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The Effects of Collaborative Testing on Stress/Anxiety, and Cognitive Load
No full textStress, in the form of test anxiety, hinders testing performance. Testing performance is essential to success in the nursing curriculum and the achievement of student learning outcomes (Coy et al, 2011). Test anxiety characteristics include an anticipated examination, subjective feelings of fear or worry, behavioral effects related to study and test-taking habit, physical signs such as jitters or headaches, and cognitive effects such as forgetfulness (Gibson, 2014).
Cognitive load refers to the complexity of processing required for the student to build information in long-term memory. There are three subsets of cognitive load-intrinsic, extraneous and germane. Germane cognitive is the amount of working memory required to learn. Elevated levels of extraneous load (uncertainty, stress, or poorly constructed problems) limit the ability of the student to learn) Sweller et al, 2019).
Collaborative testing can decrease pressure and anxiety allowing improved recall of material and improved test scores (Mitchell & Melton, 2003).This study aims to explore the effects of collaborative testing, and cognitive load among baccalaureate nursing students’ performance
Using a pre-test and post-test (quasi-experiment) research design, this study aims to: Examine the students’ cognitive load following individual testing and following collaborative testing differentiating between intrinsic, extraneous, and germane loads Determine the relationship among students ‘demographics, stress, anxiety, and cognitive load. Explore the extent to which demographics, stress, and/or anxiety predict students’ cognitive load.
Methods:The sample for this study is beginning nursing students enrolled in pathophysiology which is in one of the first nursing classes.
Demographic data was collected. The students had baseline vital signs taken and recorded the week prior to testing. On the day of the test, vital signs were taken before and following individual and cooperative testing. Following vital signs, the students completed the Test Anxiety Questionnaire and the Cognitive Load Scale.
Data Analysis and Management:
Aim 1: Descriptive statistics (mean, median, and standard deviation)
Aim 2: Pearson’s moment correlations, Chi-square testing.
Aim 3: Regression (bi-variate and /or multivariate) and cross tabulation.
The research design will be quasi-experimental and correlational. Power analysis will be utilized to support the sample size.
The results of this study are being processed by Dr Jesse Casida
Conclusion: The results of this study should provide an innovative method to improve student testing and performance
Reducing Moral Distress through Improved Interprofessional Collaboration in End-of-Life Care
No full textInadequate interdisciplinary collaboration in end-of-life care can result in moral distress among nurses, reflecting conflicts between core nursing values and physician expectations. This quality improvement project seeks to reduce moral distress by enhancing collaboration between physicians and nurses in providing end-of-life care in a defined microsystem on the Transitional Care Unit (TCU). A pre-survey of registered nurses (RNs) revealed that moral distress occurs when caring for actively dying patients, regardless of their code status. Nurses identified a need for improved communication with physicians to facilitate timely implementation of comfort medication order sets and better address the palliative needs of these patients.To address these concerns, a focus group of Charge Nurses will implement a standardized RN advocacy communication tool during daily multidisciplinary rounds. This tool is designed to improve the clarity and timeliness of communication between nurses and physicians, ensuring that patient needs are addressed collaboratively and efficiently. By fostering a structured approach to advocacy, the project aims to empower nurses to voice concerns and contribute to care planning more effectively.The broader impacts of this initiative are significant, as moral distress in end-of-life care has been linked to burnout, reduced job satisfaction, and compromised patient care. Enhancing interprofessional collaboration not only alleviates moral distress but simultaneously improves the quality of care for dying patients by ensuring their needs are met in a timely and compassionate manner. This project advocates nursing values through a structured communication tool addressing systemic barriers to effective teamwork, offering a scalable model for improving end-of-life care and supporting the well-being of healthcare providers. By addressing the root causes of moral distress, this initiative has the potential to create a more sustainable and compassionate healthcare environment
The Real Problem: Students Aren\u27t Failing Because They Don\u27t Know Enough—They\u27re Failing Because They Don\u27t Know How to Prepare [December 2025 Episode]
No full textYou\u27ve seen it happen: capable students who sailed through clinicals suddenly freeze when it comes to NCLEX prep. They avoid studying, use ineffective strategies, or panic-cram the wrong material. Meanwhile, you want to help—but what exactly should you tell them?
Here\u27s the challenge: the NCLEX keeps evolving, and most faculty training focuses on clinical teaching, not test prep coaching or the specifics of what Next Gen NCLEX measures. Add students who resist preparation, and it\u27s tough to know exactly how to help. Join Dr. Rhonda Lawes, PhD, RN, a 20+ year NCLEX review veteran who has personally coached over 7,000 students to NCLEX success. In this no-fluff, practice-ready session, you\u27ll get the real answers about NCLEX and practical coaching strategies that work, even with students who are stuck, overwhelmed, or don\u27t know where to start.
