Advancing nursing in Italy through the development and evaluation of an innovative postgraduate programme in Family and Community Nursing - A pilot study

Introduction Due to the impact on the public health systems of the ageing and the increasing frailty of the population, the European Union and the World Health Organisation have emphasised how family and community nurses (FCNs) could play an important in supporting the ageing process through prevention, promotion, and protection in the territory. Methods This study describes the first experience in Italy of a one-year postgraduate course divided into 5 modules for FCNs piloted as part of the EuropeaN curriculum for fAmily aNd Community nursE (ENhANCE) 2018-2020 project, funded by the European Commission. Participants included a total of 45 students and 23 lecturers and a team of clinical tutors. Results The Italian pilot course for the FCNs proved to be a successful example of innovative teaching methods using blended didactic methods, which enabled participants to achieve high-standard learning outcomes and competencies in the field of family and community nursing. Conclusions The pilot course described in this paper is well suited to preparing highly skilled family and community nurses to meet the growing healthcare needs of the population. Therefore, we have planned to replicate this course to increase the workforce of family and community nurses, who through their healthcare services aimed at prevention, promotion and protection, will be able to ensure high quality services to the public and consequently relieve the burden on acute hospitals

Experiences of Teachers of the Deaf Using Project-Based Learning to Build Higher Order Thinking Skills

Project-based learning (PBL) is an instructional strategy used to develop higher order thinking skills (HOTS) with a range of student populations. Although all students need to build HOTS for success in the 21st century, PBL studies with deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students were nearly absent; therefore, it was unknown how PBL could be used to develop HOTS with this population. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the lived experiences of teachers of the deaf using PBL to build HOTS with DHH students in the dimensions of pedagogy, product, and process. A self-designed conceptual framework called project-based learning and innovation for teachers and students (PB-LIFTS) was used to discover HOTS in PBL units. The central research question explored the lived experiences of teachers of the deaf designing and implementing PBL to build HOTS with DHH students. A sample of 4 licensed high school teachers of the deaf with a high level of comfort using PBL and at least 5 years of experience participated in this study. Data came from multiple interviews, learning objectives, and e-mailed journal responses. Following procedures for interpretative phenomenological analysis, emergent themes were applied in PB-LIFTS to reveal levels of HOTS that were shared with the teachers to gain their perspectives. Results showed that the teachers used social constructive pedagogy to build HOTS using PBL with academically diverse deaf high school students. This study may promote social change in deaf education by encouraging the adoption of PBL strategies to develop HOTS needed for success beyond high school. In addition, this study may support future research related to assessing HOTS in PBL using PB-LIFTS which could be flexibly adapted and applied in units across disciplines

Digital assessment in the clinical workplace : Design, implementation, opportunities, challenges

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