Jan Emory

Standardized mastery content assessments for predicting NCLEX-RN outcomes.

Nurse educators need predictors of failure for early intervention. This study investigated the predictability of fundamentals, mental health, and pharmacology standardized assessment scores to identify the risk of baccalaureate students’ failure on the NCLEX-RN. Using logistic regression the pharmacology assessment score was predictive with 73.7% accuracy. Use of the pharmacology assessment can assist in early identification of at-risk students in efforts to better prepare for the NCLEX-RN examination.

Understanding backward design to strengthen curricular models.

Nurse educators have responded to the call for transformation in education. Challenges remain in planning curricular implementation to facilitate understanding of essential content for student success on licensure examinations and in professional practice. The conceptual framework Backward Design (BD) can support and guide curriculum decisions. Using BD principles in conjunction with educational models can strengthen and improve curricula. This article defines and describes the BD process, and identifies reported benefits for nursing education.

Academic nursing administrators' workplace satisfaction and intent to stay

BACKGROUNDnIn nursing education, the academic administrator is critical given the multitude of challenges associated with program delivery (e.g., shortages of faculty, strict and changing regulations for program accreditation, and the sheer demand for more nurses). Unfortunately, with the focus on recruiting and retaining new novice faculty to teach students, academic nursing administrators have been overlooked in recent studies.nnnPURPOSEnAs such, this study aims to explore the workplace satisfaction and intent to stay of academic nursing administrators by considering their relation to a variety of demographic and work related variables.nnnMETHODSnA secondary data source was used from the Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE). One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) with post hoc Fishers Least Significant Difference tests and t-tests were used in the analysis.nnnDISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONnResults indicate that several modifiable work factors positively relate to both job satisfaction and intent to stay.

Student Bedtimes, Academic Performance, and Health in a Residential High School

Inadequate sleep among adolescents is considered an epidemic in the United States. Late night bedtimes could be an important factor in academic performance and health with consequences continuing throughout adulthood. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationships between late night bedtimes, academic performance (grade point average [GPA]), and utilization of health care (school nurse visits) in a residential high school. The data were collected from archival records for one academic semester. The statistical analysis employed the nonparametric Pearson’s correlation coefficient (r) with the standard level of significance (α = .05). Positive and inverse linear relationships were found between bedtime and school nurse visits (p < .00001) and bedtime and GPA (p = .007). The findings suggest students’ late night bedtimes may be related to increased school nurse visits and lower academic performance. Adolescent late night bedtimes may be an important consideration for academic success and maintaining health in residential high schools.

College nursing faculty job satisfaction and retention: A national perspective

The need for registered nurses in the United States continues to grow. To meet this need for increased numbers of nurses, recruitment and retention of qualified nurse educators has become a priority. In addition, the factors associated with nursing faculties intent to stay have emerged as important considerations for administrators. The concepts of job satisfaction and intent to stay become vital to recruiting and retaining nursing faculty. In the past decade few empirical studies have been conducted on a national scale to address job satisfaction and intent to stay in academia. The purpose of this retrospective study is to analyze variables of relationships with nurse faculty job satisfaction and intent to stay from data collected throughout the United States. The Collaborative on Academic Careers in Higher Education (COACHE) survey was employed for the purposes of this study. Over 1350 nurse educators were included in the survey. The findings support a variety of modifiable variables that are viewed as important by nursing faculty. The strongest relationship was found to be institutional leadership. The implications can inform academic administrators seeking to retain nursing faculty.

Changing students’ perceptions of the homeless: A community service learning experience

The homeless are an underserved, local vulnerable population that can benefit from a service learning clinical practicum experience for baccalaureate prepared nursing students. Negative attitudes and disrespect among healthcare workers has been identified by the homeless as a barrier to healthcare. A service learning experience with a vulnerable population has been shown to change nursing students attitudes and beliefs. A large university in a southern city partnered with a community based organization that provided services to the homeless to educate senior nursing students in a service learning experience. The goal of this project was to examine attitudes and perceptions of nursing students toward the homeless population before and after participation in a service learning clinical practicum experience. This case study utilized a pre and post experience questionnaire to collect qualitative data for the purposes of the project. The findings revealed students demonstrated a decrease in fear, an increase in empathy, and a deeper understanding of the advocacy role of nurses for people experiencing homelessness. Nurse educators are challenged to engage students with vulnerable populations to change the attitudes and perceptions for improvement in the overall health of communities served worldwide. Partnerships and service learning experiences can benefit all.

Advocacy Through Education

Nurses are one of the largest groups of policy stakeholders in the health-care workforce, yet their influence on policy is not necessarily commensurate with their numbers. Since 2011, grassroots action coalitions have emerged to advance the profession’s impact on health-care policy. In one state, a partnership among professional nursing organizations, policy stakeholders, and academics resulted in educational presentations focused on political advocacy knowledge and skills. The goal of this project was to bring awareness to nurses and nursing students about their potential contributions to the political and advocacy processes that shape health policy. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of focused educational presentations in correcting misconceptions, increasing awareness, and providing clarification of the roles of advanced practice registered nurses, and identifying related policy implications. This quasi-experiment used a retrospective pre–post intervention self-evaluation tool administered immediately following an educational presentation. The sample (Nu2009=u2009137) consisted of baccalaureate nursing students and licensed nurses. The results showed (pu2009<u2009.001) that education could have a significant improvement in political advocacy participation.

Communication apprehension and willingness to listen in nursing education

• Communication apprehension and willingness to listen can affect safe effective patient care.