Pilot Course Research Articles

Effectiveness of the Introduction to Critical Care in Emergency Medicine Curriculum's Implementation Among Trainees Interested in Intensive Care

BackgroundEmergency physicians and trainees provide the initial care for critically ill patients. In times of emergency department boarding, this care may extend beyond the first few hours. To meet the needs of this population, a standardized novel critical care curriculum targeting third- and fourth-year medical students was developed. ObjectivesWe hypothesized that the institution of such a curriculum is feasible and will provide an increased understanding of the underlying critical care principles within this learner population. MethodsWe developed a 2-month-long critical care curriculum (February–April) and carried out the course twice from 2022–2023. Our pilot study deployed this curriculum to medical students interested in critical care through the American Academy of Emergency Medicine/Resident and Student Association. The primary outcome included was the overall composite score comparison of the pre- and post-course evaluations, with a higher score indicating that the student improved their comprehension. Secondary outcomes included the individual factors of the pre- and post-course surveys. ResultsFifty-one trainees completed the pilot course, including 11/51 (21.6%) third-year medical students and 40/51 (78.4%) fourth-year medical students. Overall, 39 had “no experience” in critical care and 12 indicated that they had “previous experience.” The students’ baseline pre-course from the pooled 2022 and 2023 Introduction to Critical Care in Emergency Medicine (ICCEM) curriculum data was 3 (interquartile range 4–3) and their post-course score was 9 (interquartile range 9–9), p-value 0.015 for the 51/54 students who completed the course. ConclusionsThe novel curriculum was found to be effective during its implementation in third- and fourth-year medical students. As such, it indicated that a critical care fundamentals course improves confidence in these topics for students with and without prior experience. Further work is necessary to understand the generalizability and knowledge retention of the proposed pilot curriculum.

A case-study of using content and language integrated learning methodology in tertiary education course design

This article examines the principles of Content-Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) as a theoretical basis for a course of English for academic purposes and discusses the results of a pilot project based on a combination of CLIL and Language for Specific Purposes (LSP) methodologies. Although the two methodologies share common features, such as the use of authentic materials or emphasis on students’ needs, they differ on their goals, general approach, and required classroom hours. The CLIL approach is based on a balance between content-centered learning and mastering a foreign language through the content, while LSP is a special form of a foreign language instruction that teaches students how to use it in a particular field of knowledge or line of work. A pilot course in English for Special Purposes, described here, was developed to prepare students for further full English-language instruction in some of their major disciplines. Due to the limited number of classroom hours and the focus on mastering primarily the language of specialization, the course mainly applies LSP approach in combination with some CLIL techniques and methods, such as guided reading, text markup, visual support, linguistic support, and multimodal input. The course was run as a pilot project throughout one academic year, weekly in the form of two-hour English classes, and involved two groups of third-year students majoring in International Relations or Regional Studies with 25 participants in each. In a follow-up survey, the students reported increased motivation, better word retention, improved fluency and better listening comprehension.

Results of a Pilot Virtual Microsurgery Course for Plastic Surgeons in LMICs.

The Plastic Surgery Foundation's Surgeons in Humanitarian Alliance for Reconstruction, Research and Education (SHARE) program seeks to expand surgical capacity worldwide through mentorship and training for local plastic surgeons. This study aims to define the need for microsurgery training among SHARE global fellows and describe results of a pilot course. Ten participants of the SHARE Virtual Microsurgical Skills Course were asked to complete an anonymous survey. Pre- and post-course response rates were 100% and 50.0%, respectively. There was a high incidence of microsurgical problems encountered in the clinical setting. Resource availability was varied, with high access to loupes (100%), yet limited access to microsurgery instruments (50%), medications (40%), operating microscope (20%), skilled nursing (0%) and appropriate peri-operative care settings (0%). Participants identified vessel preparation, instrument selection, and suture handling as priority learning objectives for a microsurgery skills course. Post-course satisfaction with learning objectives was high (60% "very good," 40% "excellent"). Participants reported high levels of improvement in suture handling (Likert 4.60±0.55), end-to-end anastomosis (4.40±0.55), instrument selection (4.20±0.45), vessel preparation (4.20±0.45), and economy of motion (4.20±0.45). This study demonstrates a high frequency of reconstructive problems encountered by global fellows yet low access to appropriate resources to perform microsurgical procedures. Initial results from a pilot virtual microsurgery course demonstrate very high satisfaction and high self-rated improvement in key microsurgical skills. The virtual course is an effective and accessible format for training surgeons in basic microsurgery skills and can be augmented by providing longitudinal opportunities for remote feedback.

