Shared Governance Through Bylaws: Transformation Within a College of Nursing.

BACKGROUND: Enhancing faculty voice and promoting shared governance within academia has long been called for but has not been well-reported. A college of nursing in the midwestern United States identified shortcomings in its organizational structure including lack of faculty voice, communication barriers, lack of faculty participation in decision making, and academic programs operating independently. METHOD: A workgroup was formed to transform the bylaws to promote shared governance, including faculty voice, equality, and engagement. RESULTS: The bylaws were revised and presented to faculty for discussion, further revisions, and vote. The revised bylaws were approved and implemented in August 2021. CONCLUSION: Through transformation of the bylaws, the college's 12-committee structure was reconceptualized to five standing committees and 13 subcommittees. Clear communication lines and cross-committee collaboration was established to break down the former academic program silos. Faculty with primary teaching assignments are equally represented throughout the structure with voice, vote, and responsibility. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(5):277-281.].

Pursuing Success in a Hybrid PhD Nursing Program.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about hybrid PhD nursing students' experiences. METHOD: The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze the experiences of PhD nursing students in a hybrid program using a convergent mixed methods design. Recent nursing PhD alumni (n = 18), and current PhD students (n = 4) were recruited at a research-intensive university in the southwestern United States. RESULTS: Four metainferences were identified: (1) the facilitator of faculty as both advisors and mentors; (2) the facilitator of peers as support, motivation, and a source of advice that preceded advisors; (3) the barrier of receiving conflicting feedback from advisory and dissertation committees; and (4) the barrier of not understanding the PhD student process. CONCLUSION: Peer support is fundamental for hybrid PhD nursing student success; conflicting feedback and not understanding the process are significant barriers. Strategies are recommended to mitigate barriers to facilitate hybrid PhD nursing students' success. [J Nurs Educ. 2024;63(5):328-331.].

Nursing faculty development program for digital teaching competence.

BACKGROUND: Nursing faculties need to develop digital competencies to effectively use information, communication, and technology-based nursing education. PURPOSE: The study aimed to develop and apply a theory-guided faculty development program on digital teaching competencies. METHODS: A faculty development program was developed. Between March and April 2020, three five-hour web workshops participated by ninety-three faculty members were held. The program was assessed via mixed methods, combining satisfaction surveys post-workshop with content analysis of open-ended questionnaires to gauge participant evaluation of program content and learning experience. RESULTS: Participants were highly satisfied with the program contents and their opportunity for integrating digital technology into education and improving faculty proficiency in digital teaching technology. CONCLUSIONS: The program provides faculties with the self-confidence and essential skills to teach students using information, communication, and technology-based nursing education by enhancing their digital teaching competencies. It is critical to integrate both digital proficiency and nursing practice education.

Competency gap among graduating nursing students: what they have achieved and what is expected of them.

BACKGROUND: Nurses' professional competencies play a significant role in providing safe care to patients. Identifying the acquired and expected competencies in nursing education and the gaps between them can be a good guide for nursing education institutions to improve their educational practices. METHODS: In a descriptive-comparative study, students' perception of acquired competencies and expected competencies from the perspective of the Iranian nursing faculties were collected with two equivalent questionnaires consisting of 85 items covering 17 competencies across 5 domains. A cluster sampling technique was employed on 721 final-year nursing students and 365 Iranian nursing faculties. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and independent t-tests. RESULTS: The results of the study showed that the highest scores for students' acquired competencies and nursing faculties' expected competencies were work readiness and professional development, with mean of 3.54 (SD = 0.39) and 4.30 (SD = 0.45), respectively. Also, the lowest score for both groups was evidence-based nursing care with mean of 2.74 (SD = 0.55) and 3.74 (SD = 0.57), respectively. The comparison of competencies, as viewed by both groups of the students and the faculties, showed that the difference between the two groups' mean scores was significant in all 5 core-competencies and 17 sub-core competencies (P < .001). Evidence-based nursing care was the highest mean difference (mean diff = 1) and the professional nursing process with the lowest mean difference (mean diff = 0.70). CONCLUSION: The results of the study highlight concerns about the gap between expected and achieved competencies in Iran. Further research is recommended to identify the reasons for the gap between the two and to plan how to reduce it. This will require greater collaboration between healthcare institutions and nursing schools.

