Interventions to Support Diversity in Nursing Education.

BACKGROUND: Despite increased awareness of the importance of cultural competence in the reduction of health care disparities, the nursing profession does not reflect the patient demographics of the United States. The purpose of this article is to report the results of a comprehensive review of the experiences of nontraditional nursing students in undergraduate nursing programs and the interventions used by nursing programs to increase their success. METHOD: Data from 13 studies were extracted, summarized, and synthesized. This review was organized using concepts from Jeffreys' nursing undergraduate retention and success model. RESULTS: Nontraditional nursing students faced unique challenges when pursuing undergraduate nursing education. CONCLUSION: This review highlighted the need for continued efforts to support nontraditional students that pursue nursing education. Future research is necessary to identify and prioritize interventions that enhance nontraditional students' experiences and improve student outcomes. [J Nurs Educ. 2019;58(11):641-646.].

Implementing Yoga Into the Management of Patients With Refractory Low Back Pain in an Outpatient Clinic Setting.

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of implementing yoga into the treatment of patients with chronic low back pain. Design: Quantitative analysis with opportunity for qualitative feedback. Method: Effectiveness of this complementary treatment was assessed using a pretest/posttest design of patients who volunteered to participate in yoga classes as part of their back pain management. Measurements included low back pain rating, perception of back pain interference with daily activities, and self-efficacy in dealing with chronic low back pain. Findings: Although no statistically significant findings were found due to the small sample size, most participants demonstrated improved individual scores on all measurement surveys including qualitative comments. Conclusion: Based on the findings of this pilot study, further studies on implementing yoga into the treatment of chronic low back pain are encouraged.

Social Determinants and Educational Barriers to Successful Admission to Nursing Programs for Minority and Rural Students.

In 2010, the Institute of Medicine made a recommendation in The Future of Nursing Report to diversify the student population of the health care professions in order to provide increasing minority providers to meet the culturally competent needs of the growing multicultural populations of the United States (Institute of Medicine, 2010). The Nursing Network and Careers and Technology Nurse Mentoring Program provides a nursing mentor to underrepresented ethnic minority and educationally disadvantaged students and a significant scholarship and stipend for tuition and monthly living expenses. Ethnically diverse and rural students have lifelong familial and geographical educational barriers that prevent them from succeeding. There are a plethora of major environmental and familial factors that need to be addressed by society for these students to be successful. These factors include improvement of county schools by financial support, improving the home environment through social supportive services, and implementing improved parent-child bonding with nurse family partnerships. Nursing faculty must embrace new approaches for increasing the number of ethnically diverse nursing providers through novel admission criteria and collaborative cohort peer-mentoring programs.

INCREASING DIVERSITY IN OUR SCHOOLS OF NURSING.

This article will review one school's quest to address the multi-level social, historical, environmental and structural determinants faced by under-represented ethnic minorities (UREM) and disadvantaged background (DB) students as they seek entrance into a nursing program. Nursing Network Careers and Technology (NN-CAT) provides a nursing career network for underrepresented and disadvantaged students in western North Carolina and has increased the number of underrepresented and disadvantaged students who are admitted, retained and graduate with a bachelor's degree in nursing from Western Carolina University. Initial data from this NN-CAT program have demonstrated that addressing social determinants and eliminating barriers can increase the number of UREM and educationally disadvantaged students who successfully matriculate in our schools of Nursing and subsequently graduate. These nurses then enter the workforce and provide culturally meaningful care in their local communities.

Nurses as Instruments of Healing: Self-Care Practices of Nurses in a Rural Hospital Setting.

OBJECTIVE: To better understand current self-care practices and health-promoting behaviors of nursing staff in a rural hospital and determine if there is a need for further development of a holistic self-care program for nursing staff in the hospital. METHOD: In this cross-sectional, descriptive study, a structured questionnaire was used to collect data on current self-care practices and health needs and interests of hospital registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and certified nursing assistants from inpatient, outpatient, and emergency departments. A convenience sample of 45 was employed. RESULTS: Most prevalent self-care practices included humor/laughter/play, music, spirituality/prayer, healthy sleep habits, reading, healthy nutrition, and walking. At least 75.6% answered to be extremely or likely to use three of five fitness programs (95% confidence interval [CI: 63.05%, 88.15%]). All four nutrition education programs were rated extremely likely or likely by at least two thirds of respondents (66.7%; 95% CI [52.93%, 80.47%]). Other programs of interests included health education programs and job stress management programs. Majority would participate in self-care program at work if one was offered (73.3%; 95% CI [60.37%, 86.23%]). CONCLUSIONS: Majority of nursing staff recognize the importance of self-care. There is a strong preference toward fitness programs and nutrition education programs at work to other programs.

Second Life Patient Scenarios: Enhancing the Diversity of the Nursing Profession.

Despite the current transformation of the U.S. population to one of increased diversity, the majority of nurses employed are from White backgrounds. In addition, few secondary school students from ethnically diverse backgrounds or from rural regions in the nation are encouraged to pursue a collegiate education or to consider nursing as a career. This article describes an innovative 3-year program in which one rural university in the southeast used a virtual environment, Second Life, to expose secondary students to nursing through role-playing as avatars interacting with patient case scenarios. Secondary school science and health occupations teachers developed patient and environmental scenarios under the direction of the nursing program director and the information technology director from the university. Throughout the 3 years, 300 rural and multicultural students were exposed to virtual world health care learning through quizzes with five patient case and environmental scenarios. Student and teacher evaluations were positive about their interest in learning obtained through the patient case examinations. Technical difficulties during Year 1 were eliminated by Year 3. This program demonstrates that use of virtual technologies such as Second Life may increase the interest of secondary rural and multicultural students in careers in nursing and in pursuing a collegiate education.

Enriching the Student Experience Through a Collaborative Cultural Learning Model.

This article provides a knowledge and understanding of an international, collaborative, cultural learning model for students from the United States and Scotland. Internationalizing the student experience has been instrumental for student learning for the past eight years. Both countries have developed programs that have enriched and enhanced the overall student learning experience, mainly through the sharing of evidence-based care in both hospital and community settings. Student learning is at the heart of this international model, and through practice learning, leadership, and reflective practice, student immersion in global health care and practice is immense. Moving forward, we are seeking new opportunities to explore learning partnerships to provide this collaborative cultural learning experience.

An academic-community partnership to address the flu vaccination rates of the homeless.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this pilot research study was to explore the beliefs and barriers to flu vaccination from a sample homeless population in a small metropolitan community. DESIGN AND SAMPLE: In a collaborative academic-community partnership of a university undergraduate nursing education program, a local health department, and nonprofit agencies, a social marketing education program was developed by nursing students which included surveying the homeless for perceptions regarding flu vaccinations. There were a total of 87 homeless subjects that were surveyed. MEASURES: The measurements were obtained from various questions regarding flu vaccinations on a Qualtrics survey examining the barriers, beliefs, and practices of the homeless population. The focus addressed health disparities and barriers with nursing students serving as the catalyst to reach the homeless in an educational service-learning project. RESULTS: This project demonstrated a positive impact in meeting health care needs of homeless persons as the rate of flu vaccination was doubled from the previous year at one community day shelter. CONCLUSIONS: Nursing students developed their ability to impact a hard-to-reach population with positive changes in their attitudes by increased understanding of the health needs of the homeless.

The Net Generation of nursing: keeping empathetic communication alive.

Electronic communication has had a profound impact on generations, in the nursing profession as well as in society as a whole. Nursing educators struggle with facilitating verbal communication skills in didactic and clinical settings, particularly with the Net Generation. Online education is rapidly becoming the norm in degree-completion programs. Nursing educators must assure that empathetic communication with patients will not become a lost art.

Developing global citizenship online: an authentic alternative to overseas clinical placement.

BACKGROUND: This paper presents the findings of a pilot project to develop and evaluate an international nursing module delivered using a collaborative online platform between nursing programmes in Scotland, USA and Finland. The purpose of the project was to provide an authentic international nursing experience for nursing students, allowing them to explore and contrast the nursing and health care issues in an international context. METHODS: The pilot cohort ran in September 2011 with a total of 22 students with a mix of students from both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. A mixed methods research design was used to evaluate the students' experience using an anonymous online questionnaire and the collection of testimonials from students based on their experience. RESULTS: The results demonstrated high levels of satisfaction with the learning experience. Four key themes-learning together, widening horizons, developing autonomy and learning beyond frontiers-emerged from the qualitative data. CONCLUSIONS: Developing confidence from the shared learning experience has real implications for the global mobility of the nursing workforce as it helps to prepare nurses for a career beyond their own country's borders. The pilot module has clearly demonstrated that the use of Web 2.0 technology in the forms of a wiki may effectively be employed to provide an online learning environment to allow cross institutional learning.

Educational innovation: collaborative mentoring for future nursing leaders.

This article discusses a unique educational partnership between nurse leaders and a university baccalaureate nursing program that nurtures future nursing administrators. A structured mentoring process in which students are guided through an internship with nursing administrators and executives promotes development of a career focus, leading novices to a more mature role on their career journeys.

International collaboration in pediatric nursing: mutual learning success.

This article describes an innovative international collaboration between a children's hospital in the United Kingdom and a university school of nursing in the United States that created opportunities for networking among nurses in similar specialties. Nurses from two countries joined in an educational partnership to share dialogue and clinical experience in the United Kingdom.

International collaboration: a concept model to engage nursing leaders and promote global nursing education partnerships.

This article describes a newly developed, internationally focused concept model, Engaging tomorrow's international nursing leaders (ETINL). The primary tenets of the ETINL model encourage advocacy, activism, and professional accountability in preparing nursing leadership. The article presents the foundation and application of the ETINL model in providing an on-going forum for student and faculty exploration of global nursing issues. The concept model has been applied in a collaborative partnership between a United States school of nursing and two United Kingdom schools of nursing to create a leadership development course 'blending web-based learning and mentored experiential travel. This pilot project illustrates the ways alliances between international schools of nursing build nursing leaders who can facilitate global health outcomes.

Promoting collaboration in nursing education: the development of a regional simulation laboratory.

This article describes a collaboratively developed plan for a regional patient simulation laboratory for nursing education. The Western North Carolina Regional Simulation Laboratory will be located at the Enka Campus of the Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College at the Department of Nursing of Western Carolina University (Candler, NC). A proactive collaborative consortium has been established to help meet the demand for nursing education in the 13 most rural mountain counties of western North Carolina. Through a 2-year process with regional networking, the nursing administration of Western Carolina University, Mission Hospitals, Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, and affiliated community colleges, consortium hospitals, and emergency care services developed a vision and a proposal for an innovative program for the nursing education of the future. The consortium proposed the establishment of a 3-year integrated educational program utilizing state-of-the-art simulation manikin technology. Financial resources were obtained from a charitable grant from The Duke Endowment (Charlotte, NC). Sustainability of funding will be ensured through university, hospital, and community college collaboration.