Developing the social media presence of @NurseEducToday by using Twitter

The use of social media (SoMe) has increased significantly over the last ten years. Twitter, one example of the SoMe was developed in 2006 aimed to communicate with small groups. Since its inception Twitter has been embraced as an important professional communication platform by clinicians, academics, educators, students and researchers. Tweets are increasingly used to build collaborative relationships, showcase research and communicate innovative clinical and educational information

I want it all and I want it now. Challenging the traditional nursing academic paradigm

A recent Twitter chat facilitated by the @NurseEducToday socialmedia team provoked a particularly strong reaction among a range of contributors. The focus of the discussion – expectations of the nurse academic – resulted in a high level of engagement from several participants who clearly held strong views, which were surprisingly polarised. Here we explore aspects of this polarization; and what it might mean for nurses working in academia. Our aim is to reflect on what this dialogue might tell us about current thinking in the profession, specifically around how nurse academics see themselves, what they expect from self and others, and what they are prepared to do to meet these,often, self-generated expectations

Implementation and utilisation of Australian critical care practice standards: What do we know?

Background: The Australian College of Critical Care Nurses published the third edition of practice standards (PSs) for specialist critical care nurses in 2015. Higher-education providers currently use these standards to inform critical care curricula; however, how critical care nurses perceive and use PSs in clinical practice is unknown. Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore critical care nurses\u27 perceptions about the Australian College of Critical Care Nurses PS for specialty critical care nursing, to understand how the PSs are used in clinical practice, and what opportunities exist to support their implementation. Methods: An exploratory qualitative descriptive design was used. A purposive sampling strategy was used, with 12 critical care specialist nurses consenting to participate in semistructured interviews. The interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were analysed thematically using an inductive coding approach. Findings: Three main themes were identified: (i) lack of awareness of the PS; (ii) minimal to no utilisation of the PS in clinical practice and the challenges contributing to this; and (iii) improving the implementation and utilisation of the PS in clinical practice. Conclusions: There is a significant lack of awareness and utilisation of the PS in clinical practice. To overcome this, increasing recognition, endorsement, and valuation of the PSs to stakeholders at an individual, health service, and legislative level are suggested. Further research is required to establish relevance of the PS in clinical practice and understand how clinicians use the PS to promote and develop critical care nursing

Application of classic grounded theory in nursing studies: A qualitative systematic review protocol

Introduction Classic grounded theory (CGT) is a valuable method for nursing research, but the application of CGT methodology in nursing studies has not been specifically investigated. With the increasing use of CGT in nursing research, attention is now focusing on the quality of studies using this methodology. In this systematic review, we aim to develop an understanding of the application of CGT methodology, specifically appraising the quality of the methodology\u27s application in the field of nursing research. Methods and analysis The reporting of this review will be guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic and Meta-Analysis guidelines statement and data synthesis guided by the Synthesis Without Meta-analysis guideline. Publications will be uploaded to Rayyan. The quality of each article will be assessed using the Critical Appraisals Skills Programme qualitative research appraisal tool. Analysis of the selected studies will be performed using the Guideline for Reporting and Evaluating Grounded Theory Research Studies, explicitly the CGT guiding principles. Ethics and dissemination Ethical approval is not required because only secondary data will be used in this review. The results of the final study will be published in a peer-reviewed open-access journal

Evidence-based guidelines for intrapartum maternal hydration assessment and management: A scoping review

Problem: Inconsistent practice relating to intrapartum hydration assessment and management is reported, and potential harm exists for laboring women and birthing persons. Background: Labor and birth are physically demanding, and adequate nutrition and hydration are essential for labor progress. A lack of clear consensus on intrapartum hydration assessment and management during labor and birth currently exists. In addition, there is an inconsistent approach to managing hydration, often including a mixture of intravenous and oral fluids that are poorly monitored. Aim: The aim of this scoping review was to identify and collate evidence-based guidelines for intrapartum hydration assessment and management of maternal hydration during labor and birth. Methods: PubMed, Embase, and CINAHL databases were searched, in addition to professional college association websites. Inclusion criteria were intrapartum clinical guidelines in English, published in the last 10 years. Findings: Despite searching all appropriate databases in maternity care, we were unable to identify evidence-based guidelines specific to hydration assessment and management, therefore resulting in an “empty review.” A subsequent review of general intrapartum care guidelines was undertaken. Our adapted review identified 12 guidelines, seven of which referenced the assessment and management of maternal hydration during labor and birth. Three guidelines recommend that “low-risk” women in spontaneous labor at term should hold determination over what they ingest in labor. No recommendations with respect to assessment and management of hydration for women undergoing induction of labor were found. Discussion: Despite the increasing use of intravenous fluid as an adjunct to oral intake to maintain maternal intrapartum hydration, there is limited evidence and, subsequently, guidelines to determine best practice in this area. How hydration is assessed was also largely absent from general intrapartum care guidelines, further perpetuating potential clinical variation in this area. Conclusion: There is an absence of guidelines specific to the assessment and management of maternal hydration during labor and birth, despite its importance in ensuring labor progress and safe care

