Developing communities of practice

The research journey is often long and not without its highs and lows. As discussed in the previous chapter, it is an apprenticeship the research student undertakes to assist in the transition from research novice to research expert. For anyone undertaking a long journey it is advisable to pack an appropriately stocked toolbox. For the research student, tools with the potential to assist with research skills development, and that aid in developing resilience and professional and personal development, are advantageous. One such tool is a Community of Practice: a group of like-minded people who come together to share and develop ideas and knowledge in the hope they may arrive at solutions to their problems or dilemmas. Communities of practice are also entities that allow for skills development through interactive relationships with peers and other experts. This chapter offers the research student information explaining the concept of a community of practice and the important gains they offer for participants. The chapter aims to encourage research students to consider either participating in an existing community of practice or convening their own. Not only the ‘why’ but also the ‘how’ of this is explained in the chapter

Clinical facilitators’ experiences of a co-designed professional development activity

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Professional development of Australian clinical teachers: Exploration, innovation and theory development

Clinical teachers work between clinical and academic settings and therefore it is difficult to know, without examining unique contexts, exactly what skills are required for them to excel in the role. A critical social theory paradigm informed the design of this multi-phase thesis involving separate qualitative, quantitative, and action-based studies. The following phases were completed: 1. An integrated review of the literature on clinical teaching, followed by an initial exploratory study, using Interpretive Description to understand the experiences of clinical teachers working in diverse Australian environments. 2. A quantitative cross-sectional survey study that examined the capabilities of Australian clinical teachers in order to highlight collective strengths and weaknesses. 3. A participatory action research study, involving a team of clinical teachers, to collaboratively develop a new approach to professional development that would strengthen capabilities 4. A concept analysis of borders – a construct that uniquely affects clinical teachers who occupy the two worlds of clinical practice and tertiary education, contributes new knowledge. The qualitative exploration found that clinical teachers experience many role challenges and some rewards; and revealed ways clinical teachers could prepare to excel in the role. The national survey revealed that Australian clinical teachers have strong capabilities in some clinical teaching domains such as building teaching relationships; however, they lacked capability in leadership and research skills. The action research study led to the collaborative design of meaningful professional development, and some organisational changes intended to enhance clinical teacher professional identity. The changes included the widespread dissemination, and use of, a printed charter explaining the clinical teacher role, and a series of podcasts that illuminated insights about the role for new and emerging clinical teachers. The idea for a concept analysis emerged during the action research study and contributed new theoretical concepts and a unique model. Clinical teachers who understand that learning how to negotiate the borders of the nursing clinical and academic worlds may be a keyway for them to flourish and develop a robust professional identity

Clinical teaching and assessment in nursing

This chapter discusses the challenges and suggested theories for developing the role and emerging clinical teaching practices and a number of innovations to support professional development. It provides an overview of the strengths and challenges of this subspecialty of nursing education. Clinical teaching is concerned with facilitating integration between theory and practice so that students develop, and nurses maintain, fitness for practice. In high-acuity settings, where nursing students commonly learn nursing, patient status changes rapidly, requiring students to step back from providing care. Across the world, most universities have attempted to attract a diverse student body so that principles of equity include students from marginalised backgrounds, and so that the university itself can be profitable. Diversity in nursing student cohorts is affected by the increasing global trend to study abroad. International study enhances student understanding of global health and students benefit through increased cultural awareness, and personal and professional growth

Australian clinical facilitator professional development needs: A cross-sectional study

Background: Registered Nurses are recruited from clinical positions to work as clinical facilitators, supervising nursing students' clinical learning. Few studies have reported on the capabilities of the group, nor offered clinical facilitators validated tools to support their professional development. Objective: To test the validated Capabilities of Nurse Educator (CONE) questionnaire with expert clinical facilitators. To use the modified CONE to investigate the Australian clinical facilitator capability for the role. Design: Cross-sectional survey design. Participants: A purposive sample of 235 Australian clinical facilitators. Method: Face validity testing was completed with five members of the target group. The modified CONE was emailed to the 235 Australian nurses with a link for the CONE to complete online. Appropriate statistical analysis was applied to the aggregate data. Results: All 93 items and six subscales remained in the modified CONE following minor rewording, of some items. Eight-one (n = 81) participants responded. Clinical facilitators are committed to supporting students to learn, and to their own life-long learning, however the survey results identified gaps in leadership and research capabilities. Conclusion: The modified CONE is suitable for use with clinical facilitators as both a self-assessment tool and for understanding group professional development needs. The results of this study will be beneficial in the design of future professional development for clinicians working with students in clinical settings. © 2020 Elsevier Lt

