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A Systematic Review of Artificial Intelligence and Nursing Education: What Do We Know?
No full textProblem: Artificial intelligence (AI) has driven a global change in nursing education and is becoming more prevalent worldwide. Integrating AI into nursing education could revolutionize the preparation of future nurses and equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills related to AI. However, the existing literature on the intersection of nursing education and artificial intelligence is sparse, consisting primarily of commentaries, editorials, and opinion articles. To our knowledge, there is a notable gap in the comprehensive review that systematically synthesizes the current use of AI in nursing education.
Purpose: The aim of this systematic review was to synthesize the body of research on the current utilization of AI in nursing education to comprehensively understand the application of AI in the field of nurse education.
Search Strategy: This review follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. A systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, Education Resources Information Centre, and CINHAL Plus Full Text was conducted to identify studies published between 2019 and 2024 that aimed to investigate the body of research on AI in nursing education. The following Key terms were used to identify relevant studies: “artificial intelligence” OR “AI” AND “nursing” OR” nurses” OR “nursing education”.
Results of literature search: All identified references were stored in Zotero. A total of 573 Articles were identified from databases. Among them,85 duplicates were removed, and 488 articles underwent eligibility screening. After abstract/full-text screening,15 articles met the inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Synthesis of Evidence: The studies included in the review were synthesized to produce four themes pertaining to AI in nursing education: AI-driven decision-making, virtual reality and simulation, academic writing skills, and personalized learning.
Implications for Practice: This systematic review provides valuable insights into the current utilization of AI in nursing education, which provides a potential path to enhance critical thinking abilities and improve clinical competency for complex nursing procedures. Collaboration among educators and AI developers can improve learning outcomes for nursing students. Nursing educators can guard and guide the use of AI technology. Despite the applications of AI, AI in nursing education remains in its infancy, and further exploration and research in these areas is needed
Creation, Implementation, and Evaluation of Authentic Virtual Reality Interprofessional Simulations
No full textCreating and implementing interprofessional (IP) simulations in undergraduate healthcare education fashions opportunities for students to understand their roles in a collaborative team and enhance their confidence (Kleib et al., 2021). Disciplines may coalesce their knowledge, skill sets, and collective evidence-based practice to address multifaceted patient care.
An effective simulation modality to heighten practice readiness is virtual reality (VR) (Phillips et al., 2023). Immersion through a 3D platform provides visualization and interaction in a supposed real world (Cieslowski, 2023) for students to maneuver in while void of distractions. This intense focus facilitates critical thinking and clinical decision-making (Baysan et al., 2023). VR simulation is not bound by place or time, is an alternative to face-to-face simulation, and uses fewer resources (Plotzky et al., 2021).
The purpose of the project was to collaboratively develop three sustainable interdisciplinary VR simulations for undergraduate nursing and social work students and to assess their attitudes towards IP teams and satisfaction/self-confidence in learning upon implementation.
An interdisciplinary faculty team created three VR simulations to capture current themes (sex trafficking, substance abuse, domestic violence/gun violence) each with a nursing and social work perspective. Scenarios were developed into storyboards and filmed in real environments (acute care hospital room, emergency room, group home setting). Actors participated as patients while actual nurses and social workers depicted themselves to create fluid, realistic scenes with humans instead of avatars. Actual human presence and authentic interactions are integral to influence learner engagement (Lavoi et al., 2024).
Junior and senior level nursing and social work students view the VR simulations in both discipline perspectives. Prior to viewing, students complete the SPICE-R2 Instrument to measure perceptions of IP education/collaborative practice (Dominguez, 2015; Nicoteri, 2023). After viewing, students complete an adjusted version of the Student Satisfaction and Self-Confidence in Learning survey. Data collection is ongoing. Early results indicate positive attitudes towards IP teams and satisfaction/self-confidence in learning. To enable a shared understanding of discipline diversity, roles and IP collaboration, the VR simulations must be embedded/scaffolded throughout health professional curriculums (Hayes, 2022)
Losing All Faith in Women’s Healthcare: Women’s Experience with Pelvic Congestion Syndrome Pain
