Mission Possible CD ROM: instructional tool for preceptors.

Senior student preceptorship is a vital clinical component of many baccalaureate nursing curricula providing a one-on-one partnership with a registered nurse with clinical expertise. Experiential data and literature review support the preceptor's need for guidance with student assessment and evaluation strategies. This article reports on research conducted to assess the perceived increase in a preceptor's knowledge after viewing an author developed instructional CD, Mission Possible CD ROM: Instructional Tool for Preceptors. The results suggest that perceived knowledge increased; however, the lack of time to view the CD was an issue for the majority of the nurse preceptor participants. More research is warranted to build on current literature regarding instructional strategies of benefit to a nurse in the preceptor role.

Reforming perspectives: MSN graduates' knowledge, attitudes and awareness of self-transformation.

Socialization includes internalization of attitudes and values critical to the development of a professional identity. Resocialization relates to the returning registered nurse student's development of professional values and roles. Nurse educators' challenge is to consider socialization/resocialization as a formation/re-formation process. The purpose of this article is to report findings from a replication qualitative descriptive study that examined the process of change in knowledge and attitudes of recent MSN graduates using Mezirow's (1994)Transformative Learning Theory. Findings substantiated the changes in attitudes, knowledge and skills of MSN graduates identified by Cragg and Andrusyszyn (2005). Results further inform nurse educators of the process of transformation in MSN graduates according to Mezirow's Phases of Perspective Transformation.

Shared decision-making in nursing education.

Shared decision-making is an effective management strategy that may have positive implications for nurse educators facing curricular and course delivery issues. Use of shared or participative decision-making recognizes that decisions made for the overall good of the organization should include those integrally involved, i.e., faculty, students and administration. Ultimately, effective student learning should be the outcome of decisions related to curricular and content delivery. In this anecdotal paper, the authors present shared decision-making (SDM) as a management strategy that may be effectively utilized in a range of situations in educational settings. An exemplar is presented regarding changes in course delivery methods at two sister schools of nursing. Strategies to promote successful implementation, as well as challenges in initiating SDM, are discussed. The information presented in this paper can benefit nurse educators by offering a collaborative approach to the issues of evolving nursing curricula and content delivery.

Lights, camera, action: using feature films to stimulate emancipatory learning in the RN to BSN student.

Nurse educators are continually challenged to develop and implement effective activities to stimulate reflective learning in the RN to BSN student. The authors discuss the successful use of the feature film My Life as a reflective learning activity for a family health systems course.While feature films have been used constructively to teach family systems and social development, there is scant literature on the use of feature film as a teaching strategy within the discipline of nursing. The authors present evidence of how a film promoted stimulating and powerful transformative learning.