Advancing nursing education through wearable electronic devices: A scoping review.

AIM: To examine the incorporation of wearable electronic devices in the education of undergraduate nursing students. BACKGROUND: The advancement of technology has influenced nursing education and will continue to do so in the future. Wearable technologies are electronic devices that can be worn as an accessory and expand the possibilities in nursing education with increased engagement in the learning process. DESIGN: A scoping review was conducted following JBI and reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. METHODS: The search was performed on August 25th, 2023, in the databases: MEDLINE via PubMed, ISI Web of Science, ERIC, EBSCOhost CINAHL, EBSCOhost Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost Health Source Nursing, EMBASE, Scopus, BVShost LILACS and ProQuest. Literature that examined the application of wearable electronic devices in the education of undergraduate nursing students was included. RESULTS: This scoping review study included a total of 21 records published between 2014 and 2023. The analysis showed that smart glasses are the most common wearable electronic device used in nursing education, followed by smartwatches. The devices provide an opportunity for competencies development, especially when applied in the simulation environment, such as physical examination and medication administration. Wearable technologies are potentially useful and feasible as learning tools in nursing education, increasing nursing students' motivation, confidence and satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: In the technological revolution, educators must consider the potential of innovative teaching strategies, such as wearable electronic devices, to advance nursing education. Wearables can contribute to developing competencies required for the professionalism of undergraduate nursing students.

A Virtual, Simulated Code White for Undergraduate Nursing Students.

BACKGROUND: Nurses and nursing students are increasingly vulnerable to workplace violence, both verbal and physical, as health care settings and clients cope with unprecedented challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic. Concurrently, clinical learning opportunities for nursing students have been curtailed by public health restrictions and limited capacity. While virtual simulations have been promoted as an alternative to clinical hours, their effectiveness as an educational intervention on workplace violence has yet to be assessed. PURPOSE: The authors sought to evaluate a virtual, simulated code white-a set of organized responses to a client, visitor, or staff member exhibiting the potential for violence-involving 4th year undergraduate nursing students, randomly sorted into an intervention group and a control group. METHODS: Pre and post test measures of knowledge and attitudes about mental health, workplace violence and virtual simulation were collected, as well as qualitative data from focus groups. FINDINGS: While the sample size (n = 24) was insufficient to detect meaningful differences between the intervention and control groups, descriptive statistics and focus group data revealed significant gaps in participants' knowledge around managing workplace violence. Participants rated the virtual simulation highly for its realism and the opportunity to experience working in a virtual environment, while they felt the preamble and debrief were too short. CONCLUSIONS: The findings illustrate a virtual code white simulation has clear educational benefits, and that multiple iterations, both virtual and in person, would most likely increase the benefits of the intervention.

Automated essay scoring (AES) of constructed responses in nursing examinations: An evaluation.

Nursing students' higher-level thinking skills are ideally assessed through constructed-response items. At the baccalaureate level in North America, however, this exam format has largely fallen into disuse owing to the labor-intensive process of scoring written exam papers. The authors sought to determine if automated essay scoring (AES) would be an efficient and reliable alternative to human scoring. Four constructed-response exam items were administered to an initial cohort of 359 undergraduate nursing students in 2016 and to a second cohort of 40 students in 2018. The items were graded by two human raters (HR1 & HR2) and an AES software platform. AES approximated or surpassed agreement and reliability measures achieved by the HR1 and HR2 with each other, and AES surpassed both human raters in efficiency. A list of answer keywords was created to increase the efficiency and reliability of AES. Low agreement between human raters may be explained by rater drift and fatigue, and shortcomings in the development of Item 1 may have reduced its overall agreement and reliability measures. It can be concluded that AES is a reliable and cost-effective means of scoring constructed-response nursing examinations, but further studies employing greater sample sizes are needed to establish this definitively.