Background: Making changes in the existing curriculum aims, objectives, course contents learning outcomes and assessment strategies have become a fact of life for nurse educators. Purpose: To enhance the existing Bachelor of Science (BSc) in nursing curriculum through integration of evidence-based practice (EBP) and teaching of critical thinking skills. Materials and Methods: A needs analysis was conducted using a five-phased approach to review the BSc in nursing Curriculum. Kern’s six-step model was adapted and introduced through a series of workshop exercises that highlighted the application of each step: 1) Desk review of the BSc curriculum offered globally; 2) Administration of the needs assessment questionnaire to key informants; 3) Strengths, weakness, opportunities and threat analysis; 4) Consultative meeting with major stakeholders; 5) Curriculum review. Results: The five-phased approach established some gaps in existing curricula, and identified critical core competences and best practices in integrating EPB and critical thinking in the BSc undergraduate curriculum and some “A” level content that was not in tandem with the practice of nurses. New courses were developed to support students in academic writing and enhance professionalism and duration of training was reduced from 5 to 4 years. Conclusion: The process demonstrated that BSc curriculum review, in fact, should be thoroughly scrutinized to encourage positive changes to the curriculum, provide opportunities for team building and the development of leadership skills and a whole-of course perspective on the curriculum.

Background: In the Municipality of Aarhus, Denmark, mobile X-ray is offered to selected patients when a transfer to the Department of Radiology may be an obstacle. To our knowledge, no studies have examined patient’s satisfaction with mobile X-ray in a randomized controlled trial, but international qualitative and quantitative studies report a high level of patient satisfaction with mobile X-ray. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to investigate whether patients in aged care facilities who were offered mobile X-ray were more satisfied with the X-ray examination compared to patients examined with X-ray at the Department of Radiology, Aarhus University Hospital. Design: A part of a randomized controlled trial. Methods: Satisfaction was measured using a self-developed questionnaire, containing 13 questions measuring satisfaction from different perspectives. Participants: Due to patient’s fragility, healthcare staff members answered questions concerning satisfaction on behalf of the patients, who had been examined with mobile X-ray (n = 66) or X-ray at the hospital (n = 63). The patients were living in nursing homes and homes for the elderly in Aarhus Municipality. Data: Data were collected and stored using the computer program REDCap. Data were statistically analyzed using Fisher’s exact test. Results: Patients examined with mobile X-ray had a significantly higher satisfaction rate than those examined with X-ray at the hospital. Conclusion: Satisfaction of patients examined with X-ray was reported by healthcare staff to be in favor of mobile X-ray.

Background: Nurses are important frontline health workers that promote and support optimum breastfeeding. They are, therefore, expected to have basic breastfeeding knowledge and favaourable attitude for better clinical experience as students and intention to breastfeed as potential parents. This study aimed to assess the breastfeeding knowledge, attitude, and intention of nursing students in Nigeria. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 142 nursing students. A validated tool was used to obtain breastfeeding knowledge, attitude, and intention of the students. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze the data. Results: The majority (81%) of the nursing students had adequate breastfeeding knowledge, however, only four out of every 10 students had a positive attitude towards breastfeeding and 36.6% had good intention to breastfeed in the future. This study revealed no significant relationship (p = 0.102) between the breastfeeding knowledge and attitude of the students while a significant relationship (p = 0.002) existed between breastfeeding knowledge and future breastfeeding intention of the nursing students. Conclusion: Nursing students demonstrated adequate knowledge of breastfeeding; however, their attitudes towards breastfeeding and the intention to breastfeed were inadequate. There is a need to focus on the attitudinal changes of the nursing students which could influence their future professional practices and engagement in the optimal breastfeeding practices.