Caring: The heart of online nursing education- An integrative review.

With the widespread adoption of online education, nursing educators have observed significant challenges related to learner engagement and participation. Over the past decade, the implementation of Caring has consistently displayed a beneficial influence on creating and maintaining a sustainable online learning environment. However, existing online nursing curricula often lack a Caring and learner-centered approach. The aim of this integrative review is to analyze existing research and gain a comprehensive understanding of the factors that promote a sense of Caring in online nursing education programs. A systematic search for published peer reviewed, English language literature identifying the factors that contribute to Caring in online nursing education was conducted utilizing five databases. Findings from 18 included articles suggest that a combination of Caring strategies implemented by faculty and students, and the utilization of institutional resources contribute to enhanced student outcomes. Faculty driven strategies that promote an online Caring environment are Caring communication, role modeling, building personal connections, demonstrating teaching passion, and embodying emotional intelligence. Student behaviors that promote a Caring online environment include deliberate commitment to learning, genuine presence, active listening, and meaningful interactions with peers. Furthermore, incorporating instructional design to develop a Caring learning platform provides synergy to the student and faculty strategies to produce a Caring environment.

Interprofessional reconstruction of a policy for academic advancement: The evolution and evaluation of scholarship for today, tomorrow, and beyond.

Within higher education, scholarship is narrowly and inconsistently defined, limiting recognition of evolving faculty expectations, particularly for nursing faculty. At this academic medical center, a campus-wide, multi-school, academic advancement policy was achieved with a broader definition of scholarship that included: peer-reviewed publication of federally funded research, as well as innovation in curriculum development, teaching methodology, community engagement, safety and quality improvement, clinical practice, and health policy that would be applicable to tenure and non-tenure track faculty. The background, process, and outcomes of developing an expanded definition of scholarship that encompasses new and evolving areas of scholarship for a reconstructed academic personnel policy is presented. Beginning with a literature review and surveys of other schools' policies, we describe how a campus-wide working group ensured consensus and acceptance of the new policy. Upon approval of the reconstructed document, guidelines for implementation were widely disseminated through training workshops and discussions, integration into new faculty orientation, and faculty development programs. We share our process, outcomes, and lessons learned believing this information to be useful to other institutions engaged in review and revision of their promotion and tenure processes to align with the increasing expectations of nursing faculty of today and tomorrow.

Equity and inclusivity in the faculty ranks: Our experience with a clinical track.

BACKGROUND: The evolution of nursing education requires a combination of strong academic faculty and expert clinicians. Different professional growth and development pathways are necessary to build a robust faculty with clinical and research expertise. Some schools have implemented a formal clinical track (CT) to complement the traditional tenure track for the professional advancement of CT. METHODS: The article presents a case example of how one institution maintains and advances a strong CT using the Kotter Change Model and discusses future directions. RESULTS: The school's infrastructure for promotion, which follows a similar structure and guidelines as Tenure Track (TT) Promotion and Tenure Guidelines, has led to an increase in the school's scholarly productivity among CT faculty across ranks. Increasing poster and podium presentations as well as publications to a national and international audience results in greater reach and improved reputation for the school, both nationally and internationally. CONCLUSIONS: While there is still work to be done to advance equity and inclusion for nursing CTs, developing and maintaining a CT with system-level structures holds significant value and provides a clear path to promotion, invests in clinical scholarship, and includes clinical faculty as full citizens in academia.

Nursing students' and faculty's experiences of first medication administration: A phenomenological inquiry.

