Recollection Of Material Research Articles

Testing as a study strategy in nursing education

BackgroundCritical thinking is essential in nursing education as no concept can be understood in isolation. The use of retrieval practice improves encoding, aiding in recollection of material. Nurse educators desire student success in course work; however, the overarching goal is to ensure student success on NCLEX-RN and in patient care. Exceptional critical thinking skills will assist students in achieving all of these goals. DesignThis quasi-experimental study investigated how students employ testing in preparation for exams, and it sought to determine if outcomes improved when students were made aware of the benefits of testing as a study strategy. MethodsStudents received three unit exams, a comprehensive final and six content specific tests. One cohort also received an instructional session regarding the usefulness of testing as a study strategy. Students could also respond to an optional survey regarding their utilization of the tests as a study strategy. ResultsThe study concluded there were no differences in outcomes based on the way in which students utilized tests, nor any differences in outcomes when students were made aware of the benefits of testing as a study strategy. ConclusionsNo statistical significance was found regarding the students’ reported use of testing as a study strategy, nor with respect to instructing students on the benefits of the use of testing as a study strategy. However, when compared to previous cohorts who did not utilize testing as a study strategy, there were statistical significances noted; therefore, additional research is merited to examine the results further.

Development of the Client Resistance Scale.

This study examines (a) the psychometric properties of the Client Resistance Scale (CRS) and (b) how client manifests as a function of client, therapist, and therapist response mode. The CRS is composed of 5 subscales that are based on R. R. Greenson's (1967) formulation of client (i.e., Opposing Expression of Painful Affect, Opposing Recollection of Material, Opposing Therapist, Opposing Change, and Opposing Insight). Master's-level judges rated client speaking turns for 6 sessions with 6 expert therapists (i.e., Beck, Ellis, Meichenbaum, Perls, Rogers, and Strupp). Results indicated that (a) the CRS subscales were reliable with 3 and 4 judges, (b) the 5 subscales were significantly positively correlated with each other, and (c) client differed as a function of client, therapist, and therapist response mode. Client is a central concept in analytic psychotherapy (Greenson, 1967), and it is important in other psychotherapy models such as cognitive-behavioral (Goldfried, 1982; Meichenbaum & Gilmore, 1982), gestalt (Breshgold, 1989), and rational-emotive therapy (Ellis, 1985). Arguably, the most lucid and thorough discussion of client has been presented by Greenson. Greenson detailed the purposes of resistance, described its manifestation in therapeutic work, and discussed several strategies for working with client resistance. Specifically, Greenson (1967) observed that resistance opposes the analytic procedure, the analyst, and the patient's reasonable ego. Resistance defends the neurosis, the old, the familiar, and the infantile from exposure and change (p. 77). In this article, Greenson's (1967) language is recast to be inclusive of nonanalytic approaches and to incorporate the motivation for (i.e., the avoidance of painful affect; Freud, 1901/1960; Greenson, 1967). As such, the following formulation of is presented: With its motivation being the avoidance of painful affect, opposes the client's recollection of therapeutic material, as well as the therapist's efforts, change, and insight. A survey of the literature on client supports the five dimensions identified in this formulation.