Engaging Nursing Students in Mental Health Concepts Through Multiple Teaching Modalities.

BACKGROUND: Utilizing multiple active learning strategies may facilitate knowledge, critical thinking, communication, and attitude regarding mental health concepts in nursing students. METHOD: Faculty in an accelerated 12-month baccalaureate nursing program delivered mental health nursing concepts utilizing team-based learning (TBL), a video response assignment, faculty-led clinical in an inpatient psychiatric hospital, and a standardized patient simulation. Twenty-two nursing students (71%) voluntarily completed a faculty-derived instrument to evaluate the efficacy of each learning experience on knowledge, critical thinking, communication, and attitude. RESULTS: Students favored in-person clinical (73%-91%) and TBL (68%-77%) in terms of the perceived effectiveness to improve knowledge, critical thinking, communication, and attitude toward the mentally ill. Standardized patient experiences (45%-64%) were not rated as favorably but did fare better than video-response assignments (32%-45%). CONCLUSION: Research is needed to provide a formal evaluation of mental health teaching modalities. [J Nurs Educ. 2023;62(6):359-363.].

Preparing for Next Generation NCLEX ® Through Team-Based Learning: Student Perspectives.

ABSTRACT: The Next Generation NCLEX ® requires higher levels of understanding for new registered nurses to practice safely. Team-based learning (TBL) offers a rigorous but pragmatic approach to achieve that aim. TBL employs collaborative strategies for structured problem-solving, a key focus of contemporary nurse educators. In this prospective study, a faculty team at a second-degree, accelerated baccalaureate nursing program within the southeast United States evaluated student perspectives of TBL. Overall findings revealed positive student experiences ( n = 30, with three students on an alternate plan of study) in all aspects of the method.

The Impact of Transition Readiness and Stress on Patient-Centered Outcomes in Young Adults With Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Young adults, 18-35 years of age, account for nearly half of all inflammatory bowel disease emergency department visits annually, costing millions of healthcare dollars and signifying undue pain and suffering. To mitigate this sequela, the study aimed to characterize the relationships between transition readiness (self-management ability), stress, and patient-centered outcomes. Outcomes were defined as disease activity and inflammatory bowel disease-related healthcare utilization (emergency department visits and inpatient hospitalization). This was a descriptive, correlational design via online survey of young adults with inflammatory bowel disease. Participants (n = 284) utilized an estimated 2.77 million healthcare dollars in 12 months. Transition readiness decreased the odds of having consistently active disease and healthcare utilization, with adjusted odds ratio ranging from 6.4 to 10.9 (p < .05). Higher stress levels increased the odds of having consistently active disease and healthcare utilization, with adjusted odds ratio ranging from 9.5 to 10.5 (p < .0001). Twenty-five percent (24.7%) of the variation in transition readiness was explained by changes in stress (p < .0001). Transition readiness and stress impacted all patient-centered outcomes. Stress negatively impacted transition readiness. These results are powerful reminders for healthcare providers to assess and treat stress and support transition readiness in young adults with inflammatory bowel disease. The potential to decrease pain, suffering, and healthcare cost is enormous.

Early Immersion Clinical for an Accelerated BSN Nursing Program.

ABSTRACT: Ensuring clinical competency and judgment in nursing students is critical. Developing ways for students to obtain this goal in a second-degree bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) program is challenging. One method described here is the early immersion clinical (EIC). Occurring concurrently with health assessment and fundamentals courses, EIC allowed for quick application of skills in the context of clinical care. Weekly clinical objectives were aligned with objectives for both courses. This article describes how EIC was implemented in a 12-month second-degree accelerated BSN program.