BACKGROUND: Learning medication administration is essential for nursing students, but the first time can be stressful and shape their clinical development. Previous research primarily focused on student knowledge and technical aspects. PURPOSE: This phenomenological study helped explore the lived experiences of nursing students and faculty during student's first medication administration in the clinical setting to gain a deeper understanding of their thoughts, feelings, and perspectives. METHOD: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with female student and faculty informants (N = 12). Using a phenomenological study, data were analyzed using van Manen's hermeneutic six-step research activity method. RESULTS: Five overarching themes were found: administrating medication, (un)preparedness for complexities in the clinical environment, transformative experience, overcoming fears, and reaping the rewards. CONCLUSION: First-time medication experiences are greater than an exercise in skill proficiency and may be improved if faculty provides more structured learning experiences and take sufficient time for student preparation in relating medication knowledge to the skill, technology usage, and supporting students' attitudes toward nurse-patient interactions. These are essential aspects of the medication administration learning process as nursing programs shift toward competency-based education. Clinical faculty also need support in their role as educators and to be facilitated to find this time, considering their multiple responsibilities.

A stepwise approach to integrating the new essentials into a master's entry nursing curriculum.

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) released updated nursing curriculum Essentials in 2021. The new Essentials document reflects an innovative and unique approach to nursing education and provides a framework for competency-based education and assessment to prepare students to work in a profession that is ever-changing. The first in the state of Oregon, a Masters Entry into Professional Nursing program was launched with a curriculum based on the new Essentials with the goal to remain true to the program's current concept-based approach while incorporating elements of a competency-based curriculum. As with all new programs, curricular design is paramount and requires careful planning to ensure the curriculum aligns with education trends, meets the needs of diverse learners, adheres to regulatory requirements and standards, and has strong faculty buy-in. Curriculum development done in a systematic fashion with faculty input is imperative. All current faculty were invited by the school of nursing (SON) leadership to participate in the curriculum development process. Regularly scheduled meetings were held, and all interested faculty participants were able to provide input. This process also included the SON Curriculum Committee and SON Faculty Council, to ensure all faculty were included in the process and appraised of the curriculum development. The faculty members who participated in the systematic development process then served as advocates for the new curriculum and helped create a smooth transition when the new MEPN program was introduced.

Psychiatric nurse and educator perspectives on professional boundaries in nursing education: An interpretive description study.

BACKGROUND: Psychiatric nurses are responsible for maintaining professional boundaries. However, professional boundaries are as described as unclear and psychiatric nursing students are at risk of crossing these boundaries. Educational instruction regarding professional boundaries within psychiatric nursing often lacks foundational structure placing students at risk of transgressions. PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to describe boundaries in psychiatric nursing practice, identify strategies effective in teaching professional boundaries, and inform curriculum development in psychiatric nursing education. METHOD: Interpretive description was utilized to answer: How do psychiatric nurse educators interpret and explain professional boundaries in psychiatric nursing undergraduate education? Psychiatric nurse educators and psychiatric nurses were recruited from an academic institution in western Canada. Twenty participants engaged in semi-structured interviews. Eight of those participants also attended a focus group. RESULT: Participants reported that 'textbook' definitions of boundaries were insufficient in illustrating the complexities of the construct. Rather, relational forms of learning such as educators sharing clinical stories, role play activities, clinical supervision, and clinical debriefing were described as helpful strategies. CONCLUSION: Foundational knowledge regarding professional boundaries in psychiatric nursing practice appears to be incorporated in the formal curriculum. However, learning is enhanced through the informal and hidden curriculum.

The AACN essentials: An intentional framework for successful implementation.

