OSCE best practice guidelines—applicability for nursing simulations

Background: Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) have been used for many years within healthcare programmes as a measure of students’ and clinicians’ clinical performance. OSCEs are a form of simulation and are often summative but may be formative. This educational approach requires robust design based on sound pedagogy to assure practice and assessment of holistic nursing care. As part of a project testing seven OSCE best practice guidelines (BPGs) across three sites, the BPGs were applied to an existing simulation activity. The aim of this study was to determine the applicability and value of the OSCE BPGs in an existing formative simulation. Methods: A mixed methods approach was used to address the research question: in what ways do OSCE BPGs align with simulations. The BPGs were aligned and compared with all aspects of an existing simulation activity offered to first-year nursing students at a large city-based university, prior to their first clinical placement in an Australian healthcare setting. Survey questions, comprised of Likert scales and free-text responses, used at other sites were slightly modified for reference to simulation. Students’ opinions about the refined simulation activity were collected via electronic survey immediately following the simulation and from focus groups. Template analysis, using the BPGs as existing or a priori thematic codes, enabled interpretation and illumination of the data from both sources.Results: Few changes were made to the existing simulation plan and format. Students’ responses from surveys (n = 367) and four focus groups indicated that all seven BPGs were applicable for simulations in guiding their learning, particularly in the affective domain, and assisting their perceived needs in preparing for upcoming clinical practice. Discussion: Similarities were found in the intent of simulation and OSCEs informed by the BPGs to enable feedback to students about holistic practice across affective, cognitive and psychomotor domains. The similarities in this study are consistent with findings from exploring the applicability of the BPGs for OSCEs in other nursing education settings, contexts, universities and jurisdictions. The BPGs also aligned with other frameworks and standards often used to develop and deliver simulations. Conclusions: Findings from this study provide further evidence of the applicability of the seven OSCE BPGs to inform the development and delivery of, in this context, simulation activities for nurses. The manner in which simulation is offered to large cohorts requires further consideration to meet students’ needs in rehearsing the registered nurse role

OSCE Best Practice Guidelines – applicability for nursing simulations

Background: Objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) have been used for many years within healthcare programmes as a measure of students’ and clinicians’ clinical performance. OSCEs are a form of simulation and are often summative but may be formative. This educational approach requires robust design based on sound pedagogy to assure practice and assessment of holistic nursing care. As part of a project testing seven OSCE best practice guidelines (BPGs) across three sites, the BPGs were applied to an existing simulation activity. The aim of this study was to determine the applicability and value of the OSCE BPGs in an existing formative simulation. Methods: A mixed methods approach was used to address the research question: in what ways do OSCE BPGs align with simulations. The BPGs were aligned and compared with all aspects of an existing simulation activity offered to first-year nursing students at a large city-based university, prior to their first clinical placement in an Australian healthcare setting. Survey questions, comprised of Likert scales and free-text responses, used at other sites were slightly modified for reference to simulation. Students’ opinions about the refined simulation activity were collected via electronic survey immediately following the simulation and from focus groups. Template analysis, using the BPGs as existing or a priori thematic codes, enabled interpretation and illumination of the data from both sources.Results: Few changes were made to the existing simulation plan and format. Students’ responses from surveys (n = 367) and four focus groups indicated that all seven BPGs were applicable for simulations in guiding their learning, particularly in the affective domain, and assisting their perceived needs in preparing for upcoming clinical practice. Discussion: Similarities were found in the intent of simulation and OSCEs informed by the BPGs to enable feedback to students about holistic practice across affective, cognitive and psychomotor domains. The similarities in this study are consistent with findings from exploring the applicability of the BPGs for OSCEs in other nursing education settings, contexts, universities and jurisdictions. The BPGs also aligned with other frameworks and standards often used to develop and deliver simulations. Conclusions: Findings from this study provide further evidence of the applicability of the seven OSCE BPGs to inform the development and delivery of, in this context, simulation activities for nurses. The manner in which simulation is offered to large cohorts requires further consideration to meet students’ needs in rehearsing the registered nurse role

Local Writing of Exchange Biased Domains in a Heterostructure of Co/Pd Pinned by Magnetoelectric Chromia

The writing of micrometer-scaled exchange bias domains by local, laser heating of a thin-film heterostructure consisting of a perpendicular anisotropic ferromagnetic Co/Pd multilayer and a (0001) oriented film of the magnetoelectric antiferromagnet Cr2O3 (chromia) is reported. Exchange coupling between chromia’s boundary magnetization and the ferromagnet leads to perpendicular exchange bias. Focused scanning magneto-optical Kerr measurements are used to measure local hysteresis loops and create a map of the exchange bias distribution as a function of the local boundary magnetization imprinted in the antiferromagnetic pinning layer on field cooling. The robust boundary magnetization of the Cr2O3 fundamentally alters the exchange bias mechanism, enabling the writing of micrometer-scaled regions of oppositely directed exchange bias using a focused laser beam. Includes supplemental file

Putting new therapeutic communication skills into public health nursing practice: the student experience

Specialist community public health nurses (SCPHNs)—who provide universal health promoting services to all families with children in the 0–19 age range—are particularly well placed to influence lifestyle-related health behaviours at an early stage. To undertake this work effectively a toolkit of health promotion strategies is required. This paper reports the findings of a small study which aimed to examine student perspectives about if, and how, education in behaviour change skills impacts on the nature and effectiveness of consultations with clients. It was undertaken at a university in the north of England which has pioneered the teaching of motivational interviewing and behaviour change skills within the SCPHN curriculum. The study took place in 2017. Focus groups, attended by 11 SCPHN students examined students' views and perspectives about engaging with clients and utilising behaviour change skills in practice. Key themes arising from the data were: changing approach, skills and techniques, education and learning, use in practice, and time. Findings indicate that SCPHN students had begun to apply an approach based on Motivational Interviewing to consultations in practice as a result of their education. This is likely to have a substantial impact on practice and client outcomes