Teaching-service integration: implications and roles in experiences of Undergraduate Courses in Nursing

The study aimed at understanding the implications of the teaching-service integration to nursing education from the perspective of teachers, students and professionals in Primary Healthcare as well as identifying the roles of teachers and professionals who follow practical experiences in education. This is a case study of qualitative approach carried out in five undergraduate courses in Nursing in the state of Santa Catarina. A total of 22 teachers and 14 professionals were interviewed and five focus groups were conducted with students. Results are presented in two categories: Implications of the teaching-service integration to education in Nursing: contributing factors and intervening factors and Relationships established in the experiences: a unison speech and a dissonant practice. The contributions of the teaching-service integration are undeniable. Despite this belief, there are intervening factors that need to be on the agenda for discussion. The role of facilitator in education emerged strongly despite conflicting perceptions remain.

Gerontology course in the nursing undergraduate curricula

Objective To explores nursing faculty members’ attitudes towards older people, their thoughts about gerontological nursing education. Method Five focus groups and a survey were used with nursing faculty members 132 at the three nursing schools to explore their attitudes towards the care of older people and the perceived status of gerontological nursing education. The survey was given to 132 faculty members, including 76 clinical instructors, 40 associate professors and 16 professors. The nursing faculty in general had a positive attitude toward older people (M=3.36, SD 0.25), and teachers’ attitudes were higher than those of their nursing students (M=3.18, SD0.29). Results This study results suggests that Saudi nursing curricula should include more extensive gerontology content and clinical experience with older people. Conclusion This is the first time in Saudi Arabia that research has listened to their voices and examined their commitments toward gerontology education.


Analysis of the process of translation of knowledge regarding early childhood at the undergraduate level

Objective To analyze innovative contents on Early Child Development Promotion. Method This action-research involves nine faculties from four Higher Education Institutions at inner-state of São Paulo, Brazil.Data were collected by syllabi analyses (2009-2011), interviews and focus group. We have adopted an ECDP underpinning from international consensus, thus evaluating KT Results We have found relevant incorporation between teaching and extension in Nursing (87,5%) and Psychology (75%) undergraduate courses, while Pedagogy was restricted to teaching. Conclusion This KT evaluation has evinced innovative potential of extension, regardless teaching and research, for a better Early Childhood.


Instrument for evaluating care given by undergraduate nursing students to people with wounds

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to present the process of construction and validation of an instrument for evaluating the care provided to people with wounds, to be used with undergraduate nursing students. METHOD Methodological study, with quantitative approach, using the Delphi technique in two rounds, the first with 30 judges and the second with 18. The analysis was made with Kappa coefficient ≥0.80, and content validity index greater than >0.80, also using the Wilcoxon test for comparison of the indices between the rounds. RESULTS It was found that of the 20 categories of the instrument, 18 presented better scores in the second Delphi round. Scores were greater in the second round in seven of the ten evaluation categories. CONCLUSION Based on the evaluation by the judges, a version of the instrument was defined with adequate indices of agreement and validity, which will be able to help in evaluating care of people with cutaneous injury given by undergraduate nursing students.

Clinical reasoning in undergraduate nursing education: a scoping review

Abstract OBJECTIVE This study aimed at analyzing the current state of knowledge on clinical reasoning in undergraduate nursing education. METHODS A systematic scoping review through a search strategy applied to the MEDLINE database, and an analysis of the material recovered by extracting data done by two independent reviewers. The extracted data were analyzed and synthesized in a narrative manner. RESULTS From the 1380 citations retrieved in the search, 23 were kept for review and their contents were summarized into five categories: 1) the experience of developing critical thinking/clinical reasoning/decision-making process; 2) teaching strategies related to the development of critical thinking/clinical reasoning/decision-making process; 3) measurement of variables related to the critical thinking/clinical reasoning/decision-making process; 4) relationship of variables involved in the critical thinking/clinical reasoning/decision-making process; and 5) theoretical development models of critical thinking/clinical reasoning/decision-making process for students. CONCLUSION The biggest challenge for developing knowledge on teaching clinical reasoning seems to be finding consistency between theoretical perspectives on the development of clinical reasoning and methodologies, methods, and procedures in research initiatives in this field.