Development of a Transition to Residency Course Using a Design Thinking Framework.

Transition to residency (TTR) courses help alleviate medical students' concerns about preparing for residency; however, existing TTR courses are often limited to teaching clinical or procedural skills without addressing the nonclinical skills necessary for transitioning to practice. This report describes the use of design thinking (DT) to develop a learner-centered TTR course at the State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University. DT consists of 5 steps: discovery, interpretation, ideation, experimentation, and evolution. The first 3 steps were used for needs assessments and course design. During the discovery step, empathetic, semistructured interviews of interns, program directors, and graduating medical students were conducted to identify concerns about starting residency. During the interpretation step, thematic analysis of interviews was performed to identify areas of concerning attitudes and deficient skills and to inform content. In the ideation step, a 2-week curriculum was designed, including didactic lectures, small group discussions and workshops, simulation, and procedure labs, to address the defined content areas. During the fourth step, implementation, a 2-week pilot elective course of the designed curriculum was conducted in spring 2021 with 6 students. Participant feedback from 2 students collected 6 months into internship found the procedures and simulated clinical skills cases high yield, appropriate, relevant to intern practice, and valuable. The course size in spring 2022 increased to 19 students, and the curriculum was refined based on the feedback of the previous pilot course (from 2 students and 4 faculty members) and from a precourse student survey (5 students). The last step of DT, evolution, included determining larger-scale feasibility while maintaining learner-centeredness and conducting a programmatic evaluation. The iterative, adaptable approach of DT is suitable for TTR design and is generalizable. Other institutions can adapt the DT approach to develop their own institutional TTR programs.

Features of designing an integrated course on the basics of fundamental and applied sciences for bachelors of secondary and professional education

Relevance. In today's society, there is a rapidly growing demand for specialists with a high level of theoretical knowledge that they can apply in practice. The article discusses the features and importance of developing a comprehensive course of basic and applied sciences for bachelor's degrees in secondary and vocational education. This course combines theoretical principles and practical application.Purpose. The purpose of this study is to investigate the characteristics of integrating basic and applied sciences into a bachelor of secondary and vocational education course.Methodology. To achieve this goal, the methods used were scientific literature analysis and empirical research. In addition, surveys of specialists, modelling of the pilot course, its implementation, evaluation, and supplementation. The study involved 58 teachers of fundamental and applied sciences and 157 first-year students.Results. Based on the educators' survey results, a sequenced model of integrated learning was chosen. On this basis, a pilot program for first-year students was developed and implemented. Using an interdisciplinary approach, practical experience, and problem-based learning, this course highlights the key role of integrating basic and applied sciences to improve student's critical thinking, improve problem-solving skills, and prepare them for a successful career and practical skills.Conclusions. A survey of students shows a positive attitude towards the integrated learning course. The study results are applicable to familiarising and developing integrated courses for students of different specialties by educators and administrators of higher education institutions.

Network Analysis and Control System in Mega Projects: The Case of PICASP Erasmus Project

Network Analysis achieved some significant results in recent years thanks to advances in technology and in the approach to organisational networks. Less exciting were the results obtained with Mega Projects. These projects show high risk with regards to results, to the compliance of the budget and to the realization of the entire project. So far, the response of Mega Projects contracting authorities is to ask those presenting the project proposals to increase the number of controls and connected indexes without obtaining, almost until now, an increase in project performance. This paper examines the proposal to transfer some results of network analysis to the performance monitoring of Mega Projects. Starting from the case of Erasmus PICASP Project for the creation of Pilot courses and new didactics for teachers training in cultural tourism for the development of Caspian Area, the paper proposes an evolutionary model of cycles of simplification and complexification of the networks control systems. The approach of Practice Enterprise which allows the members of the project networks to acquire the practice of teamwork right from the early stages of planning, and, once the project starts case risks or emergencies arise, will be applied within his model. Keywords: Network Analysis, Practice Enterprise, MOOCs, Mega Projects, Erasmus Projects

Pilot Course Assessment Report: Trauma, Resuscitation and Evacuation in Combat Course (“TRECC”)

