Lois Magnussen

Applying the Principles of Significant Learning in the e-Learning Environment

E-learning technologies in education use adult learning theories that view the educator as a facilitator of learning and an assessor of outcomes. The change to this technology requires a shift in the focus of a course from the educator to the subject. The experience of one faculty member involved in an implementation of an online program is used to demonstrate the application of Finks principles of significant learning in the virtual environment. Fink urged faculty to create learning-centered courses, as opposed to content-centered courses. The taxonomy of six course components he proposed as necessary to significant learning are foundational knowledge, application, integration, human dimension, caring, and learning how to learn. Finks taxonomy of significant learning can be used as a framework to focus course planning and assessment of student outcomes as courses are adapted to a Web-based environment.

Informational needs and the experiences of women with abnormal Papanicolaou smears.

PURPOSE To describe the experience of women with abnormal Papanicolaou (Pap) smears with a particular focus on their informational needs. DATA SOURCE The small purposive sample consisted of 10 demographically diverse women with a history of at least one abnormal Pap smear, who attended one Womens Health outpatient clinic that typically serves a multiethnic, low-income population. Individual 30- to 60-min tape-recorded interviews were conducted, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed according to Colaizzis eidetic method of phenomenological analysis. A manual categorizing strategy and a computer software (Qualrus, version 2.0) strategy were used for data management and coding. CONCLUSIONS Six major themes emerged from the data: initial response to the diagnosis; dealing with stigma; seeking information and support; enduring diagnostic and treatment procedures; formulating a concept of disease; and normalizing. The essential structure of the experience of having an abnormal Pap smear in terms of informational needs involved initial anxiety at disclosure, followed by an urgent need for information. Stigma associated with a sexually transmitted disease (STD) and a dearth of information available for male partners were problematic and influenced decisions about disclosure of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection to current or future partners. Misinformation or misunderstanding of available information was common. Information obtained from the Internet was experienced as private and allowed adequate time, but Web sites that grouped HPV with general STD information were confusing and further stigmatizing. Information obtained from healthcare providers was experienced as supportive if facts were accompanied by reassurance and familiar analogies were used. Information from providers was experienced as nonsupportive if too much medical jargon was used, if not enough time was spent to explain the information, if facts were not accompanied by interpersonal concern, or if a patient-provider relationship was not established. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE Patient education regarding abnormal Pap smears and HPV should address the concerns of those affected and should use message framing that informs but decreases stigmatization. Women should be offered the option of individualized informative and supportive counseling resources after initial disclosure of an abnormal Pap smear to adequately address concerns such as information for partners, the nature of HPV, an appropriate concept of cancer risk, and reassurance regarding potential effects on sexuality and fertility. Public information forums should address issues specific to high-risk HPV rather than generalization as an STD.

The Lived Experience of Battered Women

In this phenomenological study, battered women from a multiethnic population in Hawaii provided descriptions of their lived experiences. Colaizzis method was used to identify three major theme clusters that emerged from the data, reflecting how the women organized their stories: (a) painting the whole picture, (b) describing the violence, and (c) living with the consequences. Each major theme was further broken down into subthemes that described how it felt to live in an abusive situation. In reviewing the impact of culture, there were more similarities than differences among cultures.

Creating innovative models of clinical nursing education.

Although nursing care has changed significantly over the past 30 years, methods to clinically train nursing students have not. The traditional model of clinical nursing education, where a faculty member oversees a group of six to eight students on an acute care unit for a 4- to 8-hour shift, provides a haphazard approach to learning. A need exists to find innovative ways to effectively train more nursing students to better prepare them for todays health care environment. Using a change framework, seven approaches to clinical nursing education were created through academic-practice partnerships. These approaches may increase the effectiveness and efficiency of the clinical nursing education system.

