Baccalaureate Level Research Articles

Psychological distress among nurses: Exploring the role of support in the work-place in Morocco.

This study aimed to assess the psychological distress, specifically anxiety and depression, among nurses employed at University Hospital Center of Rabat in Morocco and tested the associations between support in the workplace and nurses' psychological well-being. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted at University Hospital Center of Rabat in Morocco, based on a prospective data collection employing an ad-hoc self-report questionnaire. 223 nurses were enrolled with a minimum of 1 year of practice in any care unit. Socio-demographic and professional characteristics of each participant were included. A validated tool was utilized to measure the support from superiors and colleagues in the workplace, while the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) was employed to evaluate anxiety and depression. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to explore the relationships between different independent and dependent variables. Significant socio-demographic and professional factors associated with increased anxiety included female gender, age over 41 years old, Baccalaureate level of education, intention to leave the hospital, and less support from superiors. Regarding the levels of depression, the Baccalaureate level of education was significantly associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms (β 2.444; CI [1.203, 3.686]). Our findings suggested that ensuring support from superiors was crucial for safeguarding the psychological well-being of nurses. Therefore, hospital managers should prioritize addressing the workplace support for professionals, and the organizational enhancement.

Examining the Relationship between Teachers’ Pedagogical Authority and Students’ Creativity in Moroccan Classrooms

Education is a critical tool for making a productive student equipped with the necessary skills that can help him be self-reliant and creative. This requires modern teaching pedagogies that put students at the heart of the learning process. In the Moroccan context, there have been different initiatives to reform the education system. This reform tried to implement modern teaching pedagogies that decrease teachers’ dominance in the classroom. The main purpose of the present study is to find out the relationship between teachers’ pedagogical practices and students’ creativity at the high school level after the pedagogical reform. Twenty students studying at the second-year baccalaureate level were selected from four high schools by using the convenience sampling technique. A mixed-methods approach is adopted in the current study. The participants are given a five-point Likert scale questionnaire to fill out and answer semi-structured interview questions. The findings indicate that there is a relationship between teachers’ teaching practices and students’ creativity.

Simulation as an Innovative Teaching Pedagogy for Baccalaureate Male Students Undertaking a Maternal Health Course in the Arab world: A Pilot Project

Background: The nursing profession is attracting more male students at the baccalaureate level. Nursing faculty face difficulty in finding appropriate clinical opportunities in obstetrics for male baccalaureate nursing students in the conservative Arab culture.Methods: A simulated environment was created comprising four beds in a ward setting. A standardized patient (SP) was placed on each bed. Each SP was trained to provide a history and respond to triggers based on questions posed by male students. The scenarios were: an antenatal patient admitted for induction of labor, a primipara with edema and severe headache, a multigravida who delivered spontaneously and was preparing for discharge, and a cesarian case on the first postoperative day. In the latter two scenarios, newborns were placed in bassinettes near the SP’s and the male students were also expected to take care of the baby. This innovative educational project highlighted simulation using low fidelity manikins and SPs. Male students reported simulation was an effective teaching strategy to acquire obstetric knowledge and develop critical thinking as they responded to cues given by the SP (e.g., antenatal abdominal pain). In addition, the students gained a level of proficiency in examining antenatal and postnatal women. Furthermore, they reported that debriefing following the training consolidated their learning.Conclusion: Male students reported they would not have been able to achieve the course outcomes for thematernity clinical rotation without the introduction of simulation. This project sets the stage for introducingsimulation into other clinical courses across the baccalaureate curriculum.

Evaluation of the Tuto’Tour pregnancy intervention among pregnant smokers in vulnerable situations

In France, pregnant women generally receive written information about their pregnancy. The efficacy of these materials is limited for socially disadvantaged women, who are more likely to have lower levels of health literacy. As an alternative tool, awareness-raising videos have become popular, and the “Tuto’Tour de la grossesse” health promotion intervention has been created, which includes videos about smoking. The study objective was to evaluate the acceptability, usability, and accessibility of two videos about smoking among pregnant smokers in vulnerable situations. We conducted semi-structured interviews with these women, using a participatory approach. We then carried out a hybrid qualitative analysis, combining an analysis based on a conceptual framework and an inductive analysis. Out of twenty participants, nine were separated from their child’s father and nine were unemployed. Twelve participants had less than a baccalaureate level of education and seven had a mother tongue other than French. Participants found the videos acceptable, usable, and accessible. We received positive feedback about the efficacy of the videos in terms of participants’ ability, opportunity, and motivation to change their behavior. Suggestions for improving the videos were made. Other studies have looked at health promotion with similar interventions, but acceptability, usability, and accessibility have not been tested with socially disadvantaged women. These videos, which are acceptable, usable, and accessible to socially disadvantaged people, seem to have an influence on two out of three factors leading to behavior change. They could now be tested on a larger scale in a randomized controlled study.