Abstract Objective In an effort to institutionalize NATO prehospital medical best practice standards, and to reduce preventable morbidity and mortality from Russian conventional weapon systems and irregular and multidomain warfare, the US-based non-governmental humanitarian organization HEAL Corp supported Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) through a working group to establish a fit for purpose curriculum for Ukrainian battlefield medics with the National Academy of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MoIA) for Ukraine. Methods The curriculum working group culminated in the delivery of the pilot course in Ukraine. The institutionalization of Modules for training on combat medics may offer a fit for purpose, sustainable and standardized approach for NATO standardization and to rapidly reduce morbidity and mortality for warfighters. Results This short report describes the methodology, implementation and evaluation of the Trauma, Resuscitation and Evacuation in Combat Course (“TRECC”) curriculum and course delivery which is a product of the working group and program series with novel approaches and lessons learned for future iterations. Conclusion The institutionalization of Modules for training on combat medics may offer a fit for purpose, sustainable and standardized approach for NATO standardization and to rapidly reduce morbidity and mortality for warfighters.

Development of the capacity to communicate risks related to childhood exposure to fluorides through an online educational strategy

Fluorides are contaminants that occur frequently and, generally, naturally in groundwater, affecting countries that depend on these waters for irrigation and human consumption. Chronic exposure to fluorides generates various health effects; therefore, this research was based on education and risk communication to contribute to the resolution of the problem of fluoride exposure in the population. The objective was to develop the capacity to design risk communication programs for personnel involved in the response and management of environmental health risks, with emphasis on fluoride exposure. An online pilot training course on risk communication and fluoride exposure was designed and implemented. For the analysis of the risk perception and knowledge of the participants, before and after the course, a questionnaire was applied and a focus group was conducted. In addition, the participants carried out a series of activities and designed a risk communication program to assess the degree to which the capacity to develop risk communication programs was achieved. To improve the pilot course, two satisfaction surveys were designed and implemented, and a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis was conducted. The results showed an increase in the level of knowledge and changes in the participants' perception; regarding the ability to design risk communication programs, two participants were able to design them excellently. Previous experience, motivation, commitment to learn and the feedback provided during the course influenced the development of this ability.

ADVANCING NURSING STUDENTS’ DEMENTIA KNOWLEDGE THROUGH ENGAGEMENT WITH PEOPLE LIVING WITH DEMENTIA

Abstract The numbers of people living with dementia are overwhelming. Dementia education is important to prepare nursing students to care for this population. To better understand the reality of dementia, we incorporated an expert by experience in teaching a pilot course on dementia. This training was offered to senior nursing students as an elective in their final semester of undergraduate work. Our goal was to teach students about dementia, what it’s like to live with dementia, and actions they can take to support people living with dementia in nursing homes and other settings. The course incorporated clinical experiences at a community memory care facility and small group discussions co-led by a person with dementia and a nursing instructor. Students also participated in an adult day program by leading activities and interacting with people with dementia. Eleven students participated in the pilot course. At program completion, students were invited to share their experiences in a focus group. Qualitative analysis of student feedback identified the benefits of the pilot, including reduced stigma of dementia, increased empathy of those living with dementia, and improved skills in explaining the impact on those diagnosed with dementia. Students appreciated the clinical experiences because it allowed them opportunities to apply their knowledge of dementia and experience the individuality of dementia. This pilot empowered nursing students during their final semester to appreciate, provide care, and support the needs of the people living with dementia.

NAVIGATING CAREWORKER CURRICULUM REVISION IN SOUTH KOREA: CHARTING COURSES FOR ELEVATING PRACTICE COMPETENCIES

Abstract The purpose of this study is to comprehensively investigate and analyze the process of revising the careworker curriculum in South Korea with a primary focus on augmenting practice competencies. This research involved an analysis of the existing 240-hour curriculum, complemented by a comprehensive literature review. Additionally, Focus Group Interviews were conducted with a cohort of 20 present careworkers to effectively identify the prevailing needs within the practice field. This study expanded the curriculum duration from 240 to 320 hours. Subsequently, pilot courses were executed, incorporating enhanced content related to dementia care, humanity in caregiving, and infectious disease management. These modifications were delivered via webinars to 64 active care workers, a method chosen due to the constraints imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study employed a pre-post design to inquire about the perceptions of older adults and their job skills. Fifty-four female care workers (84.2%) and eleven male care workers (15.8%) participated in the study, with an average age of 52 years, experiencing 3 years and 8 months. Several areas exhibited statistical significance; understanding and managing depression and anxiety (2.175*), supporting leisure activities(2.956**), implementing abuse prevention behaviors (3.187**), creating a safe environment(2.496**), assisting with mobility(2.978**), aiding in illness management(2.805**), transferring responsibilities(2.726**), documenting cases(2.238*), and overseeing caregiver health and safety(2.805*). Based on our findings, we have devised a plan to incorporate the following content within the additional 80 hours. In a broader context, this study contributes to the ongoing discourse on caregiver education and training in South Korea.