This session focuses on faculty
Self-Efficacy and Knowledge of UIndy Pre-Licensure Nursing Students Caring for the LGBTQ+ Population
No full textResearch has shown that LGBTQ+ identifying people face not only socio-political discrimination but also disproportionate healthcare disparities. Additionally, studies have found that LGBTQ+ identifying patients are burdened with the responsibility of educating healthcare providers about their identities. Multiple studies have shown that nursing students are underprepared by their academic programs to care for people who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community. The resulting lack of knowledge and self-efficacy that nursing students experience may affect their care of LGBTQ+ patients and contribute to health disparities. The purpose of this project is to explore University of Indianapolis nursing students’ self-efficacy and knowledge regarding caring for the LGBTQ+ community and to identify which topics they feel most prepared to address. This project utilized a qualitative basic interpretive design and convenience sampling to obtain a sample of final semester nursing students. Data collection took place through semi-structured interviews and was analyzed using content analysis. From the content analysis six themes were identified. These themes included a larger community, limited education, spectrum of reported level of knowledge, general comfort when caring for the LGBTQ+ population, education recommendations and strategies, and equity vs. equality
Designing a QI Initiative: Preoperative Bathing in the ED for Adult Hip Fracture Patients
No full textSurgical site infections (SSIs) following hip fracture surgeries in adults are severe complications that increase morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. Preoperative bathing, particularly with chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG), reduces the risk of surgical site infection after hip fracture surgery by decontaminating skin flora, such as Staphylococcus aureus. Compliance with preoperative bathing protocols remains low, especially among adult patients admitted through emergency departments. To address the gap in preoperative bathing compliance, a quality improvement initiative will implement a preoperative bathing protocol using CHG wipes in the emergency department for adult hip fracture patients. Currently, there is a lack of evidence regarding the improvement of preoperative bathing compliance in hip fracture patients. Literature suggests that a standardized, evidence-based preoperative bathing protocol and educational intervention should be implemented to reduce hospital-acquired infections, such as central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI). Therefore, a preoperative bathing protocol will be implemented in the emergency department along with nursing education on the evidence-based protocol, evaluated through pre- and post-educational assessments and compliance measurements via EHR audits
Stakeholders\u27 Perceptions Regarding the Incorporation of Ubuntu Values in Pregnancy Interventions
No full textBackground: Current interventions for preventing teenage pregnancy in South Africa lack multi-stakeholder involvement and Ubuntu values. As a result, these limitations create barriers to their acceptability and implementation by teenagers and stakeholders, evidenced by recorded 67,389 deliveries among girls aged 15 to 19 years and 1,424 deliveries among girls aged 10 to 14 years in Gauteng province (Khanyile, 2025).
Aim: This study aimed to explore and describe stakeholders’ perceptions regarding incorporating Ubuntu values in interventions to prevent teenage pregnancy. The study findings will further propose how the Ubuntu values might be incorporated into the interventions.
Methods: This study followed the cyclical process of participatory action research. Sixty-seven purposively sampled stakeholders (14 nurses, 34 parents, 12 social workers, and seven (7) teachers) participated in focus group discussions conducted between April and September 2023 in the Ekurhuleni district of South Africa.
Findings: The main findings highlight the benefits of incorporating Ubuntu values and the perception of the lack of Ubuntu values as a threat to the incorporation of Ubuntu values in the interventions.
