Associate Degree Nursing Students Research Articles

Computer adaptive quizzing versus NCLEX review textbook in preparation for the exit HESI examination

BackgroundNursing students must pass the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) examination to become licensed registered nurses. There is an identified nursing shortage, and nursing programs are faced with finding solutions to help students pass the NCLEX-RN examination and enter the workforce. Many nursing schools administer a predictor examination, such as Health Education Systems Incorporated (HESI). A gap exists in identifying solutions for NCLEX's success. AimThe purpose of this study was to evaluate differences in the exit HESI examination scores of senior-level associate degree nursing (ADN) students who used CAQ to prepare with ADN students who used NCLEX review textbooks to prepare for the exit HESI examination. MethodsThe study used a quantitative nonexperimental descriptive comparative design with archival data. Two groups of students took the exit HESI examination during their capstone course. The sample included students previously enrolled in an ADN program. Archival data were collected and analyzed using a one-way ANCOVA with a pairwise comparison post hoc analysis. ResultsThe CAQ group had higher exit HESI examination scores compared to the NCLEX review textbook preparation group. ConclusionsCAQ as a curricular adjunct can contribute to student success on standardized examinations.

Grit as a Predictor of Academic Success Among Associate Degree Nursing Students.

Grit as a Predictor of Academic Success Among Associate Degree Nursing Students.

Patient safety: a focused associate-degree nursing learning module

BackgroundThe number of medical errors in the United States is estimated to be up to 250,000 per year. Nurses are critical to patient safety; however, few nursing programs include curricula focused on system-level elements that foster patient safety or experiential training on graded assertiveness communication techniques. AimThis study examined the effectiveness of a safety-focused educational intervention for 22 students in an associate-degree nursing (ADN) program at a rural technical college in the Southeastern United States. MethodsThe investigator used videos, lectures, discussions, and role-play to teach students about system-level elements that foster patient safety and a graded assertiveness communication technique. To evaluate effectiveness, a survey measured students' self-reported knowledge of patient safety concepts and levels of confidence in voicing safety concerns. ResultsStatistical analysis of aggregated pre- and post- intervention survey results demonstrated significant gains in both self-reported knowledge of patient safety concepts and levels of confidence in voicing safety concerns. ConclusionsFindings suggest that a brief but focused educational module such as the one described may be a suitable and effective approach to improving ADN students' knowledge and confidence regarding patient safety.

Grit as a Predictor of Academic Success Among Associate Degree Nursing Students.

The purpose of this study was to explore whether grit is a predictor of success in associate degree nursing (ADN) programs. A question that challenges admission decision-making in nursing programs is "Who will succeed?" This question is particularly relevant in ADN programs, which often have higher attrition rates than baccalaureate programs. This longitudinal, mixed-methods study was conducted with 451 ADN students across nine programs, including interviews with seven unsuccessful students and nine successful students. Short Grit Scale scores were not found to be statistically significant as a predictor of academic success; however, themes that emerged from the interviews do align with the theory of grit. Further research is needed to explore whether recognizing the level of grit in students during admission processes would help identify students who are likely to succeed.

The Effects of Standardized Remediation on Nursing Pharmacology Evaluations

OBJECTIVE: Identify the correlation between standardized remediation and comprehensive pharmacology evaluations. Participants will see increased Pharmacology II & III cumulative evaluation scores after completing NurseThink™ standardized remediation activities.DESIGN: The research will use quasi-experimental, descriptive studies. Participants will complete the standardized remediation provided by NurseThink™, focusing on needs and opportunities reported from course exams. Scoring will be compared to students not having completed any of the NurseThink™ standardized remediation activities.SETTING: Cloud County Community College, Department of Nursing, in Concordia and Junction City, Kansas, is where research will be completed.PARTICIPANTS: Associate Degree Nursing students in required Pharmacology II & III courses will be evaluated after remediation for improved pharmacology competency.RESULTS: Pending data collection and analysis, expected results will show improvement in participants who completed the NurseThink™ standardized remediation.

Perceptions and Motivations of Associate Degree Nursing Students Engaged in Peer Mentoring and Tutoring through Supplemental Instruction

High attrition rates in associate degree nursing (ADN) programs contribute significantly to a nursing shortage in the United States that is expected to worsen. Nursing students find the learning environment stressful, intimidating, and overwhelming, leading to discouragement in the first year of their nursing education. Research is needed to identify specific retention strategies that can offer ADN students additional support and promote academic success. This study aimed to explore first-semester ADN nursing students’ experiences with peer mentoring and peer tutoring provided through supplemental instruction (SI). A basic qualitative study was conducted, and participants’ descriptions of their experiences participating in SI were documented using semi-structured interviews. The findings indicated that students feel SI is a positive experience, but improvement is needed. Exposure to different perspectives through peer mentoring and tutoring improved students’ understanding of course material. Stronger peer relationships created consistency for students. Peer mentoring boosted self-confidence among first-semester students, and attendance at SI sessions increased persistence. The findings support the use of peer mentoring to offer academic assistance to first-semester ADN students.