A Study on the Effectiveness of Interprofessional Collaborative Training in Enhancing Interprofessional Communication and Teamwork Among Nurses at X Hospital Jakarta

The establishment and maintenance of effective relationships between professionals is referred to as interprofessional collaboration. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of multidisciplinary collaborative practice training in improving communication and teamwork among professionals at RSIA X Jakarta. The study used a quasi-experimental design with a sample size of 35 nurses who were given Interprofessional Collaborative Practice training and 35 nurses as controls, with the criteria of having held the positions of Supervisor, Nurse on Duty and Head of Nursing department. Collaborative Practive Assesment Tool (CPAT) questionnaire was used to collect data. For data analysis, chi-square tests and multiple logistic regression tests were used to answer the research hypotheses. The study results showed that Interprofessional Collaborative Practice Training was found to improve nurse interprofessional communication (p=0,029) and nurse teamwork (p=0,000). Nurses who received IPCP training increased their chances of teamwork 13.1 times higher compared to nurses who did not receive training (control). This study recommends the need to conduct additional study involving respondens from various professions and the need to provide Interprofessional Collaborative Practice Training to all professional teams in the hospital. Mapping the career path is necessary to ensuring that the achievement of each level of clinical nurse structure are well balanced. A strategic plan is necessary to be implemented in order to achieve nurse education level up to the baccalaureate level and regulation must be reinforced to create interprofessional collaboration culture in the hospital

On teachers’ acceptance of e-learning to enhance productive skills in Moroccan High School: The case of second-year baccalaureate level

This cross-sectional quantitative study investigates the factors affecting teachers’ acceptance and use of E-learning platforms, namely, the Learning Management System (LMS), to enhance productive skills, mainly writing skills, in Moroccan high schools. To attain the study objectives, the online and the hardcopy versions of the questionnaire were deployed during the data collection process. A total of 83 English teachers took part in this study. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics by calculating the means and the standard deviations of the items of each construct. The analysis result revealed that the teachers’ behavioral intention is influenced by their students’ writing achievements, which means that teachers’ behavioral intention to use LMS would increase if their students’ writing achievements, resulting from adopting LMS in teaching writing, were demonstrated. Besides, the results demonstrated that teachers view using LMS platforms as an easy instructional tool requiring less effort, indicating that teachers possess the necessary skills to adopt LMS platforms in their teaching. In the same vein, results confirmed that the teachers’ behavioral intention is not influenced by their colleagues’ or friends’ perceptions. Still, it is strongly influenced by the support of the Ministry of Education. Teachers also confirmed that they possess the necessary tools and skills to adopt LMS platforms in their teaching. Finally, in the behavioral intentions construct, the results concluded that teachers’ behavioral intention strongly predicts the actual use of LMS platforms. This study has some implications for key innovation factors that could lead to the successful adoption and diffusion of LMS platforms in Moroccan high schools.

The association between nursing students’ perceptions of their clinical reasoning ability and their background of clinical experience: A cross-sectional correlation study

Background and objective: Nursing students tend to show poor clinical reasoning skills and incompetence in clinical performance. This study aimed to explore nursing students’ perceptions of their clinical reasoning ability in relation to their different background of academic program and clinical experience.Methods: A cross-sectional correlation study was conducted in a private tertiary professional training institute. Nursing students (n = 508) were surveyed with demographic details and a self-reported Nurse Clinical Reasoning Scale (NCRS) questionnaire about their perceptions of clinical reasoning in relation with their clinical experience.Results: Descriptive statistic, parametric analyses of variance, and Pearson’s correlation coefficients were used to determine the relationships between variables. The mean NCRS score was lower for paid student nurse externs (49.22 ± 9.2) than for participants who were not paid student nurse externs. The mean NCRS scores differed significantly between the different clinical placements that nursing students last experienced (F = 5.41, p ≤ .001), as well as between students of various academic programs (F = 11.88, p ≤ .001), with students of the sub-baccalaureate level nursing program showing the highest score (53.04 ± 10.48), followed by those of the accelerated baccalaureate level nursing program (52.93 ± 7.67) and those of the baccalaureate level nursing program (48.82 ± 10.11). The mean NCRS score showed a weakly positive, but significant, correlation with the attendance of pre-clinical training, r(506) = .12, p = .009. The free-text surveys provided rich information concerning nursing students’ preferences for future pre-clinical training.Conclusions: Different academic backgrounds and clinical experiences influence nursing students’ clinical reasoning competence. Strategies are needed to motivate earlier clinical preparedness and caring attitudes which are essential attributes of a nursing student before their exposure to real patients.