Needs, expectations, and concerns of medical students regarding end-of-life issues before the introduction of a mandatory undergraduate palliative care curriculum.

BACKGROUND: In the past, implementation of effective palliative care curricula has emerged as a priority in medical education. In order to gain insight into medical students' needs and expectations, we conducted a survey before mandatory palliative care education was introduced in our faculty. METHODS: Seven hundred nine students answered a questionnaire mainly consisting of numeric rating scales (0-10). RESULTS: Participants attributed a high importance to palliative care for their future professional life (mean, 7.51 ± 2.2). For most students, symptom control was crucial (7.72 ± 2.2). However, even higher importance was assigned to ethical and legal issues (8.16 ± 1.9). "Self-reflection regarding their own role as a physician caring for the terminally ill along with psychological support" was also regarded as highly important (7.25 ± 2.4). Most students were moderately concerned at the prospect of being confronted with suffering and death (5.13 ± 2.4). This emotional distress was rated significantly higher by female students (5.4 ± 2.4 versus 4.6 ± 2.4; p < 0.001). Seventeen percent of all students rated their distress as being 7 of 10 or higher, which indicates a considerable psychological strain in terms of dealing with end-of-life issues in the future. Professional or personal experience with terminally ill persons lowered these anxieties significantly (4.99 ± 2.34 versus 5.47 ± 2.5, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Medical students stated a remarkably high interest in learning palliative care competencies. Responding to their specific concerns and needs-especially with regard to the acquisition of emotional coping skills-may be key for the development of successful palliative care curricula.

Improving breast cancer education: the case of an evolving multidisciplinary module for undergraduate medical students (lausanne medical school, 1993-2008).

Breast cancer is a public health issue in numerous countries. Multidisciplinary collaboration is required for patient care, research, and also education of future physicians. This paper uses Kern's framework for curriculum design to demonstrate how a breast diseases module for undergraduate medical students created in 1993 evolved over 15 years. The main outcomes of program refinements were better integrated course content, the development of electronic course documents, and implementation of computer-aided small group learning. A main future challenge is to further develop efficient instructional strategies in line with well-defined learning needs for undergraduate students.

Undergraduate palliative care teaching in Swiss medical faculties: a nationwide survey and improved learning objectives.

BACKGROUND: In 2007, a first survey on undergraduate palliative care teaching in Switzerland has revealed major heterogeneity of palliative care content, allocation of hours and distribution throughout the 6 year curriculum in Swiss medical faculties. This second survey in 2012/13 has been initiated as part of the current Swiss national strategy in palliative care (2010 - 2015) to serve as a longitudinal monitoring instrument and as a basis for redefinition of palliative care learning objectives and curriculum planning in our country. METHODS: As in 2007, a questionnaire was sent to the deans of all five medical faculties in Switzerland in 2012. It consisted of eight sections: basic background information, current content and hours in dedicated palliative care blocks, current palliative care content in other courses, topics related to palliative care presented in other courses, recent attempts at improving palliative care content, palliative care content in examinations, challenges, and overall summary. Content analysis was performed and the results matched with recommendations from the EAPC for undergraduate training in palliative medicine as well as with recommendations from overseas countries. RESULTS: There is a considerable increase in palliative care content, academic teaching staff and hours in all medical faculties compared to 2007. No Swiss medical faculty reaches the range of 40 h dedicated specifically to palliative care as recommended by the EAPC. Topics, teaching methods, distribution throughout different years and compulsory attendance still differ widely. Based on these results, the official Swiss Catalogue of Learning Objectives (SCLO) was complemented with 12 new learning objectives for palliative and end of life care (2013), and a national basic script for palliative care was published (2015). CONCLUSION: Performing periodic surveys of palliative care teaching at national medical faculties has proven to be a useful tool to adapt the national teaching framework and to improve the recognition of palliative medicine as an integral part of medical training.