Background: This article examines the effects of role modeling used as an educational scaffold in simulation. Students requested an exemplar of what was expected before entering the simulation scenario. Three expert nurses were filmed managing a deteriorating patient scenario with these videos then used in pre-briefing with undergraduate nursing students. Method: Action research is employed with undergraduate nursing students (n = 161) who acted as co-researchers in that they are asked for changes in simulation which will improve their learning in the areas of knowledge acquisition, skill development, critical thinking, and communication. Three action research cycles were employed with feedback from each cycle informing the next. Results: The use of an expert role modeling video as a prebriefing educational scaffold strengthened professional competence, clinical reasoning and judgment, and professional confidence. Furthermore, designing roles within the simulation allowed students to gain competence in managing one small piece of the overall situation. Conclusion: This research highlights the effectiveness of pre-briefing video clips in enhancing student learning with undergraduate nurses. These abilities are essential in order to provide safe and competent care, and to encourage professional identity/development in undergraduate nurses.

Background: High data quality provides correct and up-to-date information which is critical to ensure, not only for the maintenance of health care at an optimal level, but also for the provision of high-quality clinical care, continuing health care, clinical and health service research, and planning and management of health systems. For the attainment of achievable improvements in the health sector, good data is core. Aim/Objective: To assess the level of knowledge and practices of Community Health Nurses on data quality in the Ho municipality, Ghana. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was employed for the study, using a standard Likert scale questionnaire. A census was used to collect 77 Community Health Nurses’ information. The statistical software, Epi-Data 3.1 was used to enter the data and exported to STATA 12.0 for the analyses. Chi-square and logistic analyses were performed to establish associations between categorical variables and a p-value of less than 0.05 at 95% significance interval was considered statistically significant. Results: Out of the 77 Community Health Nurses studied, 49 (63.64%) had good knowledge on data accuracy, 51 (66.23%) out of the 77 Community Health Nurses studied had poor knowledge on data completeness, and 64 (83.12%) had poor knowledge on data timeliness out of the 77 studied. Also, 16 (20.78%) and 33 (42.86%) of the 77 Community Health Nurses responded there was no designated staff for data quality review and no feedback from the health directorate respectively. Out of the 16 health facilities studied for data quality practices, half (8, 50.00%) had missing values on copies of their previous months’ report forms. More so, 10 (62.50%) had no reminders (monthly data submission itineraries) at the facility level. Conclusion: Overall, the general level of knowledge of Community Health Nurses on data quality was poor and their practices for improving data quality at the facility level were woefully inadequate. Therefore, Community Health Nurses need to be given on-job training and proper education on data quality and its dimensions. Also, the health directorate should intensify its continuous supportive supervisory visits at all facilities and feedback should be given to the Community Health Nurses on the data submitted.

Background: An Advanced Practice Nurse is a generalist or specialized nurse who has acquired thorough graduate education a minimum of a master’s degree. The need for Advanced Practice Nurses is increasingly recognized globally. This paper describes the process, which was undertaken by School of Nursing Sciences, University of Zambia in reviewing and developing advanced practice nursing and midwifery curricula which will be implemented using the Early and Enhanced Clinical Exposure model (EECE). Materials and Methods: The curricula development/review process utilized a modified Taba’s Model which followed a step-by-step approach including: 1) desk review, 2) diagnosis of needs (needs assessment), 3) stakeholder consultations, 4) content development, 5) validations and approval from which several lessons were learnt and recommendations made. Findings and recommendations from different stages were used as a basis for reviewing and developing advanced practice nursing and midwifery curricula. Results: Desk review needs assessment and stakeholder consultations identified both strengths and weaknesses in the existing curricula. Major strengths were duration and core courses which met the minimum requirement for postgraduate nursing and midwifery training. Major weaknesses/gaps included some content that was too basic for the master’s level and the delayed exposure to practicum sites which limited the development of advanced practice skills. Others were inadequate competence for advanced practice, inadequate research methodology course, lack of content to foster development of personal soft skills and predominant use of traditional teaching methods. Stakeholders recommended implementing advanced, clinical and hands-on Masters of Nursing and Midwifery programmes which resulted in the review of four existing and development of five demand-driven curricula. Conclusion: The reviewed and developed curricula were strengthened to close the identified gaps. Both the reviewed and developed curricula have been implemented using the Early and Enhanced Clinical Exposure Model with a view to producing Advanced Practice Nurses and Midwives who are competent to meet diverse health care needs and contribute to improving patient outcomes.