Preparing for the STEM Pathways? Dual Enrollment and College Major Choice in STEM

ABSTRACT Guided by the STEM pathway model, our study hypothesizes that dual enrollment can serve as an effective strategy to improve and equalize college students’ access to STEM programs. We analyzed a nationally representative dataset to disaggregate the influence of dual enrollment course-taking (i.e. participation, dual credits in Math/Science, number of dual credits) on students’ STEM major selection, with a focus on traditionally underrepresented students in STEM. We found that taking dual enrollment courses in general is positively associated with the probability of majoring in STEM, especially at the baccalaureate level. However, taking dual enrollment courses in Math/Science is not associated with the probability of majoring in STEM when compared with students with no dual enrollment courses in Math/Science. The relationship between dual enrollment course-taking and STEM outcomes varies across different student background groups: It is consistently positive for students of higher household income to major in STEM but not statistically significant for low-income students. We discussed practical implications and future research with a focus on the role dual enrollment plays in advancing postsecondary STEM access.

Glossophobia: A Cross-Sectional Assessment of Public Speaking Anxiety among Saudi Nursing Students

Background: Public speaking anxiety or glossophobia is common among college students, especially those studying in their non-primary language. Effective public speaking is considered an essential skill for nursing students to grasp as their future roles require it as patient advocates. Little is known about the effects of glossophobia amongst Arab students studying nursing in a second language (English).Purpose: This study aimed to examine glossophobia and its association with English oral presentations among Saudi nursing students in three academic levels.Methods: A correlational comparative study with a cross-sectional approach was conducted on a total of 209 baccalaureate level nursing students at a governmental, Saudi university. Convenience sampling was used with a comparison between three levels of student cohorts (second, third and fourth) of a single academic year. The data were collected using an online self-reported questionnaire consisting of three sections: a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale (FLCAS), and the Personal Report of Public Speaking Anxiety (PRPSA). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, a one-way ANOVA, and Pearson correlation tests.Results: Nursing students had moderate anxiety on the FLCAS and PRPSA scales in all three academic years. There was a significant, moderate, and positive relationship between the two scales (r=0.450, p<0.01).Conclusions: Glossophobia among nursing students needs to be addressed. This study highlights a gap in current training where there is insufficient support, meaning that levels of anxiety remains unchanged across the trajectory of a nursing training program. Future research should explore culturally tailored strategies to decrease nursing students’ anxiety while building their confidence and self-esteem.

Place-Based Learning and Students’ Motivation at the Second-Year Baccalaureate Level

Place-Based Learning and Students’ Motivation at the Second-Year Baccalaureate Level

Curricular importance of chemistry in higher education and the prioritized curriculum with emphasis on competencies at the baccalaureate level issued by the Ministry of Education of Ecuador

This research work analyzes the curricular importance of chemistry in higher education and how the prioritized curriculum of the Ecuadorian baccalaureate, with emphasis on competencies, influences the academic and professional training of students. Desirable and essential skills in chemistry and how they relate to the competencies needed for success in higher education and in the workplace are addressed. Through the review of official documents, previous research and academic publications, the objectives, structure and contents of the prioritized curriculum in Chemistry in the Ecuadorian baccalaureate are examined. In addition, it is discussed how the implementation of this competency-based approach can face challenges and generate academic problems in higher education, such as knowledge gaps, insufficient practical skills and difficulties in critical and analytical thinking. Finally, some strategies and recommendations are proposed to improve the teaching of chemistry in Ecuadorian high school and facilitate the transition to higher education, including the promotion of teacher training, investment in infrastructure and educational resources, and the promotion of collaboration between secondary and higher education institution.

Standardized Patients Versus Mannequins in Mental Health Simulation.

