Linda Koharchik

Evaluating Nursing Students' Clinical Performance.

This article is one in a series on the roles of adjunct clinical faculty and preceptors, who teach nursing students to apply knowledge in clinical settings. This article describes aspects of the student evaluation process, which should involve regular feedback and clearly stated performance expectations.

Using the Health Belief Model to Develop Educational Strategies to Improve Pertussis Vaccination Rates Among Preschool Staff

The number of pertussis or “whooping cough” cases has steadily increased in the United States in the last 20 years. Many of the cases are adults who have not kept up with current vaccination recommendations. Adults are unknowingly exposing susceptible infants and unvaccinated children to this potentially deadly disease. Pertussis can spread rapidly, especially in household, daycare, and school settings. This pilot study examines how school nurses can be instrumental in improving staff immunization rates for pertussis by using the Health Belief Model as a framework for educational strategies.

Fostering Clinical Reasoning in Nursing Students

This article is one in a series on the roles of adjunct clinical faculty and preceptors, who teach nursing students to apply knowledge in clinical settings. This article describes why its important that nursing students develop clinical reasoning skills and how clinical nursing instructors can help them learn these skills.

Delineating the role of the part-time clinical nurse instructor.

This article is the first in a new quarterly series on the roles of adjunct clinical faculty and preceptors, who teach nursing students to apply knowledge in clinical settings. Topics will include the preparation of clinical instructors and preceptors for these roles, the student evaluation process, and overcoming challenges that can come with teaching in the clinical field and with adjunct teaching.

Starting a Job as Adjunct Clinical Instructor

This article is the second in a new quarterly series on the roles of adjunct clinical faculty and preceptors, who teach nursing students to apply knowledge in clinical settings. Topics will include the preparation of clinical instructors and preceptors for these roles, the student evaluation process, and overcoming challenges that can come with teaching in the clinical field and with adjunct teaching.

Influenza immunisation status among nursing students

This four-phase evidence-based practice initiative was designed to determine preliminary contextual characteristics of collegian nursing students in receiving, or their lack of receiving, the flu vaccine. Subsequently, strategies were developed to improve and maintain the students’ participation in flu vaccines. This study relates to the welfare of student nurses and patients in their care. Students perform patient care in hospitals, clinics, and other settings where patients in compromised health are especially vulnerable to influenza. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the 2009 H1N1 pandemic resulted in more than 12,000 influenza-related deaths in the US. The Joint Commission requires hospitals and long-term care facilities to provide on-site access to influenza immunisation to staff and licensed independent practitioners; however, no provisions for student nurses are specified. Employer-mandated influenza immunisation as a term for employment was associated with a significant increase in healthcare employees receiving the flu vaccine, but, in the main, students are currently not mandated to receive the flu vaccine. A one-day reduction of influenza-like illness for every two college and university students vaccinated has been reported. Therefore, improving influenza immunisation rates may have academic and performance benefits for nursing students.

Evidence-based initiative to improve influenza immunisation participation among undergraduate nursing students

This evidence-based practice study presents the outcome of specific intervention strategies that have been implemented to improve the immunisation status among undergraduate nursing students in a local university. These interventions included education about the importance of the influenza vaccine, email reminders about convenient times and influenza clinic locations, raffles, and an appeal to the moral responsibility that healthcare personnel have to their patients to increase immunisation. Despite these strategies, the overall percentage of nursing students receiving the influenza immunisation only slightly improved: from 43.1% (influenza season 2010–2011) to 46.3% (influenza season 2011–2012). Similar outcomes have been found with employers who have sought to improve employee influenza immunisation rates without mandating immunisation. Given the clinical settings where students are engaged, schools of nursing, regulatory agencies, and clinical sites should not overlook the impact of students on patients regarding influenza. In order to promote patient welfare, while employer-mandated influenza immunisation as a condition for employment becomes more prevalent, perhaps a similar approach may be required to promote influenza immunisation among nursing students.

Teaching Students to Administer Medications Safely

This article is one in a series on the roles of adjunct clinical faculty and preceptors, who teach nursing students and new graduates to apply knowledge in clinical settings. In this article, the authors discuss important methods in teaching nursing students to administer medications, and include best practices and strategies for student success, with a focus on safety.