No full textPurpose: Pelvic congestion syndrome (PCS) is an underdiagnosed cause of chronic pelvic pain, which accounts for nearly 30% of gynecological visits. Chronic pelvic pain due to PCS is often exacerbated from long periods of standing or walking, sexual intercourse, and menstruation. Research on PCS mainly uses quantitative approaches that focused on evaluating the effects of pharmacological or medical procedures for PCS and associated pain and symptoms. There is limited evidence that provides deep understanding of the experiences of chronic pelvic pain from the women’s perspectives. Using a qualitative, descriptive phenomenological design, the purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of chronic pelvic pain among women PCS.Methods: A purposive sample of nine adult females with chronic pelvic pain following treatment for PCS was recruited from a Facebook support group. In-depth individual interviews were conducted via Zoom® using a semi-structured interview guide to explore their experiences of pain after PCS treatment. Data were transcribed verbatim and checked for accuracy. Data management and analysis were performed using nVivo. A rigorous, iterative data analysis method was employed to examine the data, compare codes, challenge interpretations, and inductively develop themes.Results: Five essential themes epitomized the experience of living with chronic pelvic pain after treatment of PCS: 1) Diverse health status before diagnosis; 2) Journey of being diagnosed; 3) Suffering from a variety of excruciating pain sensations; 4) Being a crutch on family due to loss of ones’ independence; 5) Everybody has to put their life on pause; and 6) Losing all faith in women’s healthcare.Conclusion: Our findings highlight the significant challenges faced by women suffering from chronic pelvic pain after treatment for PCS. The lack of awareness among healthcare providers often results in repeated referrals, ambiguous diagnoses, and ongoing debilitating pain. This research lays the groundwork for amplifying the experiences of affected women, addressing the critical gap in PCS diagnosis. There is an urgent need for education aimed at women, healthcare providers, and insurance companies to raise awareness, improve diagnostic accuracy, and advocate for comprehensive coverage of necessary treatments, ultimately alleviating the burden on these women and enhancing their quality of life
Mental Health Awareness for Carers and Parents of Young People With Migrant Backgrounds in Australia
No full textAustralia is a multicultural nation with 30% of people born overseas (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2023). Mental illness is highly prevalent among migrants with delayed help-seeking (World Health Organisation, 2021). Addressing the unique mental health care needs of these communities is paramount for improving inclusive and timely mental health care. ). Indian – born population is the second largest migrant community in Australia (Department of Health and Aged Care). Addressing the unique mental health care needs of these communities is paramount for improving inclusive and timely mental health care. The current phase of this research focused on Indian migrants.This research aims to improve mental health awareness and help-seeking behaviour of young people and their parents through education interventions. This study adopted a mixed methodology. Four mental health awareness programs were completed with more than 400 attendees. Quantitative data was collected before and after the mental health awareness workshop using a pre-validated mental health literacy instrument (n=286). Quantitative data analysis is in progress.
The qualitative study is completed. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews involving n=13 adults, mainly parents and caregivers who are migrants with Indian backgrounds. Data was analysed using thematic analysis.
The findings highlighted the themes of `Parenting in the dual culture: a journey of mixed experiences, `Lack of knowledge\u27, `Mental health - we don\u27t talk about it\u27 Impact on Children\u27 `Challenge in seeking help in new Cultures\u27 and `Connecting migrants to Mental Health resources\u27. The responses from participants highlighted a limited understanding of mental health and available support. They also discussed complex issues associated with parenting in a different culture and its impacts on mental health. This complex issue required evidence-based multipronged interventions.
This project is completed with the support of an Academic Seed Grant from the Collaborative Evaluation and Research Centre (CERC)
A Feminist Analysis of Kenyan Women’s Use of HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis During Pregnancy
No full textBackground: HIV incidence remains high among pregnant and postpartum women in Kenya despite access to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP).1–4 Male partners influence women’s individual PrEP decisions,5–7 yet few studies evaluate community-level gender and power dynamics. Aligned with calls for feminist global health research,8,9 we explored gender-based determinants and structural challenges of pregnant women’s PrEP use through a feminist lens.Methods: We conducted focus group discussions (FGDs) in English, Dholuo, and Swahili with healthcare workers (HCW) and community advisory board (CAB) members of a randomized trial (NCT04472884) that enrolled pregnant women initiating PrEP at antenatal clinics in western Kenya.10 FGD topics included PrEP knowledge and adherence, HIV prevention, and long-acting (LA) PrEP. Kenyan team members translated and transcribed the FGDs verbatim in English. Guided by critical thematic analysis and a feminist lens, we open-coded transcripts in Dedoose, created gender-focused codes inductively, and generated themes.11,12Findings: We conducted 9 FGDs from October to December 2023, 5 with HCWs and 4 with CAB members. Of the 46 participants, a majority (67%) were female and the median age was 36 years (IQR: 31-47). Participants observed that women modify their PrEP use in response to men’s power in relationships, particularly in connection with men’s social status, financial security, and perceived or known infidelity. Some participants shared that women secretly use PrEP, fearing that disclosure may lead to intimate partner violence (IPV) or job loss. Participants noted that men’s barriers to PrEP use include ego, less contact with health systems as compared to women, and myth that only women and female sex workers are at risk for HIV. Women’s autonomy and agency were perceived to be undermined by community beliefs, including stigma from associating PrEP use with promiscuity, and misinformation that PrEP is an HIV treatment. Participants felt that LA-PrEP could enhance privacy, improve adherence, and reduce stigma and IPV. However, participants caution LA-PrEP may reinforce gender roles like those in family planning, where women are expected to bear the responsibility for sexual health.Conclusion: Community-level gender barriers, power imbalances, and cultural norms significantly affect women\u27s PrEP access, use, and adherence. A critical feminist lens helps identify key determinants to support global health equity efforts
