Challenges of students and residents of human medicine in the first four months of the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic – Implications for future waves and scenarios

Introduction In the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, medical students and residents are expected to adapt and contribute in a healthcare environment characterized by ever-changing measures and policies. The aim of this narrative review is to provide a summary of the literature that addresses the challenges of students and residents of human medicine in the first 4 months of the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic in order to identify gaps and find implications for improvement within the current situation and for potential future scenarios. Methods We performed a systematic literature search and content analysis (CA) of articles available in English language that address the challenges of students and residents of human medicine in the first 4 months of the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. Results We retrieved 82 articles from a wide range of journals, professional backgrounds and countries. CA identified five recurring subgroup topics: “faculty preparation”, «uncertainties and mental health», «clinical knowledge», «rights and obligations» and «(self-) support and supply». Within these subgroups the main concerns of (re-)deployment, interruption of training and career, safety issues, transmission of disease, and restricted social interaction were identified as potential stressors that hold a risk for fatigue, loss of morale and burnout. Discussion Students and residents are willing and able to participate in the fight against Covid-19 when provided with appropriate deployment, legal guidance, safety measures, clinical knowledge, thorough supervision, social integration and mental health support. Preceding interviews to decide on reasonable voluntary deployment, the use of new technology and frequent feedback communication with faculties, educators and policymakers can further help with a successful and sustainable integration of students and residents in the fight against the pandemic. Conclusion It is critical that faculties, educators and policymakers have a thorough understanding of the needs and concerns of medical trainees during pandemic times. Leaders should facilitate close communication with students and residents, value their intrinsic creativeness and regularly evaluate their needs in regards to deployment, knowledge aspects, safety measures, legal concerns and overall well-being.

Survey of Nursing Faculty Preparation for Guiding DNP Quality Improvement Projects

BackgroundQuality improvement (QI) projects comprise the majority of University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) projects.MethodsAn online survey was completed by 51% (n = 38) of faculty, who teach or mentor DNP students, and was analyzed using quantitative and descriptive methods.ResultsFaculty were somewhat or not familiar with developing a QI charter 68.4%, human error theory and error proofing 63.2%, driver diagrams 60.5%, characteristics of high-reliability organizations 60.5%, and Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence (SQUIRE) guidelines 55.3%. The faculty were most interested in learning more about (n = 97 responses) were human error theory and error proofing (28.9%), SQUIRE guidelines (26.3%), statistical process control (21.1%), and implementation strategies and tactics (21.1%). The most commonly identified challenges included identifying QI projects (24%), project time constraints (16%), keeping up-to-date on QI concepts, methods, and tools (12%), and balancing professional workload (10%).ConclusionsGaps in self-reported QI knowledge indicate there is a need for further development of DNP and PhD prepared faculty at the UMSON.

Best Practices for Emergency Remote Teaching

Unforeseen events, such as the global pandemic COVID-19, have the potential to necessitate abrupt closures of the physical campuses of higher education institutions. In these situations, emergency remote teaching procedures may be implemented to enable the continuation of courses and reduce the magnitude of disruptions to the learning process for students and faculty members. In this chapter, the author will evaluate best practices for the design of emergency remote teaching, faculty preparation, and student support. Further, the author will explore effective communication strategies for the delivery of information regarding procedural changes to students and faculty.

Preparing and Training Higher Education Faculty to Ensure Quality Online Learning and Teaching

In this chapter, the authors discuss the nature of quality online instruction from the perspectives of equity, quality preparation, professional development, and evaluation. Specifically, the authors describe the need for faculty preparation in pedagogical and andragogical practices in general by defining “quality” and qualified professionals. The authors provide initial support for instructors by describing the lesson planning cycle as a useful framework. The authors also delve into the importance of considering one's personal teaching philosophy as a grounding for quality instruction. Then, the authors apply these concepts to online andragogy and the need for continuing professional development opportunities. Next, the authors describe three evaluation tools/opportunities, rubric for online instruction, the quality online learning and teaching instrument, and quality matters, that have been useful to faculty at their institution. Finally, the authors conclude with future research directions regarding quality online instruction.

Preparation of students and residents of human medicine in the first four months of the Covid-19 pandemic. Implications for a second wave.

