Have OSCEs come of age in nursing education?

This article is intended to contribute to the current debate as to whether the objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) should become a standard assessment tool for undergraduate nursing education as they currently are for medicine. The authors describe how one UK university developed an OSCE for a nursing undergraduate programme with the aim of emphasising the need for nursing students to be competent in clinical skills and offering a means of standardising the assessment of these skills. There has been an increasing number of research studies carried out in this area at international level and this article's main contribution to the literature is the description of the Angoff standard-setting procedure that was used to calibrate the OSCE at this University and which makes it the first nursing OSCE in the UK to incorporate a scientific standard-setting procedure.

Does ageism still exist in nurse education?

Worldwide demographic changes mean that older people represent a significant group of patients for nurses everywhere. Ageism is increasingly recognised as an issue among healthcare professionals and evidence suggests that problems with quality of care remain. Nursing curricula have to address the needs of an ageing population in a variety of settings, reflect the importance of therapeutic care and explore nursing students’ attitudes, in order to provide them with the appropriate skills to meet the needs of older people. This article debates the main factors influencing gerontological content in nursing curricula and suggests that ageism is still evident in nurse education. A variety of strategies are identified to assist in developing appropriate curriculum content.

Blending Art and Science in Nurse Education: The Benefits and Impact of Creative Partnerships

Blending Art and Science in Nurse Education: The Benefits and Impact of Creative Partnerships

This paper presents the benefits of an innovative education partnership between lecturers from the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queens University Belfast and Arts Care, a unique Arts and Health Charity in Northern Ireland, to engage nursing students in life sciences

Nursing and Midwifery students often struggle to engage with life science modules because they lack confidence in their ability to study science.This project was funded by a Teaching Innovation Award from the School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queens University Belfast, to explore creative ways of engaging year one undergraduate nursing students in learning anatomy and physiology. The project was facilitated through collaboration between Teaching staff from the School of Nursing and Midwifery and Arts Care, Northern Ireland. This unique Arts and Health Charity believes in the benefits of creativity to well being.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE(S)
To explore creative ways of engaging year one undergraduate nursing students in learning anatomy and physiology.

METHODS AND METHODLOGY
Students participated in a series of workshops designed to explore the cells, tissues and organs of the human body through the medium of felt. Facilitated by an Arts Care artist, and following self-directed preparation, students discussed and translated their learning of the cells, tissues and organs of the human body into striking felt images. During the project students kept a reflective journal of their experience to document how participation in the project enhanced their learning and professional development

RESULTS
Creativity transformed and brought to life the students learning of the cells, tissues and organs of the human body.

The project culminated in the exhibition of a unique body of artwork which has been exhibited across Northern Ireland in hospitals and galleries and viewed by fellow students, teaching staff, nurses from practice, artists, friends, family and members of the public.

CONCLUSION
The impact of creativity learning strategies in nurse education should be further explored.

REFERENCES
Bennett, M and Rogers, K.MA. (2014) First impressions matter: an active, innovative and engaging method to recruit student volunteers for a pedagogic project. Reflections, Available online at: QUB, Centre for Educational Development / Publications / Reflections Newsletter, Issue 18, June 2014.

Chickering,A.W. and Gamson,Z.F. (1987) Seven principles for good practice in undergraduate education The American Association for Higher Education Bulletin, March. http://www.aahea.org/aahea/articles/sevenprinciples1987.htm, accessed 8th August 2014

Fell, P., Borland, G., Lynne, V. (2012) Lab versus lectures: can lab based practical sessions improve nursing students’ learning of bioscience? Health and Social Care Education 3:1, 33-38

Differences Between Irish and Australian Psychiatric Nurses' Family Focused Practice in Adult Mental Health Services

Psychiatric nurses’ practice with parents who have mental illness, their children and families is an important issue internationally. This study provides a comparison of Irish and Australian psychiatric nurses’ family focused practices in adult mental health services. Three hundred and forty three nurses across Ireland and 155 from Australia completed the Family Focused Mental Health Practice Questionnaire. Cross-country comparisons revealed significant differences, in terms of family focused skill, knowledge, confidence and practice. Australian psychiatric nurses engaged in higher family focused practice compared to Irish nurses. The comparative differences between countries may be attributable to differences in training, workplace support and policy.