Listening to Filipina Women: Perceptions, Responses and Needs Regarding Intimate Partner Violence

Interpersonal violence (IPV) is a complex issue effecting women worldwide. Reported rates of IPV vary widely from one cultural group to another (Magnussen et al., ; Tjaden & Thoennes, ). This paper presents a community based participatory research (CBPR) study of the perceptions, responses, and needs of Filipina women regarding IPV. Data was collected by using interviews and focus groups. The women believed that it was their responsibility to keep the family intact regardless of IPV and did not realize that IPV has a significant negative impact on the mental health and well-being of both women and their children. Immigrant Filipino women may be particularly at risk of IPV.

Legislative advocacy skills for baccalaureate nursing students.

One of the most effective ways for nurses to demonstrate professionalism is to be involved in public policy, advocating for issues of public interest that contribute to healthcare improvements. Faculty designed a program to provide nursing students an opportunity to develop legislative advocacy skills by serving as legislative interns. The authors describe the process by which the project was implemented.

Ensuring quality nursing education in community-based settings.

With the shift to more nursing practice occurring in community settings, nurse educators are seeking ways to guarantee a quality education in community settings. The authors describe one nursing students activities at a community health center, reflecting the movement toward a community-based curriculum at the University of Hawaii School of Nursing.

Developing a Statewide Nursing Consortium, Island Style

This article describes the transformational changes in the scope and pedagogy of nursing education within a state university system through the development of the Hawaii Statewide Nursing Consortium (HSNC) curriculum. Modeled after the Oregon Consortium for Nursing Education, the HSNC used a community-based participatory approach to develop the curriculum to support all students within the state who are eligible to earn a baccalaureate degree. The curriculum was designed as a long-term solution to the anticipated shortage of nurses to care for Hawaiis diverse population. It is also an effort to increase capacity in schools of nursing by making the best use of resources in the delivery of a baccalaureate curriculum that offers exit opportunities after the completion of an associate degree. Finally, it provides new ways of educating students who will be better prepared to meet Hawaiis health needs.

When does abuse become abuse

Reported rates of intimate partner violence (IPV) have a wide range of variation from one cultural group to another (Magnussen et al., 2004). There is little data available regarding the incidence and prevalence of IPV in women who are of a variety of cultural or other hard to reach populations (Samuel, 2003; Senturia, et al., 2000). Differences between cultural perspectives related to IPV may lead to barriers that prevent women from receiving effective care. Campbell and Campbell (1996) suggest that clinical interventions for abused women should be based on principles, which include cultural competence and empowerment. Women of various cultural groups perceive their experiences differently and may not identify their experience as abuse. So, when does abuse become abuse? In Hawaii, between 2000 and 2008, there were 45 murders of women related to IPV (Hawaii Coalition Against Domestic Violence; HCADV, 2008), nine within the first nine months of 2008 (Hawaii Public Radio, 2008). Greater than 70% were Filipino or Native Hawaiian. In a 2003 retrospective review of records in four primary care settings (Magnussen et al., 2004), 32.3% of the total reports of IPV were among Native Hawaiian women, while Native Hawaiians represent only 20% of the population. Pacific Islanders represent 4.5% of the total population, but comprised 16.1% of reported IPV. Filipinos make up 14% of the total population, and 16% of reported IPV. Although these data are based on a small sample (pilot data), they provide an indication of the scope of this problem in these cultural groups.

A Statewide Consortium's Adoption of a Unified Nursing Curriculum: Evaluation of the First Two Years

AIM This article provides an evaluation of the first two years of implementation of a statewide nursing consortium (SNC) curriculum on nursing faculty work life, teaching productivity, and quality of education. BACKGROUND In response to the call for nursing education reform, the SNC incorporated new approaches to competency‐based, student‐centered learning and clinical education. METHOD Faculty and two cohorts of students were measured at three points over the first two years of the curriculum implementation. RESULTS The expected positive impact of the SNC was documented at the start of the first year, but not sustained. Students reported having more confidence in their clinical skills at the start of the first year, yet demonstrated significantly less confidence in their ability after two years. CONCLUSION Faculty indicated that the SNC allowed greater opportunity for collaboration, but that the experience did not alter their classroom performance or satisfaction beyond the first year.