Advanced Practice Nursing Programs Research Articles

The Experience of Gaining Admission in Graduate School Advanced Practice Nursing Programs during the COVID-19 era

The Experience of Gaining Admission in Graduate School Advanced Practice Nursing Programs during the COVID-19 era

Simulation as a Disruptive Innovation in Advanced Practice Nursing Programs: A Report from a Qualitative Examination

Simulation as a pedagogy is used extensively to educate healthcare professionals in both academic and clinical arenas with the intent to improve the delivery of care and patient outcomes. Advanced practice nursing (APN) programs use simulation as a pedagogy even though APN accreditation and certification organizations prohibit substituting simulation hours for the minimum 500 clinical hours. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore faculty perceptions of educating APN students using simulation. Focus groups were conducted with a convenience sample of APN simulation faculty. Disruptive innovation theory was used by the researchers to guide the data analysis. Themes emerging during analysis included: 1) extrinsic tension and pressure in the midst of chaos, 2) internal vulnerability, and 3) passion and tenacity to remain resilient. The study results provide clarity to understand integration of APN simulation in the current environment, and introduce the impact of simulation as a disruptive innovation.

Interprofessional Education Between Athletic Training and Advanced Practice Nursing Programs

Interprofessional Education Between Athletic Training and Advanced Practice Nursing Programs

Research and instruction services for online advanced practice nursing programs: a survey of North American academic librarians.

IntroductionThe increasing popularity of distance education has led many advanced practice nursing (APN) programs to shift to either online or hybrid models. To meet the needs of these students, some nursing librarians are using technology for virtual research and instruction. This study was designed to assess the extent to which librarians in North America are providing virtual research and instruction services for APN students.MethodsAn institutional review board–approved, ten-question survey was developed to determine how librarians are providing services for APN students. It was announced in October 2017 through several health sciences librarian email discussion lists. The survey ran for four weeks. Data were analyzed using Qualtrics and Excel.ResultsEighty complete responses were received. The majority of respondents (66%) indicated that their universities’ APN programs were conducted in a hybrid format. Sixty-seven percent also indicated that they provide library instruction in person. Most librarians indicated that they have provided research assistance through some virtual method (phone or email, at 90% and 97%, respectively), and some have used online chat (42%) and video chat (35%). A strong majority of librarians (96%) indicated that they felt comfortable using technology to provide research assistance and instruction.ConclusionOpportunities exist to leverage technology to provide virtual research assistance and instruction. Greater promotion of these alternative methods can supplement traditional in-person services to provide greater flexibility for graduate nursing students’ busy schedules. Some outreach may be necessary to highlight the advantages of virtual services, and further research is needed to identify other barriers and potential solutions.

Simulation in Advanced Practice Nursing Programs: A North-American Survey

Simulation is an effective pedagogy and is used extensively in prelicensure nursing education. Advanced practice nursing (APN) programs also use simulation as a component of their curriculum even though APN accreditation and certification organizations do not allow students to substitute simulation hours for the minimum 500 clinical hours. There is a lack of rigorous research studies supporting the benefits or describing the outcomes of using simulation in APN programs. This article presents the results of a descriptive survey on the use of simulation in APN programs in the United States and Canada. Data obtained from the survey provide a base for current simulation use, so do data on the use of the International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning Standards of Best Practice as an organizing framework for the implementation of simulations in APN programs. The results of the survey include courses in which simulation is used, modalities of simulation used, purposes for simulation use, and the number of hours of simulation. Data on barriers to simulation use and faculty educational needs are provided. Key findings include the following: 98% of respondents report using simulation in their APN programs, and 77% of respondents support the replacement of a percentage of clinical hours with simulation. The results from this study provide a base to build further rigorous research on how simulation can enhance the education of APN students, improve knowledge transfer, impact behaviors, and improve outcomes. In addition, the outcomes of this study may help educators develop training and support systems that can enhance the quality of APN simulations.

Implementation strategy for advanced practice nursing in primary health care in Latin America and the Caribbean

ABSTRACTAdvanced practice nursing (APN) is a term used to describe a variety of possible nursing roles operating at an advanced level of practice. Historically, APN roles haves evolved informally, out of the need to improve access to health care services for at-risk and disadvantaged populations and for those living in underserved rural and remote communities. To address health needs, especially ones related to primary health care, nurses acquired additional skills through practice experience, and over time they developed an expanded scope of practice. More recently, APN roles have been developed more formally through the establishment of graduate education programs to meet agreed-upon competencies and standards for practice. The introduction of APN roles is expected to advance primary health care throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, where few such roles exist. The purpose of the paper is to outline an implementation strategy to guide and support the introduction of primary health care APN roles in Latin America and the Caribbean. The strategy includes the adaptation of an existing framework, utilization of recent research evidence, and application of knowledge from experts on APN and primary health care. The strategy consists of nine steps. Each step includes a national perspective that focuses on direct country involvement in health workforce planning and development and on implementation. In addition, each step incorporates an international perspective on encouraging countries that have established APN programs and positions to collaborate in health workforce development with nations without advanced practice nursing.

Strategies to Enhance Success Among Dual-Specialty Students in Advanced Practice Nursing Programs.

