Predisposing Factors of Intercultural Sensitivity Among Nursing Students: A Predictive Correlational Design.

INTRODUCTION: Intercultural sensitivity in health care improves health care quality due to effective communication, intervention, and increased satisfaction. The present study aimed to compare the intercultural sensitivity of undergraduate nursing students in two different countries and identify predisposing factors of intercultural sensitivity. METHODS: A predictive correlational study was conducted with 980 undergraduate nursing students at a university in Turkey and the United States. A questionnaire and the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale were used for data collection. RESULTS: Multiple linear regression revealed that the country in which nursing students were studying, and speaking a second language were found as significant predictors of intercultural sensitivity in the current study. The findings of the two-way variance analysis indicated that the interaction effect between nursing students in two schools and sociodemographic variables was not statistically significant (p > .05). DISCUSSION: Nursing students from both universities presented a moderate level of intercultural sensitivity. This level is low compared with previous results reported in the literature. The study findings may help faculty administrators make new arrangements in the nursing curriculum and contribute to providing equal, and non-discriminatory health services to people. Intercultural education programs within the curriculum should be offered as independent courses and/or integrated within courses to develop culturally competent knowledge, awareness, and skills throughout undergraduate nursing education.

Nursing education stress and coping behaviors in Turkish and the United States nursing students: A descriptive study.

AIM: The aim of the present study was to compare nursing education stress and coping behaviors of nursing students in two different countries. BACKGROUND: Nursing students face with stress factors affecting academic performance during nursing education. Coping strategies can help students manage their stress levels. DESIGN: This study was performed with a descriptive design at the nursing department of two universities in Turkey and the United States. METHODS: The sample consisted of 986 students in total (807 students from Turkey and 179 students from the United States). Data were collected by a questionnaire, using the Nursing Education Stress Scale and the Coping Behavior Inventory. RESULTS: The mean score of Turkish students on the Nursing Education Stress Scale was (68.34 ± 16.57) significantly higher than the United States students (50.91 ± 15.53) (p < 0.05). The mean scores of the sub-groups regarding avoidance, problem solving and transference behaviors of the Coping Behavior Inventory of the Turkish students were significantly higher than that of the United States students (p < 0.05); whereas the mean score of the optimistic coping behavior sub-group of the scale of the Turkish students' was lower (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that the nursing students from different countries had different stress levels in nursing education. The most used coping strategy by the nursing students from two countries was avoidance behaviors. Educational programs should be organized to strengthen students' stress coping skills and to use effective coping strategies.

Professional values and career choice of nursing students.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Professional values are abstract and general behavioral principles that provide basic standards to judge aims and actions, and these principles are formed by strong emotional loyalty of members of the profession. Research was conducted to compare the career choice and professional values of nursing students at two universities in the upper Midwest of the United States and in the middle of Turkey. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive and comparative design was used. The participants of the study were comprised nursing students from a university in the upper Midwest of United States and a university in the middle of Turkey. The sample consisted of 728 students in all grades. Data were collected by a questionnaire, The Nurses Professional Values Scale-Revised and Vocational Choices in Entering Nursing Scale. Number, percentage distribution, mean, standard deviation, t test, and one-way variance analysis were used in the analysis of data. Ethical considerations: Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethics Commission. Informed consent was received from the students. RESULTS: The students' mean age for American students was 24.3 ± 5.6 years, while the mean age for Turkish students was 19.8 ± 1.7 years. Mean score of American students on The Vocational Congruency (a subgroup of the Vocational Choices in Entering Nursing Scale) was 38.5 ± 5.9 and Turkish students was 29.6 ± 8.9 (p < 0.05). Mean score of American students on The Nurses Professional Values Scale-Revised was 109.2 ± 12.3 and that of Turkish students was 101.6 ± 17.0. CONCLUSION: This study concluded that the majority of nursing students had high professional values, and when students' scores were compared, American students had higher professional values, and in career choice, they considered primarily fitness of the profession to themselves and their goals, while Turkish students primarily thought of their living conditions.

Overcoming barriers to implementing evidence-based practice: a collaboration between academics and practice.

This article describes two collaborative paired student-preceptor efforts. One project resulted in the implementation of a hospital-wide oral care protocol, and the second enhanced the admission assessment process for adult patients at risk for respiratory compromise after sedation and/or receipt of narcotic analgesia. Recommendations for staff development are addressed.

Collaborative simulation project to teach scope of practice.

Nursing faculty from three schools of nursing collaborated to develop a simulation project to enable nursing students to practice and apply principles, leadership, and culturally competent care. A simulated five-bed hospital was created where students were assigned to teams to plan and care for these patients. After the simulation exercise, students participated in a debriefing session in which they reflected on their performance.

Using research to determine support for a policy on family presence during resuscitation.

National guidelines and professional organizations have recommended allowing family presence during resuscitation and bedside invasive procedures. Studies found that only 5% of critical care units have written policies. Periodic requests by family members prompted the creation of a task force, including nurses, physicians, and respiratory therapists, to develop this controversial policy. Before development, a research study of healthcare personnel attitudes, concerns, and beliefs toward family presence during cardiopulmonary resuscitation and bedside invasive procedures was done. This descriptive and correlational study showed support for family presence by critical care and emergency department nurses. Findings revealed both support and non-support for families to be present during resuscitative efforts. Providing family presence as an option offers an opportunity for reluctant healthcare team members to refuse their presence and an opportunity for those who support family presence to welcome the family.

Nursing student caring behaviors during blood pressure measurement.

The purpose of this multisite, nonexperimental study was to examine, using a repeated measures design, the effects of a teaching intervention designed to promote caring behaviors as students learn the psychomotor skill of blood pressure measurement. Watson's theory of human caring and a combination of cognitive and connectionist learning theories were used as the organizing construct. Baccalaureate nursing student participants were videotaped and evaluated at two points in time while performing the psychomotor skill of blood pressure measurement on a role-player. Role-players rated the students' caring behaviors using the Role Player Survey of Caring Behaviors During Blood Pressure Measurement instrument. Between these data collection points, students learned about caring behaviors through analysis of a videotaped role-play and required readings. An evaluator randomly selected 10 student videotapes from each of the 6 baccalaureate nursing program study sites and noted the presence or absence of caring behaviors on the Caring Behaviors During Blood Pressure Measurement instrument. Pretest and posttest scores on both subjective and objective research instruments were compared using descriptive statistics and repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Students demonstrated a significant improvement in objective and subjective caring behaviors between the two performance examinations. The findings support further investigation of teaching interventions to promote the development of caring behaviors during nursing psychomotor skill development.

Creating a home care simulation laboratory.

Simulation laboratories are being created to prepare students and new staff for clinical experiences. With puppets and garage sale objects, a life-in-home laboratory was developed to meet the needs of those first encountering a home care situation.

Adapting to a prospective payment system: a research study of visiting nurses.

Individual interviews were conducted with twelve visiting home care nurses in three home care agencies in a Midwest state to determine how they adapted to the Prospective Payment System (PPS) of 2000. Strategies used by the nurses included organization, understanding the documentation, financial awareness, greater emphasis on discharge planning, patient accountability, greater emphasis on teaching, and team work.