Nursing education is shifting toward competency-based education (CBE) in line with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing's (AACN) 2021 Essentials. This pedagogical shift from knowledge-based leaner outcomes to competency-based learner and program outcomes affects how faculty teach, how students learn, and how programs allocate resources to support this change. The initial move toward CBE necessitates scrutiny of current curricula and alignment of curriculum, teaching strategies, and assessment tactics framed within the ten domains of the Essentials. Drawing on the Donabedian quality improvement framework, one school of nursing's curricular revisions project team discusses their strategies and challenges in implementing the AACN Essentials, illustrating the structural, procedural, and initial outcomes of adopting the Essentials across programs and specialties. Key to this approach is engaging all relevant stakeholders and mapping current curricula to the Essentials' many competencies and subcompetencies. This work informs curricular revisions and fosters faculty engagement and creativity. Lessons learned highlight a critical need for ongoing faculty development and use of learner-centric pedagogies to achieve students' competency development and practice readiness. This article offers insights and guidance for nursing programs embracing CBE and aligning with AACN Essentials.

Association of self-efficacy and faculty support on students' readiness for practice.

BACKGROUND: The nursing shortage is apparent again after nearly five decades of having a stable workforce. One novel development is that new Registered Nurses (RNs) are exiting their careers too early. Many of them leave the profession for multiple reasons such as burnout and family obligations, yet one reason has emerged - lack of readiness for practice, that also drives the RNs to leave the profession. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was twofold - (1) to investigate the relationship between students' characteristics, their Generalized Self-Efficacy (GSE), Perceived Faculty Support (PFS), the Assessment Technologies, Inc. (ATI) Comprehensive Predictor RN Exam scores and their self-report of readiness for practice and (2) to examine which variables best explains the students' readiness for practice. METHODS: A cross-sectional descriptive correlational research design with convenience sampling was utilized. Descriptive statistics were obtained to investigate the students' socio-demographic data. The Pearson r and multiple regression were used to analyze the relationships and influence between dependent variables Casey-Fink Readiness for Practice scale (CFRPS) and independent variables, students' characteristics, GSE, PFS, and ATI scores. RESULTS: One hundred forty-three (143) out of 416 students in five baccalaureate schools from the western region of the United States participated in the survey. Findings showed GSE and PFS had significant positive correlations with students' readiness for practice. Further, factors of CFRPS in learning strategies, problem-solving, resourcefulness, and team player are best explained by GSE and PFS, accounting for 91 % of the variance. CONCLUSION: Students' GSE and PFS can contribute to their readiness for practice. Nurse educators must employ strategies that will bolster students' preparedness by improving their sense of self-efficacy and showing them the utmost faculty support.

Insights into the experiences of nurse educators in end-of-life care: A qualitative study.

AIM: This study elucidated the experience of nurse educators instructing practicums for nursing students assigned to the care of end-of-life patients in fundamental nursing education. BACKGROUND: With the growing population of older adults and increased mortality, nurses providing care for people at the end-of-life stage and their families (referred to as end-of-life nursing) will be increasingly important in Japanese healthcare settings. Acquiring knowledge and action-level methods can be insufficient for nursing students to approach the illness experiences of people at the end of their life and their families, increasing the importance of practicum in end-of-life nursing to enable learning from experience. This situation raised the need to study how nurse educators for nursing care for end-of-life patients experience the situation and what they practice as observed through the educator's standpoint to devise better teaching methods for end-of-life nursing practica. DESIGN: Interpretative phenomenology was used. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with six nurse educators. Participants were interviewed about their experiences in teaching nursing students who care for people in the final stages of life. Data were analyzed using Benner's Interpretive phenomenological approach. RESULTS: Nurse educators teaching students assigned to end-of-life patients experienced the [sudden appearance of patients themselves] and were involved in the nursing care for these end-of-life patients. They [seized the opportune "moments" for teaching] while [placing the value of practicum in end-of-life nursing in the "fragments" that students find] and then acknowledged that students were becoming aware of the core values of end-of-life nursing, even though they could not perform the techniques of care. Nurse educators also [recognized students as learners at the "borderline stage"] who are still distinct from nurses and valued students in their current state of development with hopes and expectations for further growth. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlighted the importance of nurse educators leveraging their practical knowledge to provide direct guidance to nursing students in clinical settings. The educators approached patient care with intentionality, prioritizing the well-being of patients while engaging in co-existent care alongside the students. Simultaneously, they respected the nursing students in their transition to becoming nurses, harboring hopes and expectations for continued growth. Concurrently, they were curious about the patient and student. They sought to balance the interests of the two parties representing dissimilar temporality, thereby applying their intuitive embodied intelligence into practice. Such experiences were also interpreted from the temporality of nursing students in a transitional stage of becoming nurses.