Mental health nursing simulation using various modalities can be useful in increasing student confidence, satisfaction, knowledge, and communication skills. Studies comparing the benefits of mental health nursing simulation using standardized patients versus mannequins are scarce. The purpose of this study was to explore differences in knowledge, clinical learning, clinical reasoning, communication, confidence, and learner satisfaction when conducting mental health nursing simulation with standardized patients compared to mannequins. A convenience sample of 178 senior level baccalaureate nursing students enrolled in the mental health nursing course participated in this study. Of the total sample, 41.6% (n = 74) participated in high-fidelity mannequin simulation and 58.4% (n = 104) in standardized patient simulation. Measures included a knowledge assessment, Satisfaction with Simulation Experience Scale (SSE), and a simulation evaluation survey. While knowledge levels increased regardless of simulation modality, clinical reasoning, clinical learning, communication, realism, and overall rating of the simulation experience were significantly higher among participants in standardized patient simulation compared to mannequins. Mental health simulations can be a useful learning tool for engaging in mental health scenarios in a safe simulated learning environment. While both mannequins and standardized patient modalities are helpful in increasing mental health nursing knowledge, standardized patient simulation has a greater impact on several other aspects including clinical reasoning and communication. Future multisite studies with larger samples are needed, including a wider variety of mental health scenarios.

Pedagogy of the philosophy dissertation in France: paths to freedom, or thèse-antithèse-foutaise?

ABSTRACT This article studies the philosophy dissertation as a cultural practice within the educational institution in France. It argues that this cultural practice has a strong association with the preservation and ongoing creation of French national identity. I present findings from a survey of pedagogic materials offering advice for students taking the philosophy exam at baccalaureate level. Having given an overview of the cultural importance of the philosophy dissertation, I present the ways in which the general principles of method and structure taught are justified. We then move into the advice given relating to the dissertation structure that is habitually recommended—an introduction and then three parts (most often thesis, antithesis, synthesis). The article considers the reasons why such pedagogic practices can seem to fall back into prescriptivism or formalism, but also seeks to draw out the ways in which the philosophy dissertation can be a more open, uncertain form of thinking.

Assessing the Faculty Development Needs in Nursing Colleges of Khyber Pakhtunkhawa: A Cross Sectional Study

Nursing faculty are the key players in shaping the students by providing quality education. Faculty development is a crucial element of nursing education, and need assessment is fundamental and initial step for planning effective faculty development programs. Objective: To identify the needs of nursing faculty to facilitate teaching at Baccalaureate level in Nursing Colleges Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Methods: A Descriptive Cross-sectional study was carried out in KPK in 2022. Overall, 242 participants from 14 colleges were involved in the study. Sample size was calculated through Raosoft software with 95% confidence interval, 5% margin of error, 50% hypothesized prevalence and 650 population. An adopted questionnaire was used to collect the data, its Cronbach’s alpha score is 0.968. The Questionnaires were filled by the faculty. The questionnaire had two sections; demographic section and faculty responses. Data were analyzed through SPSS version-22. Results: Out of 242 faculty, 238 completed the questionnaire with a response rate of 98.34%. Majority of the participants were male (66%), most of the participants (70%) were > 50years of age, the largest proportion being lecturers (82.8%) and 69% participants were with <3years of teaching experience. The common teaching activities practiced by the participants were lecture (81.1%). The finding showed that the participants were having moderate to lower level of knowledge in four components. Conclusions: The priority areas identified for faculty development were OSCE, PBL, selecting assessment instrument for students’ evaluation, IT and computer skills. This study reinforces the need for effective faculty development program to train the faculty in these identified areas.

Gamification in teachers for the teaching of history at the baccalaureate level

The present work is based on a didactic proposal in gamification as a teaching strategy for the subject of History, in order to provide teaching staff with an approach towards the application of this strategy as a response to the problems that arise in the classroom classes at the time of having a continuous traditionalist methodology. The methodological change constitutes for the teacher the overcoming of traditional linear approaches, for this reason the importance of innovating the teaching methodology with activities that motivate and promote the integral formation of students is exposed (Fidalgo, 2020), likewise, it is detailed in detail. clear and simple the elements of a gamified project that allow its joint development. The activities proposed in this project have the purpose of developing together with the participants a didactic unit in the subject of history and they can acquire by themselves an experience in gamification, facilitating its implementation in the classroom and above all serving as a reference for the next projects that each participant plans to carry out, according to the needs of their students and the theme that is being taught.