An educator's anthology of virtual simulation applications for nursing curricula: A mapping review

Virtual (screen-based) simulations have been utilized to help progress pre-licensure nursing students’ remote clinical learning during the recent pandemic. This mapping review, reports an anthology of virtual simulation technology sources from simulation education web sites and library sources. Two authors verified available sources and categorized these based on cost; either open access, or subscription-based. A list of 40 virtual simulation sources including virtual simulations, virtual reality simulations and virtual games, is presented. These provide faculty with a choice of virtual simulation modalities for various levels of nurse learners. Numerous virtual simulation technology applications are available for educators to utilize in teaching nursing students. Results from this review meet a need for educators to access virtual simulation applications to include in their education curricula

Transformative learning: Global approaches to nurse education

All across the world nurses work in complex healthcare systems, based not only on medical treatment and cure, but also on enabling individuals and communities to adapt to their health issues and engage in more effective self and community care. Students of nursing about to practice in these complex environments need to have a strong nursing identity: one that differentiates itself from other health disciplines, so that they can work skillfully, strategically, and collaboratively with patients and colleagues, and also so that they can rethink problems affecting their nursing work with vision and creativity. There are many modes of teaching and learning that can prepare students for the world of nursing, including narrative pedagogy, feminist pedagogy, and structural competence. An overarching term for these pedagogies is transformative learning (TL). TL is defined as learning experiences in which students’ assumptions, biases, or lack of knowledge, which impede productive clinician–patient relationships, are revealed and where new ways of thinking and relating, that are more liberal, respectful, and empowering, are developed – or transformed (McAllister, 2012a). There is wide variation in approaches, but the common features in this learning are that it engages students in reflection on current and taken-for-granted practices, and discussion of alternatives to become a catalyst for change. The aim of this chapter is to argue the need for TL approaches, outline global health inequities about which nurses could be playing a more active role, explain approaches to transformational teaching and learning, and show examples of TL in action

Enrolled nurses’ experiences learning the nurse preceptor role: A qualitative evaluation

Background: Preceptors are crucial to the provision of effective clinical learning experiences for nursing students however many are insufficiently trained and lack support in the role. Within Australia, preceptors may work with students preparing to become Registered Nurses or Enrolled Nurses. An intervention was designed specifically to engage Enrolled Nurse preceptors because they are particularly overlooked. Methodology: A qualitative evaluation of the educational experience was undertaken using semi-structured group interviews. Findings: Four themes were identified: (a) feelings of disempowerment hinder a desire to do the job, (b) open to embracing opportunities to learn about clinical teaching, (c) barriers to engagement and (d) preceptoring across nursing divisions. Conclusion: The study identified that the learning experience was valuable. In particular participants enjoyed the challenge of engaging with digital stories where other experienced educators shared the way they responded to learning problems and developed solutions, and the facilitated discussions. Recommendations to further improve the online resource included development of stories that are relevant to the unique challenges Enrolled Nurse preceptors face

Professional development in clinical teaching: An action research study

Objective: Clinical supervisors, who support and assess health students' clinical learning, encounter many challenges. Professional development opportunities for clinical supervisors to overcome the challenges are available but are often designed to meet organisational and tertiary provider administrative needs, rather than the needs of intended target groups. Design: A qualitative action research study was designed to include a group of Australian nursing clinical supervisors in the design and implementation of meaningful professional development activities. Participants: Ten clinical supervisors, from one organisation, participated in three meetings to explore shared challenges and create solutions to resolve these challenges. Results: Over a seven-month period in 2018–2019 data revealed clinical supervisors in this study experienced a variety of tensions. Participants prioritised three opposing tensions that were of shared concern; Doing and Thinking; Educator and Clinician and Negotiating and Challenging. Being able to visualise and articulate these tensions helps to empathise with the role complexity that clinical supervisors experience, and this led to the production of solutions which validate and advocate for the role and the values. Conclusion: The group created innovative solutions such as podcasts, posters, banners and flyers to assist them to harmonise the tensions and work more effectively in their role. © 2019 Elsevier Lt

Narrative research applied in nursing

A study of nursing practice drew on nurses’ stories about routine and extraordinary experiences that occur for nurses and which are often shared between nurses, as a kind of folkloric and insider communication tradition. The aim of the study was to produce a range of stories to understand more deeply the experiences that are found remarkable or memorable. The idea was that these stories and their meanings, could be shared with nursing students in order that they be better prepared for unique aspects that occur during the night shift. Thus, the research was qualitative, particularistic, and interpretive. The study was funded by the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Sciences Seed Grant in 2019, and was given ethical clearance by the University Human Research Ethics Committee (# 21862)