University innovation and start-ups: Barriers and facilitators experienced by nursing faculties - A content analysis study.

AIM: University start-ups have gained significant popularity as a means of translating knowledge and research into practical applications. However, there is a lack of understanding regarding the experiences and perspectives of nursing faculties engaged in start-up ventures. The objective of this study was to explore valuable insights into the barriers and facilitators within this context for promoting success, generating entrepreneurial attitudes, as well as enhancing the sustainability of nursing faculty-led start-ups. DESIGN: We employed a content analysis methodology to capture the real-life experiences of nursing faculties involved in university start-ups. This approach is an effective way to gain a comprehensive understanding of the subject. METHODS: Data were collected using semi-structured interviews. Graneheim and Lundman's step was used for analysis and to identify recurring patterns and themes within the collected data. Sampling was done purposefully, with convenience and snowball techniques until data saturation. The MAXQDA version 10 software was utilised to easily analyse, code and present data. RESULTS: The analysis revealed four major themes encompassed: motivational factors, personal attributes, limited entry support and barriers to scaling. These themes shed light on factors, support systems, challenges faced during growth as well as personal characteristics highlighted by the participants. Our study highlighted the factors influencing entrepreneurship in nursing faculties. Addressing the challenges of this study requires enhancing support systems and fostering personal development for entrepreneurial success in healthcare innovation. Policymakers can promote university education to expand the entrepreneurship process using more facilities and make more services accessible.

School of Nursing Climate Commitment: Nursing Faculty Bring Climate to the Classroom.

In 2021, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) added "the impact of climate change on environmental and population health" into The Essentials: Core Competencies for Professional Nursing Education. Presently, little guidance exists for nursing faculty new to climate education. The year prior, the Nurses Climate Challenge (NCC)-a campaign to educate 50,000 health professionals about health impacts of climate change-launched the School of Nursing Commitment through a series of focus groups and collaborative content development. With an aim of increasing access to knowledge and tools to support education about the health impacts of climate change, the NCC Commitment partners with nursing schools and provides a community of practice. Partner schools use NCC resources in courses and report the number of students educated. Within three years, 61 nursing schools in 30 states joined the Commitment. Participants included academic health centers, research institutions, multi-state schools, and small private colleges, and programs ranged from AD to PhD. Faculty (1) integrated resources into didactic and clinical settings, such as population or organ-system content, leadership, and policy; and (2) used resources to support assignments. In four years, faculty reported educating over 37,700 students, using NCC resources in 439 educational sessions. The Commitment may be valuable for faculty fulfilling AACN Essentials by bringing climate change to the classroom, community, and bedside. Furthermore, the Commitment may be a replicable model for health professional education and inspiring action on climate change.

Norwegian nurse educators' self-rating of competencies: a nationwide cross-sectional web-survey.

BACKGROUND: Nurse educators' competencies play a crucial role in the educational quality of nurses. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate how Norwegian nurse educators self-rated their competence domains, and how these competencies were associated background variables. METHODS: The study was designed as a cross-sectional web-survey, and n=154 participated and filled out the Evaluation of Requirements of Nurse Teachers (ERNT) instrument. Educators' mean working experience was 12.9 years (SD 9.2); 86.3 % were permanently employed and 76.8 % had formal supervision training. RESULTS: The nurse educators rated their competence as good on all competence domains and single competence items, and ERNT total mean score was 4.62 (SD 0.28), with relationship with the students rated highest and personality factors rated lowest. The ERNT total mean score was significantly related to academic degree. CONCLUSIONS: Educational leaders in nursing education are recommended to establish a mentoring and supporting team for their educators.