Two levels of basic nursing education in Croatia

Introduction: There is a worldwide debate on the level at which the basic education of nurses should be organized. If it is at the baccalaureate level, as one view claims, it is doubtful who will perform the basic nursing care. This doubt also directed the reform of nursing education in the Republic of Croatia. The process itself was accompanied by a desire to preserve the existing rights of all nurses, and to ensure that all nursing interventions are carried out by licensed nurses. This paper aims to describe the process of adapting nursing education before Croatia acceded to the European Union. Also, the aim is to determine the differences between vocational and baccalaureate curriculum. Methods: The literature on nursing education was reviewed. Articles and documents about Union accession were studied. Nursing curricula were analysed. Results: In the Republic of Croatia, there are two levels of basic education. Both programs are in line with the European Union Directive. The Nursing Act separates these two levels with different competencies. The education reform respected the rights of nurses who were employed at the moment of joining. The education reform has ensured the implementation of nursing care by licensed nurses in all segments of the nursing process. Conclusion: Two levels of education ensured the development of nursing and the possibility of further education for nurses. The monopoly over all basic nursing skills is preserved.

Trauma-informed and Equipped for the Field: Implementing a Trauma Studies Curriculum in a BSW Program

It has long been recognized that there is a high prevalence of trauma exposure in client populations served by social workers. The recent (current) pandemic underscores the universality of trauma exposure, not only for clients but for generalist practice social workers. Experiencing trauma impacts the client-worker relationship and client outcomes, which makes it critical to address at an early point in social workers’ education. Implementing a trauma-informed care (TIC) model is becoming the standard of care, despite many social workers not receiving comprehensive, explicit education about trauma until reaching their master’s level education courses. By equipping the baccalaureate level social worker with trauma-specific education, they are better equipped to respond to clients and to be prepared for the impact of their clients’ trauma on their own lives. Offering trauma-courses at the baccalaureate level for social work students offers them opportunity to better serve their clients, recognize organizational practices that support trauma-informed care, and manage their own self care practice. In this paper, the author examines the rationale for, and outlines the creation and implementation of three trauma-specific courses at the baccalaureate social work education level.

Measuring Bachelor of Science in Nursing competencies in public/population health.

Nurses have a long history of practice in public health. More recently basic population health knowledge and skills are being required across all nursing practice settings. To prepare nurses for this practice nursing education has long included public or community health nursing (PHN) content and skills as part of prelicensure education at the baccalaureate level and above. However, little work has been done to document student competency in these areas. Competency-based education is a process whereby students are held accountable for the mastery of knowledge and skills deemed critical for an area of study. The AACN Public/Population Health Workgroup addressed the challenge of measuring baccalaureate student nursing competencies in population health by developing an unfolding case study, with embedded questions assessing selected competencies. Lacking established population health competencies in nursing curriculum at the time of this work but wanting to assess students' basic competencies across the care continuum, the Workgroup selected relevant competencies from the Council of Public Health Nursing Organizations (formerly called the Quad Council) Competencies for Public Health Nurses. Utilizing these selected competencies, the Workgroup devised the unfolding case study and piloted it with 275 baccalaureate nursing education programs across the country. The findings from the Pilot demonstrated nursing student competency achievement and how this achievement changed as students progressed through the curriculum. The authors report implications and recommendations for competency measurement in population health based on the results of the pilot.

Pedagogical management strategies for research training in the Ecuadorian high school

The present objective was to analyze the strategies of research pedagogical management for research training in the Ecuadorian high school, with the of fifty teachers who develop activities at the Baccalaureate level, with the application of the correlation method of descriptive quantitative analysis, the survey was used to apply to the sample subjects for the analysis of the perception of the variables of this study. The results in the descriptive analysis showed that more than 90% of teachers develop the two variables at the middle levels, not reaching excellence due to various factors that affect their skills. During the inferential analysis, the Pearson test has been used, where it was possible to determine at the level of the general variables that the correlation has had a value of 0.47 and a significance of 0.001, reaching the conclusion that between one and the other variable there is a positive relationship, of medium intensity and that teachers must strengthen their skills regarding pedagogical management, as well as training linked to research.

The Training Needs of In-Service Teachers for the Teaching of Historical Thinking Skills in Compulsory Secondary Education and the Baccalaureate Level

In a context of change such as that which is currently taking place in the field of social sciences education, the ongoing training of in-service teachers is an essential element. Only by bringing about a true change in their teaching practice can teaching approaches and the processes of history education be improved. The present paper aims to contrast a theoretical model with a questionnaire designed to identify the training needs of secondary and baccalaureate teachers with regard to the teaching of the historical thinking skills. A quantitative research methodology has been employed with a non-experimental design in which an exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and a hierarchical clustering analysis have been carried out. After carrying out and applying the analysis, a questionnaire (NFPA) was elaborated. Its construct validity and reliability were satisfactory and appropriate. The results will make it possible to detect and identify needs and deficiencies in ongoing teacher training. Furthermore, it will become possible to discover new elements in order to improve training processes from the point of view of in-service teachers.