Introduction: In the Covid-19 pandemic, medical students and residents find themselves in a healthcare environment with measures and policies changing by the hour. Reports regarding those in training were scarce and scattered in the early pandemic, what made an overarching insight a challenge. This review compiles and analyzes the literature addressing the preparation of students and residents in the first four months of the Covid-19 pandemic to find gaps and implications for the current pandemic as well as for future scenarios.Methods: We performed a systematic literature search and content analysis (CA) for articles available in English language that focus on the preparation of students and residents in human medicine within the first four months of the Covid-19 pandemic.Results: We retrieved 82 articles from a wide range of journals, professional backgrounds and countries. CA identified five recurring subgroup topics of «faculty preparation», «uncertainty and mental health», «clinical knowledge», «rights and obligations» and «(self-) support and supply». Within these subgroups the main concerns of «(re)deployment», «interruption of training and career», «safety issues», «transmission of disease», and «restricted social interaction» were identified as potential stressors that hold a risk for fatigue, loss of morale and burnout.Discussion: Students and residents are willing and able to participate, when provided with appropriate deployment, thorough supervision, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and valid knowledge. Faculties and policymakers should be in close contact with the youngest in training to value their concerns and intrinsic creativity on the scenario. The use of new technology for interaction and knowledge provision, interviews for voluntary deployment and the provision of mental health support seem appropriate measures to support students and residents under the current pandemic.Conclusion: Our review holds thorough implications for faculties and policymakers. Not only for surge capacity, but also for the safety and the professional identity formation of those in training, it is crucial to understand their needs and concerns. Leaders should strive for a close communication with students and residents, value their intrinsic creativeness and constantly evaluate on their needs regarding knowledge aspects, safety measures, legal concerns and well-being for the construction of nation-wide homogenous policies.

Importance of Applied Experiences

This chapter provides an overview of opportunities for applied experiences that can be offered to students in industrial-organizational master’s programs. The authors discuss course projects (job analysis, training program development and delivery, structured interview development, and salary surveys), simulations (interview or performance coaching session as final exam), practica, and internships. Faculty preparation, community partnerships, and student readiness as factors in implementation are addressed. Throughout, examples and recommendations are presented on how best to incorporate these kinds of experiential assignments into industrial-organizational master’s programs. The chapter concludes with a summary of the data-based evidence for student learning that comes from these kinds of experiences.

Preparing Social Workers to Confront Social Injustice and Oppression: Evaluating the Role of Social Work Education

Since the presidential election of 2016, bias-related incidents, hate-filled rhetoric, and extremist violence have been increasing in the United States. Because social workers are often working with individuals and communities affected by these incidents, practitioners may have increasing responsibility to confront social injustice and oppression. However, limited evidence on the preparedness of social workers to assume this responsibility, particularly among those who are still students, exists. To address this gap, this study used focus group and survey data from the Diversity and Oppression Scale to explore the preparedness of MSW students (N = 22) to confront oppression. Six themes were identified as integral to student experiences in their programs: (1) social worker responsibility to confront oppression, (2) use of dominant group discourse on oppression, (3) variation in faculty preparation and comfort, (4) a focus on knowledge of oppression versus skills and process, (5) role of personal responsibility and experience in student preparation, and (6) strategies to increase student preparedness to confront oppression. Factors identified to enhance students’ level of preparedness include faculty opportunities for development, changes to the explicit and implicit curriculum, and creating a formalized way to integrate topics on oppression and diversity into all facets of the curriculum.

Fair Process in Assessing the Quality of University Faculty

This chapter presents an exploratory research framework designed to support quality assessment of faculty in higher education. First, a neutral view of a university is developed which highlights five essential business capabilities, including teaching, research, advising, advocacy, and convening. Activity models are constructed for each capability – identifying inputs, activities, and outputs. Faculty preparation and contributions to inputs, activities, and outputs/outcomes are modeled and described. Deming's model of quality is applied to the five activity models. The quality model is applied to faculty (e.g., tenure and tenure-track, non-tenure track, adjunct, graduate students, clinical, and other specialized faculty). Finally, the research explores whether the current quality management processes are fair for faculty and effective for the university's stakeholders. The exploratory research offers six observations and recommendations. The most significant observation is that only one of the five business capabilities – research has a fair and effective quality process.

You Learn When You Teach: A Narrative Pedagogy for Faculty and Doctoral-Level Student Teaching Assistants

The purpose of this study was to understand the meaning of online co-teaching for PhD faculty and teaching assistants (TAs). Narrative pedagogy underpinned the inquiry, which was designed to advance the discourse on mentorship of PhD future faculty. A faculty member and TA authors kept concurrent weekly journals or after-the-fact written reflections. The authors analyzed data as a team using a five-phase interpretive phenomenological analysis process to interpret the meaning of co-teaching for faculty and TAs. Lines of inquiry, central concerns, exemplars, shared meanings, and paradigm cases supported the overall interpretation, “You Learn When You Teach.” Co-mentorship should be a requirement for nursing faculty preparation programs. Five strategies for ensuring success of PhD nursing students’ development as professional nurse scholars are recommended. Doctoral programs (e.g., PhD; DNP) would benefit from a unified approach to faculty preparation, guided by theories such as narrative pedagogy.