Student motivations, perceptions and opinions of participating in student evaluation of teaching surveys: A scoping review

Several times each year the teaching performance of academics at higher education institutions are evaluated through anonymous, online student evaluation of teaching (SET) surveys. Universities use SETs to inform decisions about staff promotion and tenure, but low student participation levels make the surveys impractical for this use. This scoping review aims to explore student motivations, perceptions and opinions of SET survey completion. Five EBSCO® databases were searched using key words. Thematic analysis of a meta-synthesis of qualitative findings derived from 21 papers identified five themes: (i) the value students’ place on SET, (ii) the knowledge that SET responses are acted upon to improve teaching, (iii) assurance of survey confidentiality and anonymity, (iv) incentives for completing SET, and (v) survey design and timing of survey release. Perceptions, knowledge and attitudes about the value of SET are essential factors in motivating students to engage and complete SETs, particularly if surveys are easy to interpret, time for completion is incentivised and responses are valued

Exploring assessment policies for clinical practice: A scoping review of the literature

Background: Assessment of pre-registration nursing students in clinical practice is an essential process, ensuring students who graduate meet standards for practice and competently and safely care for patients under their care. However, such assessment remains challenging for individuals and organisations. Aim: We aimed to investigate what is known about the application of clinical placement assessment policies guiding pre-registration nursing programmes. Methods: Arskey and O\u27Malley’s five-stage method for scoping reviews was employed. Health and education databases were searched in July 2020 and December 2021. Identified papers were screened. The Joanna Briggs Institute\u27s critical appraisal tools were used to appraise the quality of the included articles. The Invitational Theory domains of people, processes, programmes, places, and policies were utilised to aid meaningful analysis of the findings. Findings: Nineteen articles were appraised: eleven primary data studies, two that psychometrically tested a survey instrument, four discussion articles, and two literature reviews. Article quality varied widely. Three themes were identified: lack of processes around clinical practice, people and clinical practice, and policies and clinical practice. Discussion: Assessment within placement is complex and unique. Uncertainty permeates the literature around assessment of pre-registration students in clinical practice. There is a clear need to promote policies that highlight differences between theoretical and practice assessment, ensuring all stakeholders can access relevant governance processes that support patient safety. Conclusion: More empirical evidence is needed to develop policies and processes that reduce uncertainty and improve patient safety associated with student assessment within clinical placements

Nurses’ education, knowledge and perceptions of peripheral intravenous catheter management: A web-based, cross-sectional survey

Background: Peripheral intravenous catheters (PIVCs) are the most used invasive medical device. Unfortunately, PIVCs fail for a variety of reasons and failure often results in serious adverse events leading to patient discomfort, infection, delays in treatment, increased healthcare costs, and even death. In Australia, qualified nurses assess, manage, and remove a PIVC as part of their clinical role. To date, no study has described the current state of knowledge and confidence (self-efficacy) about PIVCs from the perspectives of qualified nurses working in Australian hospital settings. Aims: To describe the current state of knowledge and confidence (self-efficacy) about PIVC management from the perspectives of qualified nurses working in Australian hospital settings. To explore how these related to the education received by these nurses. Methods: An online cross-sectional survey. Findings: Qualified nurses in Australia thought that education about PIVCs was important and that it should be underpinned by evidence-based guidelines. Knowledge Test score for the sample was 12.4/17 (SD 2.1), this equates to a mean grade of 73.0%. Respondents reported very high levels of confidence about caring for a patient with a PIVC in situ. Conclusion: Despite the frequent and increasing use of PIVCs and importantly the documented adverse events associated with poor assessment, management and inappropriate removal, qualified nurses’ knowledge and confidence remain poorly reported. We demonstrated fundamental gaps in qualified nurses’ knowledge in relation to assessment, management, and removal of PIVCs