Roslyn Weaver

Hate the course or hate to go: Semester differences in first year nursing attrition

Most of the attrition from nursing courses occurs in the first year of study. Devising university strategies to reduce attrition requires an understanding of why students leave. The aim of this study was to explore whether students who leave a nursing course in the first semester leave for the same or different reasons than students who leave in the second semester of study. Seventeen students who had left the course were interviewed by telephone: seven in the first semester and ten in the second. In the first semester, students who leave consider themselves unprepared for university, have competing roles outside university and develop a strong dislike of the nursing course. They decide quickly that the course is unsuitable and leave. Those who leave in second semester would prefer to stay but events in their life create a crisis where they can no longer cope with university studies. These students hope to return to nursing whereas students who leave in the first semester are unlikely to consider returning. Attempts to retain students in the first semester may be futile as these students may be unsuited or uncommitted whereas there is greater scope to retain those who leave in the second semester.

‘Part of the team’: professional identity and social exclusivity in medical students

Medical Education 2011: 45: 1220–1229

Trial and retribution: a qualitative study of whistleblowing and workplace relationships in nursing

Abstract This paper reports a study aiming to present and describe the effects of whistleblowing episodes on nurses’ workplace relationships. Eighteen participants with direct experience of whistleblowing were recruited into the study, which was informed by a qualitative narrative inquiry design. Findings were clustered into four main themes, namely: Leaving and returning to work—The staff don’t like you; Spoiled collegial relationships—Barriers between me and my colleagues; Bullying and excluding—They’ve just closed ranks; and, Damaged inter-professional relationships’I did lose trust in doctors after that. Findings suggest a need to facilitate a climate in which it is safe for nurses (and others) to raise concerns about patient care or organisational wrongdoing, and to eliminate the existing belief that whistleblowing is a negative act fuelled by revenge or sedition.

Embedded academic writing support for nursing students with English as a second language

AIM This paper reports a study which evaluated a brief, embedded academic support workshop as a strategy for improving academic writing skills in first-year nursing students with low-to-medium English language proficiency. BACKGROUND Nursing students who speak English as a second language have lower academic success compared with their native English-speaking counterparts. The development of academic writing skills is known to be most effective when embedded into discipline-specific curricula. METHODS Using a randomized controlled design, in 2008 106 students pre-enrolled in an introductory bioscience subject were randomized to receive either the intervention, a 4-day embedded academic learning support workshop facilitated by two bioscience (content) nursing academics and a writing and editing professional, or to act as the control group. The primary focus of the workshop was to support students to work through a mock assignment by providing progressive feedback and written suggestions on how to improve their answers. RESULTS Of the 59 students randomized to the intervention, only 28 attended the workshop. Bioscience assignment results were analysed for those who attended (attendees), those randomized to the intervention but who did not attend (non-attendees), and the control group. Using anova, the results indicated that attendees achieved statistically significantly higher mean scores (70.8, sd: 6.1) compared to both control group (58.4, sd: 3.4, P = 0.002) and non-attendees (48.5, sd: 5.5, P = 0.001). CONCLUSION A brief, intensive, embedded academic support workshop was effective in improving the academic writing ability of nursing students with low-to-medium English language proficiency, although reaching all students who are likely to benefit from this intervention remains a challenge.

Predictive validity of the Macleod Clark Professional Identity Scale for undergraduate nursing students

BACKGROUND The self-identification of nursing students with the profession has been linked with a successful transition, from being a student to being a professional nurse. Although there is no empirical evidence, there are suggestions that students with high professional identity are more likely to persist and complete their studies in their chosen profession. OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of a professional identity scale and to determine the relationship between professional identity and student retention in a large group of first year nursing students. DESIGN AND METHODS A survey design was used to examine the professional identity of first year nursing students, as measured by the Macleod Clark Professional Identity Scale (MCPIS-9). Baseline data obtained from the initial surveys were then compared with student drop-out rates 12 months later. RESULTS Exploratory factor analysis of the MCPIS-9 yielded a one-component solution, accounting for 43.3% of the variance. All 9 items loaded highly on one component, ranging from 0.50 to 0.79. Cronbachs alpha coefficient of the MCPIS-9 was 0.83 and corrected item-total correlation values all scored well above the 0.3 cut-off. Students who: were females, had previous nursing-related vocational training, reported nursing as their first choice, or engaged in nursing-related paid work, had statistically significant higher professional identity scores. Using logistic regression analysis, students with high professional identity scores at baseline were more likely to be still enrolled in the nursing program at 12 months, controlling for gender, language spoken at home and engagement in nursing-related employment. These results support the psychometric properties of the MCPIS-9. CONCLUSIONS Professional identity has a direct relationship with student retention in the nursing program. It is important to adequately measure professional identity in nursing students for the purpose of monitoring and identifying students who are at risk of leaving nursing programs.

