Inquiry Based Learning, Nursing Student Attitudes and the HIV Patient

AbstractSocial justice is a fundamental value of the nursing profession, challenging educators to instill this professional value when caring for the poor. This randomized controlled trial examined whether an interactive virtual poverty simulation created in Second Life® would improve nursing students’ empathy with and attributions for people living in poverty, compared to a self-study module. We created a multi-user virtual environment populated with families and individual avatars that represented the demographics contributing to poverty and vulnerability. Participants (N = 51 baccalaureate nursing students) were randomly assigned to either Intervention or Control groups and completed the modified Attitudes toward Poverty Scale pre- and post-intervention. The 2.5-hour simulation was delivered three times over a 1-year period to students in successive community health nursing classes. The investigators conducted post-simulation debriefings following a script. While participants in the virtual poverty simulation developed significantly more favorable attitudes on five questions than the Control group, the total scores did not differ significantly. Whereas students readily learned how to navigate inside Second Life®, faculty facilitators required periodic coaching and guidance to be competent. While poverty simulations, whether virtual or face-to-face, have some ability to transform nursing student attitudes, faculty must incorporate social justice concepts throughout the curriculum to produce lasting change.

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Nursing Student Perceptions and Attitudes Toward Patients With Cancer After Education and Mentoring: Integrative Review

JMIR Cancer ◽

10.2196/27854 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 7 (3) ◽

pp. e27854

Author(s):

Margot Lisa Hedenstrom ◽

Sweta Sneha ◽

Anusha Nalla ◽

Barbara Wilson

Keyword(s):

Nursing Students ◽

Educational Intervention ◽

Cancer Care ◽

Role Models ◽

Student Attitudes ◽

Nursing Student ◽

Integrative Review ◽

Patients With Cancer ◽

Positive Attitudes ◽

The Impact

Background Knowledge about nursing student attitudes toward patients with cancer after an educational intervention and mentoring support is limited. This review examined the literature on this topic. Objective This integrative review aims to explore the literature on the experiences of students who participate in an oncology elective or educational course on cancer and their attitudes toward cancer. Methods A comprehensive search was conducted using PubMed, CINAHL, and MEDLINE databases. Each study was systematically assessed. An evidence table was completed to identify the key aspects of each study that was reviewed. Results There is insufficient information on the impact of nursing student education on the attitudes and skills of nursing students caring for patients with cancer. An integrative review was completed on the impact of education and mentoring for nursing students on cancer care, which yielded 10 studies that were reviewed. These studies indicate that educational intervention and mentoring improve the confidence and ability of nursing students to care for patients with cancer. Conclusions Student nurses need to be armed with knowledge, skills, and positive attitudes while caring for patients with cancer. Nursing students perform best when they have accurate information, positive role models, and mentoring by experienced oncology professionals, to support proficiency in caring for patients with cancer. The lack of knowledge of nursing students in the areas of cancer care, treatment, and patient support requires additional education and research to promote expertise and positive attitudes toward cancer and treating patients with cancer. This will support nursing students’ ability to care for patients with cancer as well as develop future educational interventions to shape nursing student attitude and knowledge. This integrative review also identifies the positive impact on the attitudes of other health care professionals who have received training or education on cancer.

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