Screen technology exposure and infant cognitive development: A scoping review.

PROBLEM: There has been some concern that screen exposure is harmful to an infant's cognitive development, but the effects of screen technologies on cognition are not fully understood. A scoping review was conducted to determine what evidence exists about screen exposure and cognitive development in children ages birth to 24 months. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Inclusion = 1) English language; 2) studies focusing on children under 24 months of age; 3) cognitive development; 4) screen exposure. Exclusion = 1) articles over 25 years old; 2) structure, function and physiology of the brain; 3) social development; 4) psychosocial development; 5) motor development; 6) abnormal development/mental health; 7) behavior; 8) content only, not screen exposure e.g., social media; 9) secondary sources. SAMPLE: Ten studies met the inclusion criteria. Articles included one retrospective chart review, six longitudinal studies, two cross-sectional studies, and one prospective study. RESULTS: Of the ten studies in this review, six reported correlations between screen exposure and cognitive delay, one study reported positive cognitive outcomes and three reported no significant positive or negative outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: From the evidence in this scoping review, no causal relationship has been found between screen exposure and infant cognitive harm. Some correlations between screen exposure and cognitive delay were reported. Some positive cognitive outcomes were also reported. IMPLICATIONS: Future research should focus on the context of screen viewing as opposed to dosage or exposure. More robust methodologies should be used to assess infant cognition and screen usage.

Alternative Clinical Learning Experiences for Nursing Education Using Virtual Individual Patients.

ABSTRACT: Acute care pediatric clinical experiences for undergraduate nursing students can present a challenge given the limited availability of clinical sites, increased restrictions, and variations in direct patient care experiences. Unfolding virtual individual patient pediatric simulations were developed using complex pediatric disorders with multiple physiological, psychosocial, and developmental components. Ten unfolding simulations were implemented to standardize clinical experiences and replace clinical hours. Students were evaluated using the Quint Leveled Clinical Competency Tool, demonstrating overall progressing ability to use clinical reasoning skills. Unfolding virtual individual patients allow for deliberate, coordinated, and consistent exposure to clinical experiences and are a valuable substitution for traditional clinicals.

Transitioning Child Health Clinical Content From Direct Care to Online Instruction.

BACKGROUND: The global pandemic of 2020 forced preli-censure nursing degree programs to rapidly reevaluate clinical teaching methodologies. To maintain high educational standards with minimal anxiety and disruption for students, a child health teaching team developed an innovative revised plan for facilitation of clinical experiences within the virtual learning environment. METHOD: Experienced faculty employed a series of clinical learning activities in the online environment using existing virtual simulations, along with new innovations including a digital escape room, unfolding case studies, and blended prioritization simulations. RESULTS: Information gleaned from student evaluations identified self-reported increases in clinical reasoning, prioritization, communication, and critical thinking skills. Students appreciated a more relaxed pace that allowed for more time to think through the processes. CONCLUSION: Virtual activities can be as effective as in-person clinical learning methodologies. Integrating virtual activities into clinical curricula can be a viable option, especially in areas where clinical placement is limited. [J Nurs Educ. 2021;60(3):177-179.].

Is There a Resurgence of Vaccine Preventable Diseases in the U.S.?

Immunizations are a safe and effective means of promoting health and preventing disease. Vaccine programs prevent millions of cases of disease and save thousands of lives in the U.S. each year; however, the threat of vaccine-preventable diseases remains. Recent years have seen a resurgence in certain vaccine-preventable diseases which can be attributed to vaccine refusals, under-vaccination, waning immunity, less effective immunizations, and imported cases. Nurses must stay informed about the current state of vaccine compliance and disease resurgence in order to best educate families. Understanding why families refuse or delay vaccinations provides a basis for nurses to plan educational interventions designed to best meet the needs of each family.

No Evidence to Support Number of Clinical Hours Necessary for Nursing Competency.

INTRODUCTION: Direct patient care across the lifespan has been the standard for nursing clinical experiences over the past several years. Recently, the Ohio Board of Nursing ruled that 100% of pediatric clinical hours could be replaced with simulation. PURPOSE: Make a recommendation for the number of direct patient care clinical hours in pediatrics that are needed to meet the pediatric nursing competencies. METHOD: All fifty United States Boards of Nursing prelicensure nursing education requirements were reviewed to identify the number of required clinical hours and definitions for clinical experience. In addition, the Society of Pediatric Nurses members were surveyed to identify the number of direct pediatric clinical hours needed to achieve the Society of Pediatric Nurses pediatric pre-licensure competencies. RESULTS: Only ten states outline any requirements regarding the required number of clinical hours for prelicensure nursing education and twenty-six states incorporate language that defines clinical experiences. CONCLUSION: All prelicensure students take the standardized National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), therefore, a consensus among the state boards of nursing outlining the minimum number of clinical hours required to reach nursing competency is needed. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Based on the survey results of the Society of Pediatric Nurses' members and expert opinion of the pediatric authors, a minimum of 61 to 80 clinical hours in direct care of pediatric patients is necessary for nursing students to meet the Society of Pediatric Nurses' recommended pediatric nursing content, obtain pediatric nursing competency, and be able to care for pediatric patients and their families.

Comparison of student learning among three teaching methodologies in the pediatric clinical setting.

Facilitating effective clinical learning for pediatric nursing students is becoming increasingly challenging and limited in opportunities. Hospital leaders are concerned about the critical thinking and prioritization skills of new graduates and believe that inpatient clinical experiences are the only way to develop these skills. This study sought to compare the effectiveness of three different clinical teaching schedules in preparing nursing students to care for children and their families. Teaching methodology was randomly assigned to various amount of times in acute care inpatient settings. Student knowledge, clinical decision making, and student satisfaction and perception of learning were measured. No statistically significant differences among groups for either knowledge scores or clinical reasoning scores were noted. Student satisfaction results did not reveal differences among groups. Study findings will help educators to better plan clinical experiences and more effectively utilize an array of settings to optimize the clinical learning of pediatric nursing content.

Back-to-basics boot camp: an innovative approach to competency assessment.

Competency is the foundation for safe and quality patient care; therefore, assessment must include evaluation based on defined criteria beyond just following a checklist or grading a posttest. The challenge for nurse educators is devising strategies for the staff to demonstrate skills and critical thinking while accommodating various work schedules and time restrictions. This article will describe an innovative themed program that incorporates communication, teamwork, and fun into competency assessment. This technique allows for the tailoring of validation to the needs of the individual and the team.