In attempts to simultaneously address the 2008 Consensus model and meet the growing need for advanced practice nurses with a robust scope of practice, some schools of nursing offer dual advanced practice nursing (APN) programs. Built on the successes of multiple dual programs at two universities, this article provides specific practice strategies to enhance academic success among students and faculty in dual-specialty APN programs. Faculty- and student-led strategies are outlined, addressing the academic and professional aspects of the dual APN role. With implementation of these strategies, graduation and subsequent dual certification rates in these programs remains extremely high. Adaptation of these strategies to support student and faculty efforts can potentiate additional opportunities for successful dual APN programs. [J Nurs Educ. 2016;55(8):463-466.

Present Condition and Future Direction of Clinical Practicum for Oncology Advanced Practice Nursing Programs

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify the present conditions of clinical practicum through analyzing guidebooks used in education institutions for oncology advanced practice nursing programs and to discuss future directions. Methods: Ten of a total of 13 education institutions participated in this study and ten guidebooks were reviewed from June 1 to October 31, 2014. The standard curriculum developed by the Korean accreditation board of nursing education was used to analyze the present conditions and an analyzing frame was developed by a research team. Two coders independently recorded the data, agreement was 92% and all disagreements was concurrent after discussion. Results: Courses in the area of ‘advanced oncology nursing’ were most highly established and, courses in the area of ‘introduction of oncology nursing’ were least established. Some learning objectives were never dealt with and some learning objectives were over dealt with. The national cancer center was most used for practicum. Diverse homework and evaluation methods were used. Conclusion: Through analyzing clinical practicum guidebooks for oncology advanced practice nursing students, we found that balanced practicum courses are needed to improve the quality of oncology advanced practice nurse programs.

The use of simulation with advanced practice nursing students

To review use of simulation in the education of advanced practice nurses and to describe an innovative simulation program for family nurse practitioner (NP) students. The literature was reviewed using MEDLINE and CINAHL searches for descriptions of simulation programs for advanced practice nursing (APN) students. A description of a simulation program in a family NP program was provided. The literature on the use of simulation in primary care APN programs is scant, but simulation seems to represent an active learning strategy that would be of benefit to primary care APN students in increasing knowledge and confidence about the management of clinical situations. Students can also work with faculty to create simulation experiences based on the knowledge of their own learning needs and expertise in specialty areas of nursing. More information about the use of simulation programs for APN students is needed along with more information about educational outcomes.

Infusing gerontological nursing content into advanced practice nursing education

The inclusion of gerontology content in the nursing curriculum is paramount as our population of older adults grows. As one of 10 recipients of the John A. Hartford Foundation/AACN awards for Enhancing Gerontological and Geriatric Nursing Education for Advanced Practice Nursing Programs, we successfully integrated gerontological/ geriatric content throughout core courses for all concentrations taught at the master's level. The Nurse Practitioner and Clinical Nurse Specialist Competencies for Older Adult Care were used as a guide to integrate gerontological nursing content across the core courses. We present examples of content, strategies, and evaluation methods that demonstrate infusion of gerontology in a nursing theory course, research course, and healthcare law and policy course. Twenty-two of the competencies are addressed in these core courses and provide a foundation for further development in the support and specialty courses for the nurse practitioner, clinical nurse specialist, nursing administrator, nurse educator, and nurse anesthetist. We also present helpful Web-based resources for older adult care.

Enriching Geropsychiatric Nursing in Advanced Practice Nursing Programs

The need for advanced practice nurses with knowledge and skills in geropsychiatric nursing is real and looming larger than ever. By 2030, the number of older adults with major psychiatric illnesses is predicted to reach 15 million. Preparing advanced practice nurses with mental health and geropsychiatric nursing expertise is essential. This paper describes three innovative curricular models for addressing geropsychiatric nursing in graduate advanced practice nursing programs. These models can be implemented with vision, planning, modest resources, and the cooperation of the faculty.

A GRADUATE NURSING CURRICULUM FOR THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF URINARY INCONTINENCE

Geriatric nurse practitioners should be educated in the evaluation and treatment of common geriatric syndromes like urinary incontinence. However, many advanced-practice nursing programs do not place an educational emphasis on urinary incontinence management. The purpose of this project is to provide information that supports the need for geriatric-nurse practitioners to evaluate and manage urinary symptoms in clinical practice. One step in addressing this lack of knowledge is to design a curriculum model (not currently available) based on current clinical guidelines, other partial curriculum models, and clinical research. With this education, geriatric-nurse practitioners will be able to provide competent care for the patient with urinary symptoms, while increasing the accessibility and quality of continence care.

Educating advanced practice nurses for practice reality.

The complexity of the current health care environment ethically mandates advanced practice nursing (APN) educators to prepare graduates with a clear understanding of APN roles and professional and regulatory issues for them to make a reasonable transition to the marketplace. Integrating both clinical content needed for APN practice and APN role issues can be a difficult balance. This article describes critical role content needed in APN programs and offers a variety of teaching strategies. Recommendations regarding the timing and placement of role content in the graduate curriculum also are offered. Although there is no one right way to build APN role content into graduate coursework, some approaches are preferable to others.

Teaching Health Assessment in Advanced Practice Nursing Programs

Teaching Health Assessment in Advanced Practice Nursing Programs