Men in nursing on television: exposing and reinforcing stereotypes

AIMS To describe the results of a study of images of men in nursing on television. BACKGROUND Previous research has highlighted stereotypical images around nursing, such as the battle-axe, naughty nurse and handmaiden. More recent research focuses on images of nurses who are men, because of the growing numbers of men in the nursing workforce. Given that negative images can harm recruitment and retention in the profession, it is important to interrogate how men in nursing are portrayed in popular culture. Representations on television are particularly critical to explore because of the mediums wide audience. DESIGN Qualitative study. METHODS Five American medical television programmes appearing between 2007 and 2010 were analysed for their construction of men in nursing: Greys Anatomy, Hawthorne, Mercy, Nurse Jackie and Private Practice. FINDINGS Men in nursing on television were portrayed in ways that engaged with explicit and implicit stereotypes. The men were often subject to questions about their choice of career, masculinity and sexuality and their role usually reduced to that of prop, minority spokesperson or source of comedy. Thus, rather contradictorily, although the programmes often sought to expose common stereotypes about men in nursing, they nonetheless often reinforced stereotypes in more implicit ways. CONCLUSION This research has implications for better understanding not only the status of nursing in our society but also for nursing practice and education and attracting more men to the profession.

Evaluating an academic writing program for nursing students who have English as a second language

Abstract Academic writing skills are essential to the successful completion of preregistration nursing programs, yet the development of such skills is a challenge for many nursing students, particularly those who speak English as a second language (ESL). It is vital to develop and evaluate strategies that can support academic writing skills for ESL nursing students. This qualitative study evaluated a four-day academic writing intervention strategy designed to support ESL first-year nursing students. Data from the program showed two major areas of difficulty for participants relating to academic writing: problems understanding course content in English, and problems expressing their understanding of that content in English. The participants noted a key benefit of this program was the provision of individual feedback. Programs such as this intervention successfully meet the demands of ESL nursing students, although ongoing support is also needed.

The CSI effect at university : forensic science students' television viewing and perceptions of ethical issues

Although the so-called ‘CSI effect’ has received attention in the literature for the influence of forensic science television on jurors’ expectations of evidence admitted into trials, less research explores the influence of such television programs on university students enrolled in forensic science degrees. This paper describes the quantitative and qualitative results of a study of forensic science students regarding the forensic-related television programs they watch, such as CSI, Bones and Dexter. We asked students to share their impressions of the accuracy, ethics, professionalism and role models in the programs. The results show that forensic science students are almost universally disparaging about the realism of these programs and have mixed impressions of how the programs portray forensic science professionalism and ethics. Most students believed that the programs gave an unrealistic representation of the profession to the public; yet students were also able to identify positive elements for recruitment and education purposes.

Psychometric testing of the English Language Acculturation Scale in first‐year nursing students

AIM This article is a report of the psychometric testing of the five-item English Language Acculturation Scale, an indicator of English language usage as reported by first-year undergraduate nursing students. BACKGROUND Nursing students who have English as an additional language can struggle clinically and academically due to low levels of English language proficiency. A self-report screening tool may provide early identification of nursing students at risk of underperformance. DESIGN Prospective correlational survey design. METHODS The study used a prospective, correlational survey design. In 2010 and 2011, 1400 commencing nursing students were surveyed about their English language usage using the English Language Acculturation Scale. In addition to descriptive statistics, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and Cronbachs alpha reliabilities, the relationship between English Language Acculturation Scale score and Grade Point Average at the end of first year was computed. RESULTS Results show good reliability and construct validity of the English Language Acculturation Scale. Principal component analysis yielded only one component in which all five items loaded highly. This was further supported by confirmatory factor analysis, with standardized factor loadings ranging from 0·79 to 0·90. The results also showed strong association between English language use and academic performance; students in the high English Language Acculturation Scale score group were most likely to be in the high Grade Point Average group at the end of first year. CONCLUSION Language screening tools can be an important strategy to identify nursing students at risk of underperforming in their studies. The English Language Acculturation Scale has the potential to be a useful brief self-report measure for commencing nursing students.

Social support for mothers in illness: A multifaceted phenomenon

Abstract Background: Many women privilege the mothering role over other areas of their lives, and for ill women, it can be difficult to relinquish maternal responsibility. Not being able to mother in their usual way can have consequences for women’s wellbeing and view of themselves as ‘good’ mothers. Method: In this study, 77 mothers of dependent children were interviewed about their experiences of illness, and the social support they received. Results: Despite their illnesses, participants in this study continued to feel they were primarily responsible for the wellbeing and care of their children, and were distressed if they were unable to adequately fulfil the primary carer role. As participants sometimes found it difficult to care for their children, help with childcare emerged as an important element of social support. Seeking assistance with care for children revealed a tension between support that was accessible and support that was acceptable. Conclusion: Mothering while ill is difficult and women facing illness may need encouragement to accept help to continue to meet their maternal responsibilities. Nurses are in an excellent position to encourage women to identify and draw upon sources of support to assist them in maintaining their mothering role while ill.