Undergraduate Clinical Experience Research Articles

Leveraging Student-Centered Learning Through SMART Goals Within Undergraduate Clinical Experiences.

Leveraging Student-Centered Learning Through SMART Goals Within Undergraduate Clinical Experiences.

Nursing Students Achieving Community Health Competencies through Undergraduate Clinical Experiences: A Gap Analysis

In Canada, it is widely believed that nursing practice and health care will move from acute care into the community. At the same time, increasing numbers of nursing students are engaged in non-traditional clinical experiences for their community health rotation. These clinical experiences occur at agencies not organizationally affiliated with the health care system and typically do not employ registered nurses (RNs). What has yet to be established is the degree to which nursing students are actually being prepared for community health nursing roles through their community health clinical rotations. In this paper we report the findings of a mixed method study that explored the gap between desired and observed levels of competence in community health of senior nursing students and new graduates. The gap was quantified and then the nature of the gap further explored through focus groups.

For us or against us? Perceptions of faculty bullying of students during undergraduate nursing education clinical experiences

The purpose of this review is to determine what we currently know about faculty bullying of nursing students during undergraduate clinical experiences. The review included 31 peer-reviewed articles and dissertations investigating faculty bullying of nursing students and those factors which can influence the phenomenon. A significant finding of this review is that faculty bullying of students arises out of complex contextual influences involving the practice setting, as well as perceptions and coping strategies of both faculty members and students. This belies the current understanding of bullying within nursing education as intentional, and arising from the personal pathologies of the teacher or student. This has implications for clinical faculty members as well as Schools of Nursing. As well, it highlights future directions for research, including interventions to decrease faculty bullying of students.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Clinical Tracking System for Undergraduate Nursing Students

Aim. This study evaluated one commercially available clinical tracking system to determine its appropriateness for use within a school of nursing. Background. Collecting documentation during undergraduate clinical experiences (e.g., type of patient care experience, diagnosis, skills completed, competencies met) is a challenging undertaking for students and faculty. Little research has been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of clinical tracking systems. Method. A convenience sample of students and faculty completed an end-of-course survey that measured their satisfaction with the clinical tracking system. Results. Statistically significant (p < .05) differences were found between students and faculty in several areas: utility, technical issues, capacity to identify regulatory body achieved competencies, and usefulness of records generated. There was also a statistically significant (p < .01) difference in overall satisfaction, with faculty much more satisfied with the system than students. Conclusion. The clinical tracking system was found by faculty and students to be user friendly. Faculty overall were more satisfied with the system than students.

Evaluating the Effectivenessof aClinical Tracking SystemforUndergraduate Nursing Students

This study evaluated one commercially available clinical tracking system to determine its appropriateness for use within a school of nursing. Collecting documentation during undergraduate clinical experiences (e.g., type of patient care experience, diagnosis, skills completed, competencies met) is a challenging undertaking for students and faculty. Little research has been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of clinical tracking systems. A convenience sample of students and faculty completed an end-of-course survey that measured their satisfaction with the clinical tracking system. Statistically significant (p < .05) differences were found between students and faculty in several areas: utility, technical issues, capacity to identify regulatory body achieved competencies, and usefulness of records generated.There was also a statistically significant (p < .01) difference in overall satisfaction, with faculty much more satisfied with the system than students. The clinical tracking system was found by faculty and students to be user friendly. Faculty overall were more satisfied with the system than students.

Pediatric Clinical Simulation: A Pilot Project

With increased enrollment, nursing faculty are finding clinical placement for students more difficult, especially in clinical areas such as child health. Simulation using moderate-fidelity and high-fidelity manikins offers evidence-based and innovative approaches to augment traditional clinical experiences. However, few studies quantitatively examine student outcomes associated with clinical simulation. This article describes student learning outcomes related to traditional and hybrid (part simulation and part traditional clinical) undergraduate clinical experiences in a baccalaureate nursing program. In addition, the use of faculty-developed simulation scenarios integration of Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) competencies into four pediatric scenarios, as well as the educational development of faculty at a simulation center, are presented.

GS30P EFFECTIVENESS OF A STANDARD TEACHING PROGRAMME FOR MEDICAL STUDENTS ACROSS MULTIPLE CLINICAL TEACHING SITES

Introduction: Surgical teaching for clinical medical students is often undertaken across multiple clinical campuses. There are concerns heterogeneity of clinical experience may result in heterogeneity of learning outcome achievements. To avoid this, we have utilised standardised learning materials and tutorials across four hospital campuses.Methods: Using a feedback questionnaire, clinical experience from assigned hospitals was collected, including a question on influence of clinical experience on future career choice. This was analysed for inter‐hospital differences. Clinical experience was also assessed by analysis of individual student portfolios. Students were administered a centralised standardised formative Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) during rotations. We analysed OSCE results from 2005 to 2008 for internal reliability and correlation with final written examination grades on a hospital‐by‐hospital basis.Results: Analysis of student feedback results and portfolios identified inter‐hospital differences in clinical experience. Students indicated that clinical experiences had influence on decision to pursue future surgical careers. The OSCE had a good level of internal reliability (Cronbach's‐alpha 0.62–0.75). No significant inter‐hospital difference in OSCE results was found using one‐way analysis of variance. OSCE results had strong correlations with final examination grades.Conclusions: Heterogeneity of clinical experience across different teaching settings does not translate into heterogeneity in achievement of learning outcomes when teaching materials are standardised. Consistent with previous published data, undergraduate clinical experience may influence future career choices.

