Proficiency Standards Research Articles

Mental health nursing students and generic proficiencies: how educators can support assessment.

Recent shifts in nursing education towards generic proficiencies pose challenges to the unique demands of mental health nursing education. Student mental health nurses at the authors' higher education institution (HEI) have provided service feedback that has expressed the difficulties they have encountered. This article examines the issues faced by students, assessors and educators in interpreting and applying the proficiency standards set by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. Addressing the complexities of mental health nursing education, as well as the barriers to learning and attainment, requires a collaborative effort and innovative solutions if HEIs are to successfully prepare future mental health nurses to meet the evolving demands of their role. The proposed solution is a 'Proficiency Directory', which provides structured resources for mental health nursing students to align learning experiences with assessment criteria, facilitating a more comprehensive and meaningful learning journey.

Chest auscultation

The fundamentals series is a collection of articles that present key procedures and competencies, as outlined in the Nursing and Midwifery Council's Future nurse: standards of proficiency for registered nurses. In this article, David Collett outlines how to conduct a chest auscultation and interpret the results, as well as additional considerations in a mental health setting.

Measuring height and weight

The fundamentals series is a collection of articles that present key procedures and competencies, as outlined in the Nursing and Midwifery Council's Future nurse: standards of proficiency for registered nurses. In this article, Lesley Barr highlights the importance of accurately measuring height, weight and body mass index, as well as procedural considerations for individuals living with serious mental illness.

Role of English Language Proficiency Standards in Academic and Career Success in Iran

The aim of this paper is to examine the significance of English language proficiency standards in fostering academic and career success in Iran. The development of English language proficiency is intricately linked with the needs of Iranians for achieving their academic and professional goals. Notably, there is a growing interest in learning English language in Iran, like in the other countries, since it lies in the fact that English language, as a globalized language, plays a pivotal role in both academic achievement and career advancement. The study first delves into the English language proficiency standards, which include five levels, illustrating the diverse abilities exhibited by English language learners within each language proficiency level. Second, it explores the factors which have tremendous impacts on academic and career success in learning English language, with the aim of maximizing the effectiveness of English language learning for English language learners. Furthermore, it highlights the extensive array of English training courses available in Iran, conducted in educational institutions, which contribute significantly to enhancing English language proficiency among learners and optimizing English language learners’ perspective on the English language. Finally, the outcomes of this investigation indicate that the number of interested English language learners in Iran has been increasing in recent years, as they demonstrate a profound awareness and a deeper understanding of the global significance of the English language and recognize its transformative effects on their academic and professional success, thereby opening up vast opportunities for international communication and engagement.

Improving airway management in pediatric emergency intubation: A narrative review with a focus on bougie guidance in settings with limited resources

AbstractBackgroundEffective airway management in pediatric emergency settings, especially in resource‐limited environments, presents unique challenges that necessitate innovative solutions.ObjectivesThis review investigates the role of bougie‐guided pediatric intubation as a crucial technique in addressing these challenges.MethodsA comprehensive search of peer‐reviewed literature was conducted using reputable databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science. Suitable keywords and Medical Subject Headings terms were employed. Data extraction focused on study design, patient demographics, intervention protocols, primary outcomes, and safety profiles. A qualitative synthesis was performed to provide a comprehensive narrative review.ResultsPediatric bougies, known for their cost‐effectiveness and adaptability, emerge as promising tools for successful and efficient pediatric intubation. Comparative studies indicate that bougie use results in superior first‐pass success rates and reduced intubation times. Case studies highlight the bougie's versatility in managing difficult pediatric airways.ConclusionsThe bougie's cost‐effectiveness positions it as a practical solution to disparities in treatment levels. Successful pediatric intubation in resource‐limited settings requires improved accessibility, standardized proficiency, and infrastructure readiness. Integrating the bougie into pediatric airway management guidelines represents a proactive approach to these challenges.

FAKTOR EKSTERNAL PENGHAMBAT PENCAPAIAN STANDAR KECAKAPAN BAHASA INGGRIS PADA MAHASISWA PARIWISATA BERDASARKAN COMMON ASEAN TOURISM CURRICULUM

This study is aimed to investigate external factors that hinder the students' attainment of English proficiency in the Common ASEAN Tourism Curriculum. The study was conducted on tourism students in AKN Lombok Barat. The study used a descriptive qualitative method and the data was gained through competency-based assessment and questionnaire for the students in three subdivisions; Hotel Accommodation, Food Beverages, and Hotel Engineering. The findings showed that several factors hinder the students' achievement of English proficiency standards externally. The external factors comprise the unsupportive college cultural factors; the dominant use of the mother tongue; the lack of English facilities in the college, such as an English listening laboratory to support the learning process; the limited learning hours for English subjects: the lecturers have limited interaction in English, especially outside the classroom; the lecturer has limited strategies in their teaching method, especially in practicing English for specific purposes like in tourism

Enhancing trainee performance in obstetric ultrasound through an artificial intelligence system: randomized controlled trial.

