Exploring the psychometric properties of the newly-developed Undergraduate Nursing Student Academic Satisfaction Scale

The purpose of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of a newly developed instrument: the Undergraduate Nursing Student Academic Satisfaction Scale (UNSASS). A nonprobability, convenience sample of313 undergraduate nursing students from all four levels of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) program completed the survey. Face and content validity was determined by a panel of undergraduate nursing students. Exploratory factor analysis was used to determine the construct validity and resulted in four factors (in-class teaching; clinical teaching; the program; and support and resources) which defined undergraduate nursing student satisfaction and accounted for 50% of the variance. The UNSASS was found to have excellent internal consistency reliability with a Cronbach\u27s alpha of .92 for the In-Class Teaching factor, .91 for Clinical Teaching, .91 for The Program, .74 for the Support and Resources and .96 for the entire scale. The test-retest coefficient ranged from .70 to .86

Does it work? evaluating a new pay system

This report focuses on the evaluation of the impact of new pay systems in large, unionised multi-site organisations by the organisations themselves. Evaluation of the effectiveness of a pay system, however, does not take place in a vacuum and relates to the aims and objectives of the pay system concerned. Moreover, evaluation is not an end in itself. It is, therefore, relevant to consider if any further steps were taken as a result of evaluation. Accordingly our research questions were: • What were the aims and objectives of organisations when introducing new pay arrangements? • What data did organisations collect and review to inform their evaluation? • What steps have organisations taken as a result of their evaluation? We re-appraised our data from 10 NHS trusts in England which had introduced some innovations in pay and grading in the 1990s. Additionally, we looked at seven multi-site unionised organisations outside the NHS in both the public and private sectors, which had recently made changes to their reward systems, carrying out interviews and inspecting documents. The main output is a template for the evaluation of Agenda for Change by NHS organisations

An Evidence-based Framework for Reporting Student Nurse Medication Incidents: Errors, Near Misses and Discovered Errors

Purpose: To share an evidence-based framework for reporting and analysing three types of medication incidents in an undergraduate nursing program. Incident types include errors, near misses and discovered errors. Background: Medication errors are underreported. Published studies on errors by nursing students indicate that although errors occur during clinical placements, there is a lack of consensus on how the factors that contributed to the errors are reported and analyzed. This limits our understanding of the factors that impact safe medication administration and reduces our ability to apply this knowledge to education and practice. Method: Quality improvement project. Results: Our reporting framework quantifies system factors that are supported by the literature as contributing to errors but not usually captured in incident reporting. Contributing factors for errors and near misses varied. This finding has not been documented in the literature. Conclusion: Nursing schools should prepare nursing students with a strong commitment to report all incidents and provide them with the competencies and a reporting system that allows them to report efficiently and effectively. As these graduates enter the workforce, they can influence the reporting practices of seasoned nurses. The ten factor framework provides nursing schools with the ability to quantify the individual and system factors that influence the safety of the student nurse medication administration process and the opportunity to implement strategies to reduce and/or prevent these incidents from occurring. Objectif : Présenter un cadre fondé sur des résultats probants pour signaler et analyser trois types d’incidents liés aux médicaments dans un programme de premier cycle en sciences infirmières, soit les erreurs, les quasi-incidents et les erreurs découvertes. Contexte : Les erreurs de médication ne sont pas toutes signalées. Les études publiées portant sur les erreurs causées par des étudiantes infirmières indiquent que, même si les erreurs se produisent durant les stages cliniques, la manière de signaler et d’analyser les facteurs contributifs ne fait pas consensus. Cela limite notre compréhension des facteurs influant sur l’administration sécuritaire des médicaments et réduit notre capacité à mettre en application ces connaissances en formation et en pratique. Méthode : Projet d’amélioration de la qualité. Résultats : Notre cadre de signalements quantifie les facteurs systémiques qui, selon la littérature sur le sujet, contribuent à des erreurs, mais ne figurent pas normalement dans les déclarations d’incident. Les facteurs ayant contribué à des erreurs et quasi-incidents étaient variables. Ce résultat n’a pas été rapporté dans la littérature. Conclusion : Les écoles de sciences infirmières devraient enseigner aux étudiantes infirmières l’importance de signaler l’ensemble des incidents tout en leur fournissant les habiletés et un système de déclaration qui leur permet de les déclarer de façon efficace et efficiente. Lorsque les diplômées intègreront le marché du travail, elles pourront influencer les pratiques des infirmières chevronnées en matière de signalement. Le cadre composé de dix facteurs permet aux écoles de sciences infirmières de quantifier les facteurs individuels et systémiques ayant un impact sur la sécurité du processus d’administration des médicaments par des étudiantes infirmières; il leur permet aussi de mettre en œuvre des stratégies de réduction ou de prévention de tels incidents

