interactions.

A Model for Faculty Teaching Online: confirmation of a dimensional matrix.

As distance education options continue to become available for nursing programs, market competition increases. Nursing faculty are challenged to design online courses based on best practices, and teaching online has implications for faculty role changes. This article presents a Model for Faculty Teaching Online based on faculty wisdom and expertise that evolved inductively from an exploratory study with 18 faculty teaching online. A matrix was developed to explain the dimensions of faculty teaching online. Dimensions of the matrix were confirmed through a follow-up survey to determine their relevance. A national validation study with feedback from 68 faculty teaching online confirmed the major dimensions of the matrix, including antecedent conditions, context, strategies, and outcomes. Implications for educators and for future research are provided.

Faculty perceptions of critical thinking in student clinical experiences.

Critical thinking is an essential skill for nurses who practice in complex health care systems. This study explored nursing faculty members' perceptions of teaching critical thinking to baccalaureate student nurses in clinical settings. Six clinical faculty members were interviewed using an ethnographic approach. Findings focus on two domain analyses that describe the nature of critical thinking and strategies to effectively teach it. Faculty members conceptualized critical thinking as "putting it all together" through information seeking, reflecting, assigning meaning, problem solving, predicting, planning, and applying information. Faculty members perceived that they teach critical thinking through a number of approaches that include asking questions, reviewing written products, conducting clinical conferences, and evaluating student journals. The findings of this study have implications for faculty who seek a clearer definition of critical thinking in nursing and a rich description of strategies to teach this skill.

Online education: needs assessment for faculty development.

The rapidly evolving paradigm of technology-based education has increased the number of faculty teaching online. The role of faculty has changed from the traditional classroom instruction format to an online community of learning. Therefore, faculty development in online education becomes a critical component during this transitional period. A survey of faculty of the College of Applied Science and Technology in a midwestern university was conducted to identify their level of perceived expertise in online teaching and the priorities of areas to be addressed in faculty development sessions. Benner's five-stage sequential transformation from novice to expert was used to construct the questionnaire. Results showed that faculty who taught online perceived their level of expertise to range from advanced beginner to competent, whereas faculty who had not taught online were at the novice and advanced beginner levels. Redesigning and rethinking faculty roles emerged as the number one priority area to be addressed in continuing education sessions. Implications for faculty development for online education sessions are presented.

Reflections on the role of faculty in distance learning and changing pedagogies.

The increasing number of nursing faculty teaching in distance education programs represents a paradigm shift that has implications for faculty role and changing pedagogies. This descriptive study investigated experiences of nursing faculty teaching web-based courses. Participants were drawn from eight nursing schools in the United States and Canada. Nineteen faculty discussed perceptions of teaching online in small-group teleconference interviews. Major categories identified were: faculty role issues, redesigning/rethinking courses, handling communications, developing partnerships, managing time, and dealing with technology. The core category was: redesigning pedagogies and rethinking faculty role for online teaching. Dimensional analysis was used to develop a matrix telling the story of the experience within the perspectives of antecedent conditions, context, strategies, and consequences. Results indicated that support systems, technology partnerships, and policies should be in place before redesign. The context of redesign was evident in moving from "on stage" to a virtual environment. Strategies used to redesign courses included collaboration, rethinking communications, and faculty development. Consequences had positive and negative outcomes with respect to their impact on faculty role, teaching approaches, and student/faculty relationships.

Students' perceptions of online learning: implications for teaching.

Using the Internet to deliver nursing courses via distance education can facilitate learning on demand and promote learner-centered instruction. The authors describe 20 graduate nursing students' experiences with online learning. Students learn through reflection, exploration, use of critical thinking, interacting with others, sharing of information, and using resources. Key points of students' experiences with online learning were consistent with the Constructivism Theory. Implications for improving teaching are based upon the Constructivism Theory and include strategies for identifying learning goals and conditions for learning, as well as planning and implementing various methods of instruction.

Community of Communities: an electronic link to integrating cultural diversity in nursing curriculum.

The inclusion of principles of diversity in nursing education has yet to reach expected levels of common understanding and value. Integration of human diversity is an expected outcome based on essentials for professional nursing education by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. This article describes one approach that used electronic networking to integrate cultural diversity content into a graduate nursing curriculum. Regional networking among schools of nursing about cultural diversity resulted in the Community of Communities (COC) web page. The COC is a common electronic network that contains information and case studies based on a cultural assessment model. Modules in on-line courses are linked to a cultural module in the COC. Several applications are described herein. The COC modules were evaluated to determine if participants gained knowledge and insight into another culture. Findings suggested that students perceived that the COC modules increased the awareness culture plays in health care.

Outcomes of a transcultural nursing immersion experience: confirmation of a dimensional matrix.

Schools of nursing are positioned to increase cultural awareness for students and potentially change practice. Dimensions of culturally focused field experiences were investigated to determine the relevancy of the dimensions of the Matrix for Personal and Professional Growth Through a Transcultural Immersion Experience. A questionnaire was developed and administered to two samples of nursing students following participation in an immersion experience. Results provided evidence of validation for major dimensions of the matrix, including situational predetermining factors, modifying factors, transitional factors, and outcomes of the matrix. The model for transcultural nursing immersion experiences was conceptualized, and propositions were generated.

Web-based professional education for advanced practice nursing: a consumer guide for program selection.

As Web-based education becomes increasingly available, there are more educational opportunities to pursue an advanced practice degree. Despite the increasing number of schools delivering Web-based education courses and programs, evaluation of these programs is primarily in beginning stages. The purposes of this article are first to present a scenario of how a Midwestern nursing school developed, implemented, and continually evaluates Web-based education in its master's program, and second to present a consumer guide for program selection. Elements in the guide are derived from program accrediting agencies, the literature, and distance learning experiences. The consumer's guide is presented for nurses interested in exploring or continuing the completion of an advanced practice degree.