Performing obstetric ultrasound scans is challenging for inexperienced operators; therefore, the prenatal screening artificial intelligence system (PSAIS) software was developed to provide real-time feedback and guidance for trainees during their scanning procedures. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential benefits of utilizing such an artificial intelligence system to enhance the efficiency of obstetric ultrasound training in acquiring and interpreting standard basic views. A prospective, single-center randomized controlled study was conducted at The First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University. From September 2022 to April 2023, residents with no prior obstetric ultrasound experience were recruited and assigned randomly to either a PSAIS-assisted training group or a conventional training group. Each trainee underwent a four-cycle practical scan training program, performing 20 scans in each cycle on pregnant volunteers at 18-32 gestational weeks, focusing on acquiring and interpreting standard basic views. At the end of each cycle, a test scan evaluated trainees' ability to obtain standard ultrasound views without PSAIS assistance, and image quality was rated by both the trainees themselves and an expert (in a blinded manner). The primary outcome was the number of training cycles required for each trainee to meet a certain standard of proficiency (i.e. end-of-cycle test scored by the expert at ≥ 80%). Secondary outcomes included the expert ratings of the image quality in each trainee's end-of-cycle test and the discordance between ratings by trainees and the expert. In total, 32 residents and 1809 pregnant women (2720 scans) were recruited for the study. The PSAIS-assisted trainee group required significantly fewer training cycles compared with the non-PSAIS-assisted group to meet quality requirements (P = 0.037). Based on the expert ratings of image quality, the PSAIS-assisted training group exhibited superior ability in acquiring standard imaging views compared with the conventional training group in the third (P = 0.012) and fourth (P < 0.001) cycles. In both groups, the discordance between trainees' ratings of the quality of their own images and the expert's ratings decreased with increasing training time. A statistically significant difference in overall trainee-expert rating discordance between the two groups emerged at the end of the first training cycle and remained at every cycle thereafter (P < 0.013). By assisting inexperienced trainees in obtaining and interpreting standard basic obstetric scanning views, the use of artificial intelligence-assisted systems has the potential to improve training effectiveness. © 2024 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.

The Effectiveness Of Rosetta Stone On Vocabulary Mastery Through Seventh Grade At Smp Islam Al Azhaar Tulungagung In Academic Year 2023/2024

English language proficiency has an important role in communication, daily life, and academic pursuits. English language proficiency opens up future opportunities such as employment and higher education, which often require proficiency standards such as TOEFL or IELTS. Even though it is a compulsory subject in school, many have difficulty learning English. The four main skills to be developed are reading, writing, listening, and speaking, all of which are essential for communicative competence and vocabulary mastery. In response to these challenges, educators are increasingly using technology such as the Rosetta Stone app. This app is known for its Dynamic Immersion and TruAccent features that make learning interactive and effective. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of the use of the Rosetta Stone application on the vocabulary mastery of grade VII students at Al Azhar Islamic Junior High School Tulungagung. The experimental research method was used by dividing the research subjects into two groups, namely the experimental group that used the Rosetta Stone application and the control group that did not use it. The results showed that students' vocabulary scores increased significantly from 73.20 to 90.80 after using this application. Statistical analysis with paired sample t-test confirmed the effectiveness of the application in improving students' vocabulary mastery and interest in learning English. The study confirms the positive impact of technological interventions such as Rosetta Stone in improving English language skills, validating their efficacy through rigorous statistical analysis and practical results.

Vital signs assessment in adults

The fundamentals series is a collection of articles that present key procedures and competencies, as outlined in the Nursing and Midwifery Council's Future nurse: standards of proficiency for registered nurses. In this article, Ian Peate provides an overview of vital signs assessment in adults, covering pulse, blood pressure, respiration and temperature.

Mental status examination

The fundamentals series is a collection of articles that present key procedures and competencies, as outlined in the Nursing and Midwifery Council's Future nurse: standards of proficiency for registered nurses. In this article, Katie Loader provides an overview of the mental status examination and the skills needed to conduct this assessment.