Conclusion: The study findings revealed that stakeholders perceive Ubuntu values as essential catalysts of teamwork and could be used to delay teenagers’ engagement in sexual activities through role modelling and respectful services. Moreover, sharing sexual reproductive health and contraceptive information will increase teenagers’ knowledge and awareness of the available interventions for the prevention of teenage pregnancy. The involvement of stakeholders is recommended to break the barriers to the acceptance and implementation of teenage pregnancy interventions. The Department of Health should invest adequate infrastructure and resources to provide SRH information
Evaluation of a Food Distribution Center
No full textFood insecurity in the United States is experienced by one in seven American households. In 2023, the food insecurity rate for the U.S. was 13.5%, which was 6% higher than the prior year. As a result of these rising numbers, emphasis has been placed on food insecurity as a social determinant of health that, on its own, serves as a contributing factor and predictor of patient outcomes. The food distribution center is crucial in alleviating food insecurity in Madison County. This program evaluation assesses the efficacy and operational efficiency of the center, providing insights for strategic enhancements and informed policy development decisions. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the study integrates quantitative data, including the volume of food distributed and the percentage of participants served, with qualitative insights gathered from stakeholders and participants. This will encompass interviews and satisfaction surveys. Few studies have investigated the impact of food distribution centers on the community. Consequently, this evaluation aims to highlight the impact of the food distribution center on reducing food insecurity among participants. Recommendations encompass bolstering community involvement and understanding the impact of food insecurity on health. These insights aim to refine the center\u27s operations, enhancing its capacity to serve the community effectively
Using Well-Being, Professional Identity, and Civility Best Practices in a Nursing Academic Setting
No full textOBJECTIVES: Discover perspectives of well-being in academics Describe methods for determining Professional Identity in Nursing Determine methodology to detect aspects of academic civil work environment
Identifying perspectives is critical to intervention implementation and strategy. Authors describe the Mini-Z General, the Healthy Work Environment Index, the Civility Work Index, and Professional Identity in Nursing (PIN) Survey to identify and measure well-being, PIN, a healthy work environment, and civility among faculty and staff.Data demonstrated a stress and best practice intervention was need for well-being, PIN, and civility. Identifying well-being and envisioning the future programming state can guide change and support various group needs across campuses.Mini-Z Qualitative Themes 2023-2024 Faculty Wellness results included communication, workload, stress, and leadership to the stresses question.The Healthy Work Environment Index highest scale means were teamwork, shared vision and mission with trust, respect and collegiality, emphasis on employee wellness and self-care, recognition, and equitable treatment. Opportunities were mentoring, communication, compensation, satisfaction, engagement, and ongoing culture assessment with improvement.Civility Index highest means included confidentiality, accountability for actions, and apologizing and mean it when a situation calls for it. Lowest Civility Index means were avoiding spreading gossip and rumors, distracting others during meetings, speaking directly to person I have an issue with, and seeking and encouraging constructive feedback from others.PIN Self Domain questions were trustworthiness, respect to others, integrity and empathy. Lowest Self-Domain questions were courage, motivation, engagement, and self-awareness. Colleague Domain Questions highest means were patient-centered mindset, caring, knowledge-clinical judgment and inquiring mindset. PIN Colleague Domain Questions lowest means were conflict, negotiation, and effective communication, takes care of self, and the domain of inclusivity.Overall, university resources were shared with all four campuses. A Stress First Aid Workshop and a variety of offerings on individual campuses were well-received by participants. The study aligned with the overall school strategic plan, reassessments of perceptions of wellbeing and the health and civility of the work environment will occur on a regular basis
Implementation Science as Common Ground for Researchers and Practitioners
No full textWithin the larger context of healthcare transformation, nurse scholars are crafting revitalized roles in both implementation research and implementation practice. The foci of these roles are overlapping and have hybridized into new models and activities that reflect quality improvement, change management, development of pragmatic research design and methods, and establishment of practice facilitation activities in healthcare delivery. The basics of implementation science will be described and demonstrated through case study analysis
Represent: GLMC Bringing Sigma’s Global Regions Together
No full textAs professional nurses and Sigma members, the Global Leadership Mentoring Community (GLMC), with its outreach, connects Sigma’s vast diversity and capability of representing global nurses, a Sigma Call to Action (2023-2025).1
Purpose: To understand the impact of GLMC on serving as ambassadors of Sigma, coming together through mentoring relationships to build a cross-cultural leadership platform, and seeking collective solutions for global healthcare issues.
Background: Sigma brings nursing expertise across the globe and emphasizes how nurses play key role in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDM),2 Global nurse leaders impact healthcare and cost-effectiveness on quality, safety, and outcomes.3 Mentorship through GLMC enables one to build leadership capacity.4 The vision of GLMC is that “Through successful mentoring, participants will enhance their confidence in their global nursing leadership, gaining greater cultural awareness of the issues challenging professional nursing and be personally enriched.” Since 2014, GLMC has established a structured fifteen-month mentorship program for every biennium. By intentionally pairing mentor-mentee dyads across different Sigma Global Regions, the GLMC represents the diversity that makes up the worldwide nursing profession and the honor society.5 Using online platforms to connect, the dyads set goals, take actions for individual growth and serve as conduits for solving healthcare issues affecting their profession, organizations or regions.
Impact/Implications: The GLMC connects leadership and shared learning to empower and lead the way in transforming global healthcare. GLMC is well established and positioned to develop global leaders and represent the continuous change that Sigma aspires to achieve. Mentorship has enabled the growth of individuals\u27 skill sets and the confidence to reach out to peers worldwide to understand the meaning of global health and make a meaningful contribution to the challenges they face. Mentoring benefits leadership competence and well-being.
Conclusion: The GLMC strives to achieve its mission of “developing nurse leaders anywhere to improve healthcare everywhere and promotes the vision of “connected, empowered nurse leaders transforming global healthcare.” GLMC achieves this by promoting excellence in nursing scholarship, leadership, and service through research, education, and practice. Thus, GLMC represents Sigma globally