A prevalence study of children with imprisoned fathers: annual and lifetime estimates

Abstract In Australia, data are not routinely collected on the parental status of prisoners, so there are no official nationwide figures and few State-based figures. The current study uses data collected in Queensland over a six-month period to estimate how many Queensland children, in one year and in their entire childhood, experience paternal imprisonment. Additional data were collected relating to the provision of care for the child prior to, and during, their father's imprisonment. Participants were 303 imprisoned fathers (51 per cent of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander origin) who reported a total of 753 children. Using these data and population statistics, it was estimated that 0.8 per cent of children in Queensland experienced paternal imprisonment in one year while approximately four per cent experience paternal imprisonment in their lifetime. Indigenous children were nine times more likely to experience paternal imprisonment in one year and four times more likely to experience paternal imprisonment in their lifetime compared to non-Indigenous children. Approximately half of the children (48 per cent) lived with their father prior to his imprisonment. Results are discussed in relation to whether children were living with their father as well as the possibility of pre-existing risks in children's lives that may subsequently interact with their father's imprisonment

Physical assessment skills in nursing curricula: A scoping review protocol

Review objective:This review seeks to establish the current state of knowledge regarding physical assessment skills taught in nursing programs globally. It aims to explore the literature on physical assessment skills taught in nursing curricula globally, skills used by nurses in practice, skills used by students, and core physical assessment skills that are important to teach nursing students

Establishing a new faculty mentoring program: Proposal Development.

Mentoring programs for new faculty provide clear benefits to the participant. However, the availability of mentoring is typically uneven across many campuses. This article describes how faculty development centers can successfully propose a New Faculty Mentoring Program that both benefits and saves money for the larger university. Preparation for a proposal includes a review of the current literature on campus mentoring, an examination of the needs of potential stakeholders, a review of data collected on retention/tenure for new faculty, an analysis of current campus resources, a pilot program and plans for assessment of the program

Research literature review on social work education instructional methods: 1998-2008.

This article presents a review of research studies examining instructional methods reported in the social work education literature published between 1998 and 2008. From a sample of 91 studies, 31 were identified as having used either a single group pre/post test design or a comparison of two or more groups and inclusion of a learning outcome measure. Most of the studies were deficient in either the employment of comparison groups, pre/post designs, utilization of multiple learning outcome measures, or a clear delineation of the connection between teaching methods and learning outcomes. Very few studies were based on previous work. A challenge is made to the field to conduct better designed studies and several suggestions for doing so are offered

Students' Perceptions of Social Work: Implications for Strengthening the Image of Social Work among College Students

This study, inspired by the efforts of NASW to improve the public perception and understanding of social work, focused on the perceptions and attitudes of college students regarding the profession of social work. The sample included 678 undergraduates at a state university who represented a wide variety of majors. Findings indicate that students' affiliation with a social worker, whether a family member, friend, or work or volunteer experience, positively influenced both their perception and understanding of the profession. Furthermore, regardless of demographics, respondents generally had a negative perception of the salary range of social workers, implying that this aspect of the profession could limit or deter students from choosing social work as a profession. Implications for improving the image of social work among college students are delineated along with issues that require further study

Equity, Inclusiveness, and Diversifying the Faculty: Transforming the University in the 21st Century

This article was presented at the 2009 American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education’s annual meeting, October 1–3, 2009. The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) continues to redefine the public research university for the 21st century as an inclusive, collaborative, and responsive institution making a difference in the lives of students and the communities it serves. We chronicle UNCG’s journey to become a more inclusive community and present the universities’ statement on diversity and inclusiveness, institutional profile, historical overview of processes taken for diversifying the faculty, and initiatives for creating a more inclusive campus. This paper provides data gathered from the Deans Council Subcommittee on Recruitment and Retention of Ethnic Minority Faculty, survey data from The Campus Unity Council and focus group data from The Inclusive Community Initiative Task Force. We conclude by highlighting accomplishments from implemented recommendations and plans for our continued journey in developing a more inclusive 21st century university