Description:
To examine factors that influence the establishment and continuation of breastfeeding among women living in a southern region of Victoria.
Description:
Urinary incontinence is a common and distressing condition. Using focus groups, we explored the views of ten ethnic language groups in Melbourne about knowledge and awareness of incontinence. The 218 participants (with or without incontinence) spoke with trained interpreters. Twenty focus group discussions of single and mixed sex groups were audio-recorded and transcribed into English. Narratives were analyzed using thematic analysis with open coding and also incorporated themes from literature. Participants' knowledge of incontinence was low and incontinence was thought to be an inevitable consequence of ageing. There was little understanding of treatments or assistance available under government-funded programmes. No group was aware of the national continence programme or phone helpline. Sensitivities of the topic plus language barriers in immigrant culturally and linguistically diverse communities may impose barriers to accessing help. Several groups thought they would cope with incontinence by themselves, while all groups suggested they would be able to discuss the condition with a doctor. Various preferences voiced about social limitations and permissible communications with others are described. Nurses should be aware of the needs and communication preferences of ethnic language groups regarding continence information and continence service delivery.
Description:
Nursing students are required to develop clinical knowledge, skills and attitudes for professional practice. However, objectivity and parity of students' clinical assessments has been questioned. In the last decade, more objective techniques have been developed, with increased use of Objective Structured Clinical Examinations. We reviewed objective clinical assessment measures used in preregistration nursing courses to determine utilization and the validity and reliability of assessment techniques. A systematic search was made of quantitative research publications between 2000 and May 2011, identifying 16 studies that were subsequently reviewed. The validity and reliability of studies varied, with six studies judged as high quality, using various methodologies. This paper describes methods of instrument development and reports on their application in preregistration nursing programs.
Description:
Background: Bibliometrics involves statistical analyses of publication data, particularly citation analysis, to determine popularity/impact of articles and authors. Methods: Citation analysis was conducted on the "top 100'' cited nursing simulation articles in the Scopus database in April 2019. Results: The median number of article citations was 84 (mean = 100.4; range, 53-557). Citations were steadily accumulated after publication; the majority between year four and year seven. Two-thirds of the articles were led by authors from the United States. Conclusions: This report on bibliometric mapping helps to graphically illustrate the evolution of simulation articles in the field of nursing.
Description:
Clinical practice is fundamental to the learning of undergraduate and entry-level nursing students. It provides the milieu whereby students apply classroom theory and simulated practice to the real world of nursing and become socialised into the profession. In contemporary nursing education, there is often competition among tertiary education providers to locate quality, appropriate placements; substantial costs may be incurred to access suitable placements.
Description:
Introduction: Emergency nurses are at risk of compassion fatigue. Compassion fatigue caused by exposure to suffering may compromise the individual's personal wellbeing and reduce work efficiency. Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional survey with open responses was conducted using the Professional Quality of Life: Compassion Satisfaction and Compassion Fatigue (ProQOL) scale and open-ended questions. Responses from a convenience sample of 86 nurses from two hospital emergency departments in Victoria, Australia, were analysed. Results: The median score for Compassion Satisfaction was 78% with all nurses reporting average to high scores. Most had average levels of Compassion Fatigue: Burnout median score was 53% and Secondary Traumatic Stress median score 49%. No statistically significant correlation was found between scales nor with influencing demographic characteristics. A qualification in emergency nursing was predictive of Compassion Satisfaction. Six descriptive job-associated factors contributed to nurses' stress: human resources, the organisation, job-specific components, patient mix and professional and personal components. Conclusion/s: Average to high levels of Compassion Satisfaction and low to average levels of Compassion Fatigue were found in emergency nurses. Issues contributing to stress were work and role related. An understanding of these stressors may help nurses and nurse managers to ameliorate emergency nurses' levels of stress and help limit staff burnout.
Description:
Simulation-based education has become a ubiquitous teaching approach in nursing. However, ensuring the quality of simulation research is critical. We reviewed the methodological quality of 26 quantitative studies published in Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 2017. The Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument and Simulation Research Evaluation Rubric showed that nearly all studies were of moderate to high quality (rated ≥50%). Correlation coefficients showed that interrater agreement was high overall (≥0.94). In conclusion, this was a valid approach for examining simulation study quality. Although most included studies were of high quality, some elements of study reporting can be improved upon.
Description:
Simulation-based education has become a ubiquitous teaching approach in nursing. However, ensuring the quality of simulation research is critical. We reviewed the methodological quality of 26 quantitative studies published in Clinical Simulation in Nursing, 2017. The Medical Education Research Study Quality Instrument and Simulation Research Evaluation Rubric showed that nearly all studies were of moderate to high quality (rated ≥50%). Correlation coefficients showed that interrater agreement was high overall (≥0.94). In conclusion, this was a valid approach for examining simulation study quality. Although most included studies were of high quality, some elements of study reporting can be improved upon.
Description:
International studies indicate that the recognition and management of deteriorating patients in hospitals are poor and that patient assessment is often inadequate. Face-to-face simulation programs have been shown to have an impact on educational and clinical outcomes; however, little is known about performance in contemporary healthcare e-simulation approaches. Using data from an open-access Web-based patient deterioration program (FIRSTACTWeb), the performance of 367 Australian nursing students in identification of treatment priorities and clinical actions was analyzed using a military model of Course of Action Simulation Analysis. Participants' performance in the whole program demonstrated a significant improvement in knowledge and skills (P ≤ .001) with high levels of participant satisfaction. Course of Action Simulation Analysis modeling identified three key participant groupings within which only 18% took the "best course of action" (the right actions and timing), with most (70%) completing the right actions but in the wrong order. The remaining 12% produced incomplete assessments and actions in an incorrect sequence. Contemporary approaches such as e-simulation do enhance educational outcomes. Measurement of performance when combined with Course of Action Simulation Analysis becomes a useful tool in the description of outcomes, an understanding of decision making, and the prediction of future events.
Description:
This study explores preregistration nursing students’ views of a Web-based simulation program: FIRST2 ACTWeb (Feedback Incorporating Review and Simulation Techniques to Act on Clinical Trends-Web). The multimedia program incorporating three videoed scenarios portrayed by a standardized patient (human actor) aims to improve students’ recognition and management of hospital patient deterioration. Participants were 367 final-year nursing students from three universities who completed an online evaluation survey and 19 students from two universities who attended one of five focus groups. Two researchers conducted a thematic analysis of the transcribed narratives. Three core themes identified were as follows: “ease of program use,” “experience of e-Simulation,” and “satisfaction with the learning experience.” The Web-based clinical learning environment was endorsed as functional, feasible, and easy to use and was reported to have high fidelity and realism. Feedback in both focus groups and surveys showed high satisfaction with the learning experience. Overall, evaluation suggested that the Web-based simulation program successfully integrated elements essential for blended learning. Although Web-based educational applications are resource intensive to develop, positive appraisal of program quality, plus program accessibility and repeatability, appears to provide important educational benefits. Further research is needed to determine the transferability of these learning experiences into real-world practice.