Social care work and social work in Ireland: a comparative analysis of standards of proficiency

Abstract This article provides a timely intervention to debates and scholarship about the professional regulation of social work and social care. In Ireland, the recent commencement of the statutory regulation of social care by CORU – Ireland’s multi-professional health regulator – offers a watershed opportunity for learning. Social work has been separately regulated by CORU for over a decade, while the social care work register opened in November 2023. We conduct a comparative content analysis of the standards of proficiency for social work and for social care work. Albeit with different historical origins, regulation has now provided these professions with distinctive, as well as shared professional ‘benchmarks’, that may shape the trajectories of their future roles and training. We consider the approach CORU takes to regulation, in terms of the standards and how these differentiate or align the two professions. The novel contribution of the paper lies in its key findings. Namely, that: the format of the standards of proficiency framework itself warrants further consideration; insufficient attention is paid to empathy and emotions across standards; there is an absence of a considered approach to the influence of socio-economic factors on practice; there are variations in the emphasis placed on relational versus socio-political dimensions in practice; and finally, there are differences in the importance paid to ‘critical understanding’ across the standards. These areas particularly illuminate how CORU frames and interprets the nature of both professions. It is concluded that the standards of proficiency for both social care work and social work have much shared terrain, interspersed with infrequent but striking differences, indicative of the many commonalities and overlap in occupational spheres for both professions.

Pragmatic Competence in Second Language Learners

Purpose: The general objective of the study was to analyze pragmatic competence in second language learners. Methodology: The study adopted a desktop research methodology. Desk research refers to secondary data or that which can be collected without fieldwork. Desk research is basically involved in collecting data from existing resources hence it is often considered a low cost technique as compared to field research, as the main cost is involved in executive’s time, telephone charges and directories. Thus, the study relied on already published studies, reports and statistics. This secondary data was easily accessed through the online journals and library. Findings: The findings reveal that there exists a contextual and methodological gap relating to pragmatic competence in second language learners. Preliminary empirical review revealed that pragmatic competence is crucial for effective communication in a second language, often lacking in learners despite their grammatical proficiency. Explicit instruction in pragmatic norms and strategies significantly improved learners' communication abilities. Cultural immersion and authentic language use were found essential for developing practical pragmatic skills. The study also highlighted the importance of considering individual differences, such as motivation and language aptitude, to tailor instruction and enhance pragmatic training effectively. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The Speech Act Theory, Politeness Theory and Socio-Cultural Theory may be used to anchor future studies on pragmatic competence in second language learners. The study highlighted the need for a broader theoretical understanding that integrates sociolinguistics and cognitive sciences, recommended incorporating pragmatic skills into language curricula through authentic dialogues and interactive activities, and advocated for policies that prioritize pragmatic competence in language proficiency standards and assessments. It emphasized the importance of cross-cultural awareness and recommended collaborative efforts among educators, researchers, and policymakers to develop comprehensive frameworks. The study also suggested ongoing research to monitor the effectiveness of these changes and adapt educational practices accordingly.

English-Medium Instruction in International Bio-Science Engineering Programs in Vietnam: Incentivization, Support, and Discretion in a Context of Academic Consolidation

Abstract This study analyzes how English-medium instruction (EMI) content lecturers in Vietnam navigate opportunities and challenges of incentivization, institutional support, and disciplinary autonomy in a context of transnational academic expansion. It reports on interview data with bio-engineering lecturers from five universities. Findings show that, despite the lecturers’ understanding of the institutional importance of prestigious international programs, the necessary linguistic and pedagogical support systems are rarely in place. Lecturers detail their struggles in a setting marked by the presence of personal incentives but a lack of training needed to reach language proficiency standards or feel confident about managing interaction and knowledge transfer. They describe difficulties preparing for classes, report extraneous workloads, and occasionally redact teaching materials to safeguard comprehension. Viewing the lecturers through the lens of Lipsky’s Street-Level Bureaucracy (1980), we bring into focus their highly informed, agentive behavior, highlighting how lecturers conceptualize students’ linguistic and academic needs, and identify pedagogical strategies to overcome language-related and other barriers in EMI. Two forms of mutual entanglement are stressed: (i) lecturer needs and student needs and (ii) subject teaching and language learning.