Universal design for learning as a basis for curriculum development

Abstract The project "Barrierfree dEsign foR Teaching and Learning" (BERTL) aims to identify and reduce barriers in teaching, with a focus on Universal Design or Design for All. BERTL includes an analysis of the situation at the University, to identify barriers faced by people with disabilities, chronic diseases, and in different life situations The BERTL Simulation Lab and Toolbox will be developed based on the analysis to help identify and eliminate barriers in their courses, and the continuing education program. In the different phases of the project, pilot courses with different didactic concepts are analyzed, checked for barriers in teaching materials and course procedures also peer feedbacks are conducted. These results will be used to improve and expand the courses of the University Applied Science and the used didactic principles. Establishing a handbook and a training series at the University is also aim of this project as practice collection and sample courses to support lecturers. The project results will be used in teaching and made publicly available.

Teaching Community Engagement Through an Anti-Racism Lens: Lessons Learned From a Pilot Micro Course in Public Health and Health Care

Growing appreciation of the necessity of, and evidence-based strategies for, working collaboratively with communities in health promotion and related fields have been well documented. Yet community engagement, the umbrella term for many of these efforts, is rarely taught as a standalone course, nor is a critical component of community engagement –antiracism practice—typically included. Following a review of the literature, we discuss the contexts, pedagogical grounding and strategies, learning objectives and piloting of a “micro course” on community engagement using an antiracism lens at UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health. Designed for graduate students interested in community-based participatory research and practice but unable to take a full academic course in this area, the 30 hour pilot course drew a diverse mix of 16 students. Focused attention on racism, systematic racism, and antiracism practice was provided through lectures, in-class exercises, homework reflections, and the course final. Case-based examples of the critical role of antiracism practice in community engagement, particularly in and with BIPOC communities, were shared, and a range of strategies explored for building and maintaining cross-cultural partnerships and transforming our own institutions to better reflect antiracism practice. Challenges faced are highlighted, and lessons learned shared, including the imperative of creating, in both course planning and teaching, sharing our positionality and creating safe spaces for discussing any tensions that may arise.

Impact of Teaching Palliative Psychology with Psychodrama and Arts Therapies on Psychology Students in Klagenfurt.

The Erasmus+ project "Death Education for Palliative Psychology" (DE4PP) under the coordination of the University of Padua investigated the effects of teaching palliative psychology with psychodrama and arts therapies, as positive effects on students' attitudes towards life and death were suspected through the use of these forms of treatment. Five countries participated in this project funded by the European Commission (Austria, Israel, Italy, Poland, and Romania). In Klagenfurt (Austria), 34 students from the University of Klagenfurt completed the pilot course entitled "Palliative Psychology" generated by the project partners. Course participants filled out psychological and satisfaction questionnaires at the beginning and end of the course, to measure the impact of teaching palliative psychology with psychodrama and arts therapies. The research involved a control group. In addition, six participants in the course participated in a focus group interview at the end, which included questions about their experience of the course; the impact of arts therapies and psychodrama techniques; experiences of verbal and artistic processing of death anxiety; and the meaning of life and death, representation of death, and associated feelings. The results, in summary, showed that processing of life and death had occurred in the participants due to the course they had completed. As part of the course, creative arts and psychodrama were bridges to death. Filling out satisfaction questionnaires, photovoice assignments, role reversal, and visualizing a personal social atom were seen by students in Klagenfurt as particularly effective methods for self-reflection.

A113A pilot course amalgamating the benefits of psychological safety, civility, and human factors in a structured debriefing model in simulation-based education