Strengthening Critical Thinking Skills in Associate Degree Nursing Students Through Combined Pedagogies of Concept Mapping Using the Nursing Process and Simulation.

Combining the utility of concept maps using the nursing process with simulation in associate degree nursing programs may help develop the critical thinking and reasoning skills of novice learners. This qualitative case study explored the learning experiences of students enrolled in the first nursing course. Although results showed initial feelings of uncertainty, confusion, and an overwhelming experience, students found the combined pedagogies beneficial in developing essential competencies of critical thinking when utilized consistently across the program. Integrating concept maps into the simulation design as a framework for immersive learning presented both challenges and opportunities.

Does Meditation Impact Test Anxiety in Associate Degree Nursing Students?

Does Meditation Impact Test Anxiety in Associate Degree Nursing Students?

The Impact of Service Learning on Associate Degree Nursing Students' Cultural Competence.

Associate's Degree in Nursing (ADN) programs rarely offer international service learning experiences. A project involving an ADN program in a southwestern U.S. border city and a care facility in a nearby city in Mexico was initiated to address cultural competence. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of an international service learning experience on ADN students' cultural competence as measured by pre- and post-scores on the student version of the Inventory for Assessing the Process of Cultural Competence Among Healthcare Professionals-Student Version (IAPCC-SV). Twenty third-semester ADN students participated in a 1-day cross-border international experience. Descriptive statistics provided summaries about the participants and their IAPCC-SV scores. Results indicated a positive effect between participating in an international service learning experience and increased levels of cultural competence. Increasing ADN students' cultural competence through international service learning may help reduce health care disparities among different cultures, promote care that enhances communication between nurses and patients, and build upon therapeutic relationships. International service learning provides ADN students the opportunity to incorporate classroom learning into their care of populations living within diverse communities.

A Narrative Inquiry of Associate Degree Nursing Students' Stories About Their Experience of Academic Misconduct

Academic misconduct is a growing national and global concern. There is a paucity of literature on academic misconduct in nursing. Utilizing the qualitative method of narrative inquiry, this study gives voice to students’ stories of academic misconduct and reveals intimate stories of their experience. The stories contribute to a deeper understanding of associate degree nursing students' experiences with academic misconduct. The findings of the study have implications for future research, nursing education, and practice.

Understanding the Barriers to BSN Education Among ADN Students: A Qualitative Study

There are very few studies exploring the challenges that Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) students face in nursing education. Focus group interviews of ADN students revealed the themes, regarding their perceived barriers to baccalaureate nursing education, the barriers’ connectedness to their nontraditional attributes, their opinions about lowering the barriers, and their thoughts about the different proposals for advancing nurses’ education. Understanding these variables could help in the efforts to advance their education.

Primary Sources and Intensity of Stressors in an Associate Degree Nursing Program Student Population

The common experience of student stress while completing a nursing education program has been universally acknowledged and documented throughout the literature. However, studies explicitly targeted on stressors for associate degree nursing students (ADN) are limited in the literature. The purpose of this project focused on understanding the primary sources and intensity of stressors in an ADN program student population, using descriptive research methods. Nursing students at a large, urban, public community college in Texas were invited to participate in an anonymous online survey which included demographic questions and Costa and Polak’s Instrument for the Assessment of Stress in Nursing Students. The participant sample had a majority percentage of students who identified as a racial or ethnic minority and a significant percentage of participants with low socioeconomic status. The study results confirmed the presence of stress during all four semesters of nursing school, with reported high and extreme levels of stress caused from both internal and external sources, as related to the students’ program of study. As ADN students have not often been studied with relation to nursing school stress, the findings of the project add important new data to the literature which can be used to build upon the base of knowledge in future research.

Variables Impacting Program Completion of Readmitted Associate Degree Nursing Students.

The projected shortfall in the number of RNs supports the need to identify variables impacting nursing student program completion. Studies are lacking as to variables that affect attrition and program completion of readmitted nursing students. This study examined academic and nonacademic variables that impact attrition and program completion of readmitted associate degree nursing students. Survey and record review yielded student characteristics, support for learners, student effort, and student outcome measures that predicted attrition and program completion. Findings suggest that students earning a final grade of B+ or higher in the nursing fundamentals course complete the program. In addition, readmitted nursing students who were 33 years or older had decreased odds of completing the program by 1.44% for each year of age. The study also pointed to nonacademic variables that impacted attrition. Measures to improve program completion of readmitted nursing students are included.

Associate Degree Nursing Students' Perceptions of Instructor Caring

The purpose of this study was to explore associate degree nursing students' perceptions of instructor caring, and the relationships between age, employment status, and race/ethnicity with these students' perceptions. Second-year students from five schools in a northwestern state were surveyed using the Nursing Students' Perception of Instructor Caring (NSPIC) instrument. There were positive correlations between students' perceptions and age and race. There were negative correlations between students' perceptions and employment status. There were statistically significant correlations between all the NSPIC scales.