Impact of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (2018) future nurse: Standards of proficiency for registered nurses on children's nursing curriculum – A cross-sectional study

BackgroundStudent nurses in the United Kingdom undertake field-specific pre-registration education. The implementation of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (2018) Future nurse: Standards of proficiency for registered nurses, has raised concerns that the increasingly generic component of pre-registration programmes is not adequately preparing newly qualified children's nurses to care for children safely. ObjectiveTo investigate how the introduction of the Nursing and Midwifery Council standards in the United Kingdom has impacted the structure and field specific content of pre-registration children's nursing programmes. SettingsAn online survey completed by 54 programmes, field, or professional leads linked to 76 pre-registration children's nursing programmes. This represents 80 % of higher education institutions with Nursing and Midwifery Council approved pre-registration children's nursing programmes across all four United Kingdom countries. MethodsA survey to capture the current content and changes to curricula since the introduction of the Nursing and Midwifery Council (2018) Future nurse standards. The survey included closed-ended and open-ended questions. Closed-ended questions were statistically analysed using SPSS v.28 for Windows. Open-ended questions were thematically analysed using Quircos v.2.1. Results50 % of respondents reported changes to theoretical content. In 27 programmes (35.5 %) there was a decrease in child-specific content. Child specific teaching methods accounted for less than 30 % of the content of all programmes whereas cross-field teaching methods (Adult, Mental Health, Learning Disability and Child learners together) accounted for over 70 % of the taught content. Analysis of qualitative data identified three themes: genericism as the focus, the challenge to achieve the standards' proficiencies, and dilution of child specific content. ConclusionsThe survey responses show disparities in how United Kingdom higher education institutions have interpreted the Nursing and Midwifery Council standards highlighting academics concerns on the growing genericism within pre-registration children's nurse education nationally. These findings will inform the next stage of the project comparing the impact of greater or lesser degrees of genericism on the outcomes of the programme for newly qualified children's nurses.

Setting proficiency standards for simulation-based mastery learning of short antegrade femoral nail osteosynthesis: a multicenter study.

Orthopedic trainees frequently perform short antegrade femoral nail osteosynthesis of trochanteric fractures, but virtual reality simulation-based training (SBT) with haptic feedback has been unavailable. We explored a novel simulator, with the aim of gathering validity evidence for an embedded test and setting a credible pass/fail standard allowing trainees to practice to proficiency. The research, conducted from May to September 2020 across 3 Danish simulation centers, utilized the Swemac TraumaVision simulator for short antegrade femoral nail osteosynthesis. The validation process adhered to Messick's framework, covering all 5 sources of validity evidence. Participants included novice groups, categorized by training to plateau (n = 14) or to mastery (n = 10), and experts (n = 9), focusing on their performance metrics and training duration. The novices in the plateau group and experts had hands-on training for 77 (95% confidence interval [CI] 59-95) and 52 (CI 36-69) minutes while the plateau test score, defined as the average of the last 4 scores, was 75% (CI 65-86) and 96% (CI 94-98) respectively. The pass/fail standard was established at the average expert plateau test score of 96%. All novices in the mastery group could meet this standard and interestingly without increased hands-on training time (65 [CI 46-84] minutes). Our study provides supporting validity evidence from all sources of Messick's framework for a simulation-based test in short antegrade nail osteosynthesis of intertrochanteric hip fracture and establishes a defensible pass/fail standard for mastery learning of SBT. Novices who practiced using mastery learning were able to reach the pre-defined pass/fail standard and outperformed novices without a set goal for external motivation.

Are WIDA Test Results Appropriately Reflecting Multilingual Learners’ Language Skills According to ESOL Teachers’ Experiences?

Within the field of multilingual learner (ML) education, ESOL teachers’ voices are often overlooked and underrepresented despite their integral role in developing productive and knowledgeable future citizens. This study sheds light on the experiences of ESOL teachers that administer the federally mandated annual standardized testing created by World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA). It uses focus-group interviews to gather qualitative data from two neighboring school districts in order to gain insight into the WIDA assessments’ reflection of language proficiency. WIDA testing evaluates English language development by measuring academic and social language skills within the four language domains: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. MLs without severe, classified disabilities in grades K-12 participate annually in the Assessing Comprehension and Communication of English State-to-State (ACCESS) assessment by WIDA. Results place students into proficiency categories ranging from entering (a student new to English) to bridging (a near-fluent ML), as defined by the WIDA language proficiency standards. The interviews allowed the ESOL teachers to share their experiences with MLs’ classroom performances in the four testing domains compared to their performances on the online WIDA assessments. The interview data was analyzed and categorized into three main themes based on teacher responses: assessment preparation techniques, common perceptions of the assessment, and proposed changes to improve the assessment. Each of these themes, with their local and national implications, are discussed as they affect the nature of ESOL instruction and assessment.