We have made a summary for Chongqing Standardized Nurse Training Class at several aspects, including the basic information of trainees, the configuration of teachers, the setting of courses, and the effect analysis. Meanwhile, some improvement measures are proposed according to the comments and suggestions. This study provides a reliable basis for cultivating the management cadres of standardized nurse training.

Background: Our hypothesis was that only established and persistent injuries and complications after positioning in the Trendelenburg position are reported and detected, despite that patients may have great discomfort after surgery. Aim: The aim of this study was to explore patient reported discomfort, pain and functional decrease two hours, 24 hours and four weeks after laparoscopic resection of the colon in the prone lithotomy position, as well as factors potentially associated with reported pain. Methods: A longitudinal self-report questionnaire study was conducted at three time-points. Results: A total of 37 patients responded. Findings show that patients mostly reported pain in relation to the surgical area, but also related to other areas that may be linked to positioning. Conclusion: Even though patients reported mild pain, several of the patients still reported this, four weeks postoperatively, as well as some functional decrease. Our findings support the need to focus on preventing positioning injuries.

Background: Cancer diagnosis has been reported in some studies to have a significant psychosocial impact on both the patients and their caregivers. The estimated prevalence of psychosocial distress is between 35% and 55%. Commonly encountered psychological issues include and are not limited to fear, anxiety, and emotional distress. Many sources of emotional distress in patients with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic have been reported to include poorly controlled symptoms arising from a lack of access to symptom control services and treatment. Social distress is associated with social isolation, separation from family and loss of employment. Cancer patients and society have been reported to experience anxiety, despair, and stress due to the COVID-19 restrictions on community movement and hospital appointment rescheduling. The objective of this study was to explore psychosocial distress and social burdens experienced by cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A descriptive phenomenological design was employed to describe “lived experiences of patients with Cancer” during the COVID-19 Pandemic. A total of 20 participants with Cancer and COVID-19 positive were purposefully selected and interviewed. Thematic analysis was utilized for data analysis by the use of themes generated from participants’ responses. Findings: Five major themes emerged: fear, self-isolation compliance, anxiety, low income and emotional distress. The findings of the study indicated that participants experienced fear, emotional distress and anxiety when diagnosed with COVID-19. Conclusion: The experiences of psychosocial distress and social burdens were a result of a lack of psychosocial support by both caregivers and health care workers. This study recommends appropriate health education concerning psychosocial support for cancer patients and the need to have appropriate clinical protocols and materials in allaying anxiety and fear in cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The opportunity to offer immediate service to a local community in need of an additional COVID Vaccine Clinic was welcomed by the School of Nursing (SON) at Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). This opportunity not only opened a door by providing a much-needed community service but also afforded students an enriching opportunity to enhance their clinical skills in a venue not always recognized as an available or accessible resource. A COVID Vaccine Clinic was planned in collaboration with the School of Nursing, University Health Services, and the County Health Department to provide COVID vaccines to the Middle Tennessee area. A multidisciplinary committee met weekly to organize the COVID Vaccine Clinic opening this opportunity to the community two days per week. During the initial COVID Vaccine Clinic planning committee meetings, a variety of roles and responsibilities were identified to ensure the clinic would be planned, coordinated, and organized as efficiently as possible. When the clinic opened, weekly meetings continued to identify issues such as supply distribution problems, procedures related to various aspects of care, and debriefings describing the activities of each clinic day to note any areas in need of improvements. The School of Nursing Lobby, located on the MTSU campus, was the designated area chosen for the clinic. Many faculty and students along with numerous campus volunteers worked together enabling thousands of members of the community to receive vaccinations. The interdisciplinary experience was a success and served to bring positive learning outcomes to all members of the faculty and students involved.