The use of mini-projects in an undergraduate laboratory course in chemistry

This paper reports the results of a three-year study of the effectiveness of mini-projects in a first year laboratory course in chemistry at a Scottish university. A mini-project is a short, practical problem which requires for its solution the application of the knowledge and skills developed in previously completed set experiments. A number of recommendations have been made about the most appropriate ways of introducing mini-projects into undergraduate laboratory course. The main hypothesis of this survey was concerned with the value of mini-projects in laboratory courses formulated within the context of Information Processing Theory.

Designing an undergraduate laboratory course in general chemistry

From an analysis of a learning model based on the theory of information processing four hypothesis were developed for improving the design of laboratory courses. Three of these hypotheses concerned specific procedures to minimise the load on students' working memories (or working spaces) and the fourth hypothesis was concerned with the value of mini-projects in enhancing meaningful learning of the knowledge and skills underpinning the set experiments. A three-year study of a first year undergraduate chemistry laboratory course at a Scottish university has been carried out to test these four hypotheses. This paper reports the results of the study relevant to the three hypotheses about the burden on students' working spaces. It was predicted from the learning model that the load on students working space should be reduced by appropriate changes to the written instructions and the laboratory organisation and by the introduction of prelab-work and prelab-training in laboratory techniques. It was concluded from research conducted over the three years period that all these hypothesised changes were effective both in reducing the load on students' working spaces and in improving their attitudes to the laboratory course.

A brief introduction to molecular orbital theory of simple polyatomic molecules for undergraduate chemistry students

A simple, four-step method for better introducing undergraduate students to the fundamentals of molecular orbital (MO) theory of the polyatomic molecules H2O, NH3, BH3 and SiH4 using group theory is reported. These molecules serve to illustrate the concept of ligand group orbitals (LGOs) and subsequent construction of MO energy diagrams on the basis of molecular symmetry requirements.

Preparation and properties of perichromic dye: an undergraduate laboratory

An undergraduate experiment that illustrates the phenomenon of perichromism-the sensitivity of a dye to its microenvironment, as assessed by color changes of its solutions-is described. An easily prepared perichromic imine is synthesized and characterized, and its solvatochromism, thermochromism, halochromism, and preferential solvation in binary solvent mixtures are demonstrated by visual inspection of its solutions. The results are rationalized by invoking solute - solvent interactions in the various media.

Selective detection of fluoride based on a pyridinium n-phenolate-calix[4]pyrrole displacement assay: an undergraduate laboratory experiment

A two-step experiment is proposed for a third year class in experimental organic chemistry. Over a period of five weeks, the students synthesized calix[4]pyrrole, a receptor that is highly selective for fluoride, and a pyridinium N-phenolate dye. Subsequently, the students used the synthesized compounds to investigate a displacement assay on the basis of the competition in acetonitrile between fluoride and the dye for calix[4]pyrrole. The experiment increased the students' skills in organic synthesis and in the characterization of organic compounds, provided a very attractive and accessible illustration of important supramolecular phenomena, and allowed the study of a chromogenic chemosensor.

An undergraduate level experiment on the synthesis of Au nanoparticles and their size-dependent optical and catalytic properties

The synthesis of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) 15, 26, and 34 nm in diameter, followed by the investigation of their size-dependent optical and catalytic properties, is described herein as an undergraduate level experiment. The proposed experiment covers concepts on the synthesis, stabilization, and characterization of Au NPs, their size-dependent optical and catalytic properties at the nanoscale, chemical kinetics, and the role of a catalyst. The experiment should be performed by groups of two or three students in three lab sessions of 3 h each and organized as follows: i) synthesis of Au NPs of different sizes and investigation of their optical properties; ii) evaluation of their catalytic activity; and iii) data analysis and discussion. We believe that this activity enables students to integrate these multidisciplinary concepts in a single experiment as well as to become introduced/familiarized with an active research field and current literature in the areas of nanoparticle synthesis and catalysis.