Simulation-based education (SBE) is one of the leading teaching methods in healthcare. Debriefing is the cornerstone of effective simulation-based medical education. Debriefing is considered vital part to learning from simulation, and for the transfer of learning so that it can be applied to other situations [1]. Feedback from four simulation faculty development days identified that debriefers lacked the confidence to address conflict or use the principles of civility to enhance their debriefs. Teaching which has structured debrief covering civility and human factors are the cornerstone to deliver sessions that instil confidence and patient safety within the organization [2]. Human factor principles that employ psychological safety were introduced in the debriefing course with the purpose of upskilling the debriefers. There are various models of debriefing however, the focus was to provide the three-phase conversation structure. The course covered human factor principles alongside debriefing techniques using the three-phase conversation structure and interactive workshops. We enlisted the services of a specialist human factor/civility lecturer, simulation lead and a simulation lecturer to deliver the course. At the end of the course, the participants had to undertake a debrief to consolidate their learning in a supportive environment and immediate evaluation was obtained using a structured questionnaire (see Evaluation themed responses Additionally, a pilot study of five participants who had attended the course were randomly selected for a face-to-face interview twenty-four hours after the course. Three open-ended questions were asked. These focussed on whether the application of psychological safety and human factors enhanced their debriefing skills and suggestions for further course development. The results highlighted the value of the inclusion of human factor principles. Both evaluation methods were positive. Attendees commented on the value-added to their simulation training and wanted these principles to be adapted as a structured course. Acknowledging the fact that the sample recruited was small and may not be statistically significant, a future study will include a bigger sample size. Currently, this is the only organization within the North-East of England that offers standalone debriefing course. There was an overwhelming demand for a course aimed at educators who are engaged in SBE with emphasis on debriefing to consolidate learners’ experience. This course is intended to be delivered to all educators across the North-East region and beyond. Authors confirm that all relevant ethical standards for research conduct and dissemination have been met. The submitting author confirms that relevant ethical approval was granted, if applicable.

Transfusion medicine education delivery in Rwanda: Adapting Transfusion Camp to a resource-limited setting.

Due to few teaching faculty, resource-limited settings may lack the education curricula providers need for safe practice. As safe surgery becomes an increasing priority worldwide, it is essential to improve access to critical education content including in transfusion medicine. Transfusion Camp is a longitudinal curriculum, shown to increase knowledge in postgraduate trainees. The objective was to develop a sustainable bilateral partnership between Rwanda and Canada, and to integrate Transfusion Camp into the existing curriculum of the School of Medicine and Pharmacy at University of Rwanda. A Transfusion Camp pilot course was initiated through collaboration of experts in Rwanda and Canada. Planning occurred over 6 months via online and in-person meetings. Canadian teaching faculty adapted course content via iterative discussion with Rwandan faculty. Final content was delivered through online pre-recorded lectures by Canadian Faculty, and in-person small-group seminars by Rwandan Faculty. Project feasibility was assessed through structured evaluation and informal debriefing. Twenty-seven postgraduate trainees were present for the pilot course, of whom 21 (78%) submitted evaluation forms. While the structure and content of the adapted Transfusion Camp curriculum were well-received, the majority of respondents indicated a preference for in-person rather than pre-recorded lectures. Debriefing determined that future courses should focus on continuing education initiatives aimed at physicians entering or already in independent practice. A partnership between universities and blood operators in high-resource and resource-limited countries results in a transfusion medicine curriculum that is locally applicable, multidisciplinary, and supportive of learning benefitting the learners and educators alike.

The effectiveness of design practice for achieving sustainability and diffusing sustainable fashion

ABSTRACT The transition to sustainable fashion is becoming inevitable and appropriate design methods and approaches that are able to address sustainability issues effectively are needed. This paper presents the methods and results of a six-week long sustainable bag design pilot course designed for fashion students. The project sought to combine existing approaches and innovation in the design process, while simultaneously encouraging the use of multiple approaches to sustainability. Students were placed in a position to study and discuss general sustainability issues in specific local contexts, as well as in the process of design and prototyping. The results revealed that students had several opportunities for learning thanks to the special focus of the course on sustainability. By embedding sustainable design criteria into the design process, it did not only draw students’ attention to environmental and social issues but also provided sources of inspiration for the design process and enhanced the creativity of students.

A Pilot Program Evaluation for a Backcountry Search and Rescue Stress Injury Awareness Course

This project was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a stress awareness pilot program in reducing stress and burnout among Backcountry search and rescue (BSAR) volunteers. BSAR volunteers in Colorado experience taxing work demands with routine exposures to stressors. There are limited interventions available for preventing and reducing burnout among BSAR volunteers. We conducted a program evaluation using secondary data from a Wellness and Stress Awareness Pilot course conducted between July 2021 and December 2021. The survey included 65 questions to assess participants’ understanding of stress injuries and level of stress and burnout across Colorado BSAR groups including the Southern Rocky Mountains, Colorado Plateau, and Middle Rocky Mountains. BSAR volunteers reported increased capacity to cope with stress after participating in the program, improving on all target learning objectives (P < .001). The percentage of BSAR volunteers who rated their current level of burnout as either high or very high dropped from 27% to 20% after participation in the course. Wellness and stress prevention programs may help raise awareness about chronic stress and reduce burnout among BSAR volunteers. These programs are needed to identify and prevent burnout and stress injuries among the BSAR community.

