Clinical Nurse Educators' LibGuide

Background and aim: Clinical placements and on-campus practice are the core components of nursing skill acquisition, but the COVID-19 pandemic demanded fundamental modifications in the educational process for the nursing skill acquisition. The purpose of our research was to investigate how students at a nursing university assessed their own levels of nursing skills at graduation, relative to the target levels established by the Japanese government during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: This retrospective observational study included fourth-year students in 2020, 2021 and 2022 at the Faculty of Health Science and Nursing, Juntendo University, Japan all of whom had undertaken and completed the required clinical placements. A total of 141 skills required in nursing practice and corresponding target levels had been established by the Japanese government. Following their final clinical placement, students assessed their achieved level for each of the 141 skills.

Results: Of the 141 skills, 20 (14.2%) were classified as “skills with difficult-to-achieve targets”, and 64 (45.4%) as “skills with easy-to-achieve targets.” All environmental adjustment skills were classified as “skills with easy-to-achieve targets.” Less than 40% of the nursing skills were classified as “skills with easy-to-achieve targets” in the subcategories of elimination support skills, activity and rest support skills, and respiration and circulation support skills.

Conclusions: During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was difficult for nursing students to fully achieve the target levels of nursing skills. Nursing students who were forced to lose the opportunity to receive clinical placements and practice nursing skills in their university nursing education may be in serious need for generous support after graduation.

Aim: To understand how telephone consultations impact the relationship between patients and healthcare professionals along with their impact on patients' everyday lives.

Introduction: This study explores the experiences of chronically ill patients with telephone consultations, a digital communication form that has gained prominence in healthcare, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Method: The study employs a qualitative, hermeneutic-phenomenological approach inspired by Ricoeur's theory of narrative and interpretation. In-depth interviews were conducted with 12 patients from various outpatient clinics in the Midwestern part of Jutland, Denmark. The interviews were analyzed using a three-level process: naïve reading, structural analysis, and comprehensive understanding.

Findings: Three main themes emerged: Feeling restrained while time is saved, Feeling the importance of relationships while consultations are result-oriented, and Feeling distanced while keeping up appearances. They appreciated the convenience and time-saving advantages but felt restrained by the need to be constantly available for calls. The lack of visual contact contributed to a sense of distance, and some patients felt consultations were overly focused on results rather than addressing holistic needs. The findings highlight the complex dynamics of telephone consultations. While they offer significant advantages, such as increased accessibility and convenience, they also present challenges, including the lack of visual cues and the potential for depersonalization.

Conclusion: Telephone consultations are a valuable tool in healthcare. However, strategies are needed to address their challenges to ensure person-centered care.

Austria’s healthcare system is highly fragmented and decentralized, with primary care typically delivered by independent physicians and limited integration of other health professions. To address this, the federal government is piloting a community health nursing system across several regions from 2022 to 2024. This study explores the essential generic competencies required for community health nurses (CHNs) within the Austrian healthcare and social systems, aiming to inform future training guidelines.

Fifteen experts in community health nursing and public health participated in qualitative interviews. The transcripts were analyzed using qualitative content analysis, following established research standards.

Findings highlight the importance of generic competencies—grouped into six professional, sixteen personal, and sixteen social skills—as key enablers of CHN effectiveness. Social competencies enhance patient relationships, personal competencies support autonomous and responsible practice, and professional competencies enable comprehensive care for complex cases. Communication emerged as the most frequently cited competency across all categories, along with information delivery, education, and social interaction skills.

Expanding the scope of community health nurses through a structured set of competencies could strengthen primary care and promote more integrated service delivery in Austria’s healthcare system.

Abstract

Supervisors' engagement in the teaching and learning process is crucial in assisting the organisation's objectives to be successfully achieved. This study evaluated post-graduate diploma students' perceptions of academic supervision practices. Method: quantitative design. Tool: data was collected through an online questionnaire to explore the students' views towards the supervision practices conducted at the higher institute. The target group was all post-graduate diploma students enrolled at the institute in the current academic year. Analysis: The SPSS Statistics package program was used to analyse the data. The findings indicated positive results that reflect the effectiveness of the efforts made in the supervision practices at the higher institute. The results also obtained more understanding and further insights into the key factors affecting supervision practices, which helped to draw recommendations on enhancing the efficiency of the supervisor's interactions in the supervision process and increasing student supervision competence. 

Abstract

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most frequent nosocomial infections (Regenbogen et al., 2011). These iatrogenic infections are an important cause of morbidity, mortality, and increased healthcare costs (Iacovelli et al., 2014). Although colonoscopies are an important screening and diagnostic tool for colorectal cancers and other aberrations of the gastrointestinal tract (Deb et al., 2022), they sometimes cause infections. This pseudo-case study is based on true-life events and explores the development of recurrent UTIs in a 77-year-old postmenopausal female following a routine colonoscopy, highlighting the potential role of translocated endogenous E. coli. The case aims to identify risk factors and propose strategies to mitigate complications associated with colonoscopies. This case sheds light on a much overlooked and unexplored topic and sensitizes clinicians to the existence of this problem. Risk-identification strategies are postulated as potential interventions to decrease the risk and morbidity associated with colonoscopies and endoscopies. The role of the Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) is also explored.