Journey

Although they are known to be nontraditional, studies have not addressed Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) students' choice of the ADN route to professional nursing practice. A survey of ADN students revealed perceived barriers to baccalaureate nursing education and that up to 37% would not have enrolled if the baccalaureate had been the minimum requirement to become registered nurses. The findings could provide information for more reasoned solutions toward the goal of advancing nurses' education.

Associate Degree Nursing Students’ Perceived Barriers to Baccalaureate Nursing Education and Intentions to Enroll in a Baccalaureate-only Nursing Environment

Although they are known to be nontraditional, studies have not addressed Associate Degree Nursing (ADN) students' choice of the ADN route to professional nursing practice. A survey of ADN students revealed perceived barriers to baccalaureate nursing education and that up to 37% would not have enrolled if the baccalaureate had been the minimum requirement to become registered nurses. The findings could provide information for more reasoned solutions toward the goal of advancing nurses' education.

Hearing Voices: The Experience of Associate Degree Nursing Students to an Auditory Hallucinations Simulation

Background: Associate degree nursing students (ADNS) have limited exposure to persons experiencing the full range of alterations in cognition of psychiatric illness during their psychiatric mental health nursing rotation. Objective: This qualitative study examines the experience reported by second semester ADNS after completing an auditory hallucinations simulation in the nursing skills and simulation lab at a community college in the mid-Atlantic. Design: The study was reviewed and approved by the college Institutional Review Board. Guided by Grounded Theory, investigators analyzed the data from written reflective debriefing reports of the simulation in which students, working in pairs, one as the patient wearing headphones while listening to a streaming of auditory hallucinations, and the other as the nurse conducting a psychiatric nursing assessment of the patient. Students consented to have their written reports included in the study. Responses were reviewed for conceptual and thematic content using the constant comparative analysis method of Corbin and Strauss. Results: Concepts identified included fear, distraction, frustration, empathy, patience, and understanding. Themes included attitude changes from skepticism about auditory hallucinations to acceptance of symptoms, therapeutic use of self, and keeping patient safe. Conclusions: The auditory hallucinations assignment gives nursing students the opportunity to learn from a brief simulation experience about psychotic symptoms and assists in attaining knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSAs) necessary for planning and providing care to patients with serious mental illness.

Predicting Success for Associate Degree Nursing Students in a Concept-Based Curriculum

The study objective was to assess critical thinking scores, National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN) prediction scores, and NCLEX-RN pass rates for associate degree nursing (ADN) students educated with a concept-based curriculum. Results suggested that a concept-based curriculum can assist in developing critical thinking among ADN students, and critical thinking and probability of pass scores may be used as predictors for first-time NCLEX-RN passage for ADN students in a concept-based curriculum.

Using a Standardized Patient to Improve Collaboration and Problem Solving Skills With CPAP Usage in the Home.

A review of literature revealed a lack of research pertaining to nurses' or student nurses' knowledge of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) and the ability to troubleshoot CPAP malfunction. This study sought to answer the following questions: What are associate degree nursing (ADN) students' knowledge, interdisciplinary communication, and problem-solving skills regarding patients' home use of CPAP? Is there a change after participation in a simulation with a patient on CPAP in home setting? Twenty-one ADN students enrolled in small Midwest college participated. A preexperimental design of one group pretest posttest was used. Each student completed a demographic questionnaire, Mayo High Performance Teamwork Scale, Interprofessional collaborative simulation experience survey, and a CPAP knowledge base survey before and upon completion of the simulation. There were no changes in students' comfort, baseline knowledge, and basic understanding regarding CPAP. However, after the simulation, students described more detailed problem-solving skills, which included using respiratory therapists, durable medical equipment providers, and community resources. On the Mayo High Performance Teamwork Scale, all 16 items demonstrated improved scores (baseline mean = 21.65 and postsimulation mean = 25.6).

Mental Health Simulations Influence on Associate Degree Nursing Students’ Attitudes Towards Mental Health

Mental health is a stigma that is far reaching and needs to be addressed on all levels. The education of healthcare professionals to combat this negative attitude should be forefront. For this pilot study, the purpose was to examine the relationship of including mental health components in simulation scenarios and an inpatient mental health clinical shift to influence associate degree nursing students’ attitudes regarding mental health. On a small Midwestern, rural community college campus, nursing students were surveyed with a quantitative instrument at three different time intervals; pre-intervention, post-simulation, and post-inpatient. Although the findings did not conclude a statistically significant relationship between the interventions implemented and the attitudes of the students, the study did find a slight movement towards positive attitude in the mean scores as the participants were followed over two semesters. Moving forward, explorations of different strategies should be researched by nursing educators to influence nursing students’ attitudes towards mental health.