Bridging Theory-Practice Gaps: Military Nurses\u27 Combat Palliative Praxis and Care Competency
No full textBackground/Purpose: Evidence-based national guidelines establish traditional palliative care standards, yet there are gaps in applying competencies amidst combat nursing complexity, frontline fluctuations, and mass casualties. During the most recent wars, nurses related reluctance in triaging and not knowing how to care for severely ill and dying young service members (Kenny & Kelley, 2019; Kelley, Kenny, & Donley, 2017). Relevant nursing theory integration is lacking to guide this distinctly difficult context marked by severity and suffering, requiring theoretical nursing models attuned to combat conditions.Aims/Outcomes: This presentation aims to describe an ongoing study using an adapted unitary caring science model (Reed 2010) to guide military nurses’ combat palliative praxis by synthesizing the literature, theory, and clinical guidelines. The study will bridge gaps in knowledge and allow for the development of standard palliative competencies for use in deployed military situations by integrating unitary caring science concepts matched to evidence-based guidelines and described by military nurse participants.Methods/Practice: We first matched the Adapted Unitary-Caring Conceptual Model for Palliative Care developed by Reed to potential competencies needed by military nurses. We then conducted a systematic literature review of medical care and triage studies in the deployed context. We continue by using the literature and the model to build a beginning set of questions for a Delphi approach (Trevelyan & Robinson, 2015) using active-duty military nurse participants who deployed to the most recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Using three rounds of questioning, we plan to build consensus to develop unique nursing competencies for military nurses in deployed scenarios. We will then translate the information gained with current palliative and end-of-life care guidelines into curriculum, processes, protocols, and decision support for military nurses in deployed and wartime scenarios.Conclusion/Implications: This study will create the ability for military nurses to provide competent palliative and end-of-life care in austere environments. Moreover, the developed model will serve as a robust framework guiding combat palliative nursing in transformative ways. It offers specific pathways for further research endeavors, informing evidence-based practices in the demanding context of combat care, and enriches educational curricula for military nurses
Poor Dietary Habits and Physical Inactivity in Obese and Overweight Children: A Concept Analysis
No full textAim: The aim of this poster is to analyze the concepts of poor dietary habits and physical inactivity, which are defined differently by various researchers, in obese and overweight school-aged children.
Background: Poor dietary habits and physical inactivity are two common modifiable lifestyle behaviors, contributing to overweight/obesity in children.
Design: Rodgers\u27 method of concept analysis guided the review, including sample and setting, literature search, and data analysis.
Data Source: PubMed and CINAHL were searched for relevant literature.Results: Antecedents included changes in children\u27s lifestyles, increased dependence on transportation, parental, caregivers’, and peer influence, cultural and social norms, and environmental factors. Attributes include intake of high-carbohydrate and sugary beverages and foods, increased screen time, and lack of exercise. Consequences include persisting childhood obesity to adulthood non-communicable diseases, psychosocial issues, and increased healthcare costs.
Conclusion: Establishing healthy lifestyle behaviors such as healthy dietary habits, incorporating physical activity to the sedentary lifestyle are important strategies for combating the rising rates of childhood overweight/obesity.
Impact: Addressing poor dietary habits includes implementing nutritional education programs and counseling for both children and parents and introducing school-based initiatives and community resources to improve dietary choices. Addressing sedentary physical inactivity includes encouraging active lifestyle through structured programs, integrating movement into daily routines, and promoting active play to help combat sedentary lifestyle.
Public and Patient Contribution: Healthcare professionals, like pediatricians, dietitians, and educators, need to improve their approaches to tackle childhood overweight/obesity. This involves combining efforts to address both poor dietary habits and physcial inactivity, educating families about how these lifestyle choices impact health, and creating personalized plans to help children make better choices. In addition, policies should be directed towards school-based interventions for providing healthy dietary choices and exercise programs
Instrument Adaptation Through Focus Group Insights of Clinical Nurse Specialist Practice
No full textBackground/Purpose: The Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) profession globally and across the US is facing challenges including workforce shortage and low CNS academic program enrollment. Role confusion and dissemination of outcomes directly tied to CNS practice may contribute to the issue. This study aims to address this gap by adapting a validated time in motion instrument, originally developed in Canada, to gather comprehensive data on the practice of the CNS in diverse care settings across southern California. The purpose of phase 1 is to ensure that the CNS time in motion instrument is tailored to the local healthcare environment.
Methods: The overarching study is a multi-site sequential mixed methods study divided into 3 phases. This presentation focuses on phase 1, instrument adaptation. This phase involves the use of focus groups of CNSs, non-CNS nurses, and key stakeholders to incorporate critical feedback regarding cultