Simulation to Develop Teaching Competencies in Health Professions Educators: A Scoping Review.

AIM: The aim of this study was to determine what is known about using simulation as an intervention to develop teaching competencies in health professions educators. BACKGROUND: No reviews are available that integrate the body of evidence about simulation to develop role competency in clinical educators. METHOD: Scoping review methodology was used to identify interventions that used simulation to develop teaching competencies for health professions educators. RESULTS: Thirteen articles met inclusion criteria. Simulation contexts were academic settings, either as a single activity or being embedded in larger curriculum. Backgrounds were tied to specific objectives related to faculty role expectations. Facilitator and educational strategies varied from loosely to highly structured. Outcomes were primarily posteducational self-assessments. CONCLUSION: Simulation to develop teaching competencies is a promising strategy and an important area of future research for nursing education.

Don't Be a Serial Citer. Synthesize!

This article describes an interactive teaching-learning strategy titled "Don't Be a Serial Citer. Synthesize!" The strategy is used during an onsite, face-to-face orientation to help new graduate nursing students overcome the tendency to be "serial citers." Although the primary purpose is to develop students' beginning skills at performing synthesis writing, there are important secondary outcomes attached to the experience, including the opportunity for students to be involved in a positive experience during group work and getting to know their classmates. This activity takes approximately two hours to complete.

Partnering to Develop Online Teaching Skills for Master of Science in Nursing Education Students.

BACKGROUND: The continued growth of online programs in nursing education creates a demand for faculty who are familiar with the best practices in online pedagogy. However, the opportunity to become familiar with, and then apply, these best practices is often not available to students enrolled in Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) nursing education programs. METHOD: An innovative partnership with The Center for Instructional Design's Teaching Online Academy over the past few years has provided the opportunity for students in the MSN Nursing Education program at The University of Texas at El Paso to learn and then apply best practices in online pedagogy. RESULTS: Over the past 1.5 years, 50 students have participated and provided highly enthusiastic feedback about the experience. CONCLUSION: The results of the partnership were beneficial to participants in both the Nursing Education program and the Teaching Online Academy. The process could be easily adapted to other settings. [J Nurs Educ. 2019;58(4):240-242.].

Screening and management of overweight and obesity at a university student health center.

This article discusses a quality improvement project focused on developing, implementing, and evaluating an evidence-based best practice protocol for screening and management of overweight and obesity in college students in a university-based student health center.

From Dissertation Defense to Dissemination: Jump Start Your Academic Career With a Scholar Mentor Group.

PROBLEM: The dissertation provides an excellent source of scholarly productivity for new doctoral faculty, yet is often neglected because of the demands inherent in the faculty role. METHODS: The purpose of this paper is to present a case study of a scholar mentor group composed of three graduates of a PhD nursing program and their shared dissertation chair, who acted as a senior scholar mentor to the group. FINDINGS: By working together, we have been able to enhance our scholarly productivity by disseminating our dissertations through presentations and publications. The paper will present the evolving process of this working group, summarize outcomes, analyze the challenges, and provide suggestions for future doctoral students and faculty who are working with them. CONCLUSIONS: Our experience and scholar mentor model captures the best of both worlds-the benefits of interaction with academic peers and the benefits of having a senior scholar mentor. This was accomplished while all members were at different schools in different cities and states. Although other literatures that document successful collaborations using a peer-mentorship model are available, we were unable to locate any that documents a post-doctoral group with a senior scholar mentor who continued working together after graduation.

Developing Students as Future Researchers Using QSEN Competencies as a Framework.

PURPOSE: This article discusses the development of students as future researchers within the context of carrying out an R-15-funded research project, and demonstrates the application of selected competencies from the Quality and Safety Education for Nursing project as a project framework. Operationally, the project had two parallel tracks; the first track was the research project itself, and the second track was the development of researchers through carrying out the research project. OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT: The objectives of the research project were to (a) translate project documents into Spanish, (b) test the acceptability of the intervention in a Hispanic population along the Unites States-Mexico border, and (c) assess the feasibility of conducting a trial of the intervention in the same population. METHOD: Development of future researchers was guided by selected pre-licensure Quality and Safety Education for Nursing competencies, which created a transparent link among research, education, and practice. CONCLUSION: This framework is extremely useful for educators and research mentors who have the opportunity to mentor and develop students as researchers. Monsivais Robinson.

Decreasing the stigma burden of chronic pain.

PURPOSE: To describe stigmatizing experiences in a group of Mexican-American women with chronic pain and provide clinical implications for decreasing stigma. DATA SOURCES: This focused ethnographic study derived data from semistructured interviews, participant observations, and fieldwork. Participants provided detailed descriptions of communicating about chronic pain symptoms, treatment, and management. The sample consisted of 15 English-speaking Mexican-American women 21-65 years old (average age = 45.6 years) who had nonmalignant chronic pain symptoms for 1 year or more. CONCLUSIONS: The cultural and social norm in the United States is the expectation for objective evidence (such as an injury) to be present if a pain condition exists. In this study, this norm created suspicion and subsequent stigmatization on the part of family, co-workers, and even those with the pain syndromes, that the painful condition was imagined instead of real. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: To decrease stigmatization of chronic pain, providers must understand their own misconceptions about chronic pain, possess the skills and resources to access and use the highest level of practice evidence available, and become an advocate for improved pain care at local, state, and national levels.