Challenges Vietnamese EFL Students Faced When Learning and Meeting the Requirements of B1 English Language Proficiency

Learning and meeting the requirements of English language proficiency focused on the Western model of the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) are required as essential learning outcomes of higher education programs for English as a foreign language (EFL) learners. However, university students may face difficulties in the process of learning and meeting the requirements of their English language proficiency. To address this gap, this descriptive study was conducted to explore the challenges Vietnamese EFL students encountered in learning and meeting the requirements of their English language proficiency. Participants were sixty Vietnamese EFL students majoring in Odonto-stomatology (Oral maxillofacial surgery) from a university in the Mekong Delta. Two core research instruments were utilized in this study consisting of a questionnaire and a semi-structured interview. Results revealed that the challenges university students faced when learning and meeting the requirements of B1 English language proficiency were significant. It was challenging for university students to achieve level B1 English language proficiency within the CEFR of Vietnam in terms of test-related, candidate-related, and environment-related challenges. The findings of this study could assist students in being aware of their linguistic knowledge and necessary skills so that they have abilities to apply appropriate ways for learning and meeting the requirements of the standards of level B1 English language proficiency in the context of Vietnam.

Protecting the integrity of children and young people's nursing as a distinct field of practice.

At certain points in nursing history, it has been necessary to make a case for children and young people to be cared for by specialist nurses educated to meet their specific needs. However, in 2018 the updated Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) standards of proficiency for registered nurses adopted a generic rather than field-specific approach. This article reiterates that children, young people and their families have unique needs that are best met by nurses who are trained specifically to care for them. The case is made from a historical and legal perspective, concluding with a proposal that in the best interests of children, young people and their families, the NMC should embed specific competencies for children's nurses into its standards of proficiency to future-proof this field of practice.

Teaching foundational language equity concepts in the pre-clinical curriculum

BackgroundDespite the prevalence of non-English languages in the US population, existing medical training to teach communication with linguistically diverse communities is limited to electives or solely focuses on medical interpreting. Language-appropriate communication skills are seldom comprehensively integrated in medical education. This study describes the development and evaluation of an intervention to teach foundational language equity concepts.MethodsThe authors implemented a pre-clinical language equity course at three medical school campuses between August 2020 and March 2022. Sessions focused on the impact of language in health, physician language proficiency standards, and working with medical interpreters. The study sought to (1) understand students’ language skills and prior clinical experiences with patients with non-English language preference and (2) evaluate the curriculum’s impact. Students self-reported their language skills and experiences as part of a voluntary pre-questionnaire. Pre and post-questionnaires evaluated knowledge, attitudes, and intent to apply language equity concepts. Descriptive statistics and chi-squared tests were used to examine trends; themes were identified from free-text responses.ResultsOverall, 301 students completed the course, 252 (83%) completed at least one questionnaire; for each session, between 35% and 46% of learners completed both pre and post-questionnaires. Three quarters (189/252) reported non-English languages. Over half (138/252) reported previous non-English language patient care, and 28% (62/224) had served as ad hoc (untrained) interpreters. Only two students (< 1%) had ever been assessed for medical language abilities. Students demonstrated improved post-course language equity knowledge, strategies for interpreter-mediated encounters, and likelihood to report a plan for language skills assessment (all p < .001). Most plans were multifaceted (61%, 38/62), involving goals like completing a language course, taking a proficiency exam, openly discussing skills and uncertainties with team members, and increasing professional interpreter utilization.ConclusionsA longitudinal language equity curriculum can be feasibly integrated in pre-clinical education, highlight the linguistic diversity of the student body, and serve as a first step in ensuring that all students have a strong language equity foundation prior to clinical rotations. Future steps include evaluating the intervention’s potential long-term effects on professional interpreter utilization, student clinical performance, and institutional culture that promotes multilingualism.

Arabic Language Literacy as an All-Important Aid in English Language Teaching to Arabic-Speaking Students

Current research points to the importance of native language literacy in the development of second language literacy. Knowledge and skills transfer across languages from the mother tongue to the second language. But such knowledge and skills will only transfer if they have been thoroughly learned. Due to the low standard of Arabic proficiency among both English teachers and learners, literacy in Arabic is not made use of in developing literacy in English. In particular, the teaching of English could greatly benefit from the use of Arabic grammatical and phonetic concepts that are not sufficiently developed in English grammar and language. Only a select number of such concepts are reviewed in this paper to serve as indicators of the advantages to be gained by a deeper study and knowledge of Arabic language phonetics and grammar.