Student Nurses' Perception on the Impact of Information Technology on Teaching and Learning

This paper investigates student nurses' perceptions of the impact of using information technology (IT) on teaching and learning critical care nursing. This study was conducted at the Faculty of Nursing, Mansoura University, Egypt. The sample included 163 of fourth year Bachelor of Nursing students enrolled in a critical care nursing course during the first semester of the academic year 2007-2008. The data was collected using a questionnaire sheet that gathered information about student nurses' IT skills and use, perception of the access to and use of IT at Faculty of Nursing, perception of the impact of using IT on teaching and perception, and on the impact of using IT on learning the critical care nursing course. The findings indicate that nursing students had a positive perception on the impact of using IT on teaching and learning the critical care nursing course. Students wanted access to IT at the Faculty, and expressed their need for more training on using Internet and Microsoft PowerPoint, and for IT resources in classrooms.

The Experts in Design of Distance Nursing Education

In this chapter, the author answer the question, How should the experts approach the design of distance nursing education? In this context, firstly, the chapter focuses on the importance of continuity of education and distance education for nurses. Secondly, it discusses the design of distance nursing education programs and the issues to be taken into account by experts. Thirdly, it explains the issues that need to be addressed in distance nursing education such as transition from teacher-centered approach to learner-centered approach, learning styles of learners, technology, interaction, presentation of content, and support services. Lastly, the chapter offers solutions and suggestions.

Nursing as a Global Career

In today's global environment, the nursing profession is regarded as a noble, challenging and competitive profession. Malaysian trained nurses are highly in demand due to their training and on-going efforts are made to ensure that the standards are well-maintained. This paper describes a part of a larger study. It reports the findings of a study pertaining to the needs of English language communication skills for nurses in a private hospital in Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia. The study focused on the needs of English language communication skills at the workplace. These skills were written and spoken English communication, reading, listening, and interpersonal communication. By identifying these communicative competency needs, the study has given insights into helping the nurses to increase their work performance, meet their work demands and help the employability of the nurses globally.

Informal Learning Contributes to the Leadership Development of Nurse Managers

This chapter aligns with this book's purpose to highlight the incidents of informal learning in a variety of settings. The focus of this chapter is on the experiential and informal learning that emerged from a recent study of the workplace leadership development of nurse managers in the United States. This study used a grounded-theory methodology and was based on 19 semi-structured interviews of current and previous nurse managers in two healthcare organizations. The findings focus on the informal learning of nurse managers and how these findings fit into and contribute to the existing literature in adult education on informal workplace learning. Subsequently, the author describes a proposed theory of the informal/experiential learning aspects that contributed to the nurses' role transitions in this study. This chapter will shed new light on the healthcare context as a place of immense informal learning and the informal learning of nurses.

Leaders' Behavior in Association With Job Satisfaction and Organizational Commitment

The achievement of organizational objectives depends on the leadership and leaders' behavior. The study was conducted to examine the relationship between the leaders' behavior, job satisfaction and organizational commitment of employees in nursing in Slovenian hospitals. The differences between individual variables were analyzed with the Mann-Whitney Test, Spearman correlation analysis and the regression analysis. With the leadership style, leaders' characteristics, leaders' emotional intelligence, and teamwork in the unit we can explain 51% of the total variability of nurses' job satisfaction and 84% of organizational commitment. Leaders' behavior has an important component of work and associated with job satisfaction and organizational commitment of employees in nursing. Health care organizations can be successful if the employees are satisfied with their work and have a high level of organizational commitment.

Online Applied Learning in Nursing Education

The instructional design process, Analyze, Design, Develop, Implement, and Evaluate (ADDIE), along with a pedagogical approach was applied to the design and implementation of an online applied learning activity. The activity was delivered in an accelerated nursing leadership asynchronous online course within the fully online RN-BSN program at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW). Research associated with online applied and experiential learning, particularly in the area of nursing education, that guided the design is presented. The design process and the evaluation results are discussed with future implications.

A Blueprint for Online Licensed Practical Nurse Training

Estimated at 25 percent of Americans, the number of low-income single mothers is on the rise (Loprest & Austin, 2011). Described as the disconnected, these women are needy in many areas. Most have less education, and sometimes, more learning disabilities. Some have problems of substance abuse, depression, mental illnesses, and other physical health problems (Wincup, 2014; Jayakody & Stauffer, 2000; Tolman, Himle, Bybee, Abelson, Hoffman, & Van Etten-Lee, 2015). These characteristics have called for action on the plight of these women as their numbers become a strain on welfare systems leading to reduced benefits for some, with others being denied altogether (Silver, Heneghan, Bauman & Stein, 2006). The chapter presents a blueprint to train these mothers into Licensed Practical Nurses to reduce dependence on public finances and to enhance their self-images (Atkins, 2010). The blueprint explores how these women learn, and the services they need to complete the program.

The Nurse Educator's Role in Designing Instruction and Instructional Strategies for Academic and Clinical Settings

Nursing education programs seeking to equip graduates with needed tools to integrate medical expertise with experience in the systematic design of instruction have the opportunity to better ensure positive learning outcomes in varied settings as graduates take on their new roles as nurse educators. The learning environment of the nurse educator is complex yet with skill in the reasoned approach to the design of instruction can progress into more knowable contexts for which to problem solve. Nurse educators possessing interdisciplinary skills in their field facilitated by expertise in instructional design will enhance their practice by developing and delivering precision instruction.

The Development of BelRAI, a Web Application for Sharing Assessment Data on Frail Older People in Home Care, Nursing Homes, and Hospitals

As the complexity of caregiving rises and surpasses traditional models of care, the need for comprehensive and integrated assessment systems increases. The use of standardised and computerised data—available to those who must make decisions—has become paramount. In Belgium, the BelRAI Web application has been developed to support the use of interRAI assessment instruments in a multidisciplinary way and to exchange client-centred information across care settings. This chapter describes the particularities of BelRAI, the security aspects, the support tools, the gradual process of implementation, the dos and don'ts, the pros and cons, and the challenges for the future. The benefits seem to overrule the drawbacks, but it has also become clear that only a significant expenditure on resources with regard to adequate staffing in healthcare environments, appropriate information technology, and training facilities can contribute to a successful introduction, maintenance, and full exploitation of this innovative health information system.

The Potential of Mobile Health in Nursing

Mobile information and communication technologies are increasingly used in nursing. In a new plasma-supported treatment for patients with chronic wounds in outpatient nursing settings, the LiveCity camera can be used as an innovative mobile communication technology. It enables rapid and high quality exchange of information between remotely located doctors and nursing staff. This procedure promises to deliver positive outcomes regarding the quality of the treatment and patient safety while avoiding additional hospitalisation and saving time and costs. This is achieved by rapidly confirming diagnoses and agreeing on a joint treatment appropriate for the current wound status. Thus, complications in wound healing can be promptly identified and countermeasures initiated through quick and easy access to medical and nursing expertise.