Promoting Positive Student Clinical Experiences with Older Adults Through Use of Group Reminiscence Therapy

Interest in psychiatric nursing as a practice area is associated with positive undergraduate clinical experiences that include staff acceptance, diverse learning opportunities, direct involvement with patients, and community placements. Essential student preparedness includes attitudes affirmative of patient recovery; assessment, communication, teaching, and medication administration and monitoring skills; and a toolkit of nursing interventions such as group facilitation and reminiscence therapy. In an innovative intervention, students in a geriatric psychiatric community setting developed and facilitated a support group with reminiscence-based activities to reduce social isolation. Patients increased social interactions, and students gained awareness of older adults' interests and self-identities, as well as confidence in providing care.

Windows Open: Humanities Teaching During Undergraduate Clinical Experiences

Humanities teaching in nursing education has the potential to facilitate professional growth and improve patient care. To fit into crowded curricula and to have the greatest effect, humanities teaching needs to be concise and clinically relevant. We describe a humanities educational program, incorporated within undergraduate nursing students' first acute care clinical semester, that uses expressive and didactic methods supported by educational, clinical, or theoretical evidence. Student evaluations of the educational program were uniformly favorable. The range and depth of students' feedback demonstrate the educational and emotional effects that are possible when humanities content is taught during clinical experiences.

How to win the hearts and minds of students in psychiatry

Psychiatry in the UK and in many other countries is facing a fundamental crisis in attracting new graduates. This poorly understood problem may be related to negative undergraduate experiences. Many clinicians have learnt through an ‘apprenticeship’ model and few are formally taught how to teach students in a modern clinical setting. Learning theory provides useful models for learning and teaching that can improve undergraduate clinical experiences. A variety of means are available to help teaching clinicians apply these theories, including self-help using published literature and gaining teaching qualifications. As the majority of modern undergraduate psychiatry teaching occurs during clinical placements, the incorporated techniques will need to be sensitive to the teaching environment. Application of these principles to day-to-day teaching practice may help to reverse the current staff shortages.

Paediatric dentistry experience of the first cohort of students to graduate from Dublin Dental School and Hospital under the new curriculum

To assess undergraduate clinical experience in Paediatric Dentistry in students graduating under a new curriculum. An audit using logbooks completed by 34 students for all patients for whom they had provided treatment in the university paediatric dentistry clinic. A total of 177 child patients had received treatment from the students, age range 2-8 years. Students had performed an average of 13 restorative techniques. Sixty-eight percent had provided stainless steel crowns and 71% at least one pulpotomy for a primary tooth. All students had provided fissure sealants. Eighteen had carried out extractions and 8 had provided treatment for fractured incisors on this clinic. The cohort of students included had a wide range of experience of paediatric dentistry which compared favourably with accepted guidelines. A relative lack of experience of dental extractions currently remains a problem.

Confidentiality of patient privacy in undergraduate clinical experiences

Confidentiality of patient privacy in undergraduate clinical experiences

Undergraduate Preparation for Primary Health Care Roles in an Academic Nursing Center

The goal of the Nursing Center at the University of North Dakota is to prepare professional nurses to meet priority health needs of the next century through service to people currently in need. Health needs in the state, educational needs related to preparation for primary health care roles, and an explicit nursing paradigm for primary health care framed the development of the Nursing Center. As an integral part of the College of Nursing, the Nursing Center serves as a primary site for undergraduate clinical experiences. Family-centered, community-based programs were designed to simultaneously meet health needs of underserved rural populations and educational needs of undergraduates for preparation in primary health care roles. Implementation proved feasible from both service and educational perspectives. Initial evaluation data demonstrated a high level of effective clinical activity and role development for students beyond that experienced in more traditional settings.

Computers in medical education 2. Use of a computer package to supplement the clinical experience in a surgical clerkship: an objective evaluation.

Student teaching of surgery has been devolved from the university in an effort to increase and broaden undergraduate clinical experience. In order to ensure uniformity of learning we have defined learning objectives and provided a computer-based package to supplement clinical teaching. A study was undertaken to evaluate the place of computer-based learning in a clinical environment. Twelve modules were provided for study during a 6-week attachment. These covered clinical problems related to cardiology, neurosurgery and gastrointestinal haemorrhage. Eighty-four fourth-year students undertook a pre- and post-test assessment on these three topics as well as acute abdominal pain. No extra learning material on the latter topic was provided during the attachment. While all students showed significant improvement in performance in the post-test assessment, those who had access to the computer material performed significantly better than did the controls. Within the topics, students in both groups performed equally well on the post-test assessment of acute abdominal pain but the control group's performance was significantly lacking on the topic of gastrointestinal haemorrhage, suggesting that the bulk of learning on this subject came from the computer material and little from the clinical attachment. This type of learning resource can be used to supplement the student's clinical experience and at the same time monitor what they learn during clinical clerkships and identify areas of weakness.

Undergraduate clinical experience in health education.

Undergraduate clinical experience in health education.

Undergraduate students' experience of obstetrics and gynaecology in district hospitals

SummaryBritish medical schools are increasingly using hospitals other than designated teaching hospitals to provide undergraduate clinical experience. This paper reports upon the experiences of 30 clinical students who each spent 2 weeks in one of two ‘peripheral’ district hospitals in East Anglia. Students' reported activities in a typical week are described, as is their role in the operating theatre, their experience of clinical conditions, procedures and problems, and their overall reaction to the experience. Student attitudes were almost universally positive, though some lacunae in teaching and clinical experience became apparent. Given the option of spending further time later in the course at either a peripheral or a teaching hospital, 80 per cent would opt for the former.