“The most culturally safe training I’ve ever had”: the co-design of a culturally safe Managing hepatitis B training course with and for the Aboriginal health workforce of the Northern Territory of Australia

BackgroundThe Aboriginal health workforce provide responsive, culturally safe health care. We aimed to co-design a culturally safe course with and for the Aboriginal health workforce. We describe the factors which led to the successful co-design, delivery, and evaluation of the “Managing hepatitis B” course for the Aboriginal health workforce.MethodsA Participatory Action Research approach was used, involving ongoing consultation to iteratively co-design and then develop course content, materials, and evaluation tools. An Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research and teaching team received education in chronic hepatitis B and teaching methodologies. Pilot courses were held, in remote communities of the Northern Territory, using two-way learning and teach-back methods to further develop the course and assess acceptability and learnings. Data collection involved focus group discussions, in-class observations, reflective analysis, and use of co-designed and assessed evaluation tools.ResultsTwenty-six participants attended the pilot courses. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander facilitators delivered a high proportion of the course. Evaluations demonstrated high course acceptability, cultural safety, and learnings. Key elements contributing to success and acceptability were acknowledging, respecting, and integrating cultural differences into education, delivering messaging and key concepts through an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lens, using culturally appropriate approaches to learning including storytelling and visual teaching methodologies. Evaluation of culturally safe frameworks and findings from the co-design process led to the creation of a conceptual framework, underpinned by meeting people’s basic needs, and offering a safe and comfortable environment to enable productive learning with attention to the following: sustenance, financial security, cultural obligations, and gender and kinship relationships.ConclusionsCo-designed education for the Aboriginal health workforce must embed principles of cultural safety and meaningful community consultation to enable an increase in knowledge and empowerment. The findings of this research can be used to guide the design of future health education for First Nations health professionals and to other non-dominant cultures. The course model has been successfully transferred to other health issues in the Northern Territory.

Stress Impact and Care for COVID-19: Pilot Education and Support Course Decreases Burnout Among Nursing Students.

Nurses and nursing students have been at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19, often working in conditions that produce stress injuries and burnout. Early recognition and mitigation of stress and emotional trauma help prevent burnout. To evaluate the effectiveness of an online 8-hour stress awareness course and associated 1-hour support group in reducing stress and burnout among nursing students. We conducted a program evaluation for an online stress awareness pilot course offered to nursing students. The course, and associated support groups led by trained psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner students, included a common language for talking about stress, screening tools for recognizing stress injuries, and strategies for improving self-care. Students completed pre- and post-course surveys. Outcome measures included changes on course learning objectives, level of burnout, health-related locus of control, and experiences of stress and coping. Nursing students (n = 360) enrolled in the course, and 224 (62%) completed pre- and post-course surveys. Sixty percent rated the course excellent or very good. Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales and Impact of Event Scale Revised scores were within established normal ranges. There was a significant increase in all nine course learning objectives (p < .001) and decreased signs of stress (p < .001). Students' level of burnout decreased by odds ratio = 0.58 (95% CI: [0.4, 0.9], p < .006). Nursing leaders can use psychoeducational strategies to mitigate the impact of stress, build confidence, and support nursing students entering the workforce during these unprecedented times.

How to cross the line: design principles for interdisciplinary education

Background: Interdisciplinary learning is gaining popularity in higher education worldwide. Currently, knowledge about how to appropriately design interdisciplinary education is still lacking. The current study presents the iterative development, pilot, and implementation of an interdisciplinary course in healthcare communication. Methods: We used a design-based educational research approach in four phases to construct the program. In phase 1, we conducted a narrative review of the literature and distilled several prerequisites for interdisciplinary learning. In phase 2, we implemented two pilot courses with a focus on the content and the interdisciplinary context of the course. In research phase 3, we implemented the course during three consecutive years, with yearly evaluations of the course. In phase 4, we distilled design principles based on evaluation and reflection of the previous research phases. Results: We elaborate on the various components of the design itself. Furthermore, using data from surveys, panel discussions and interviews, we reflect on the content and outcomes of the interdisciplinary course. We propose seven evidence-informed ‘crossing the line’ design principles for future interdisciplinary education. Conclusions: The developed design principles pertain to interdisciplinary education in general and transcend subject-specific boundaries. The design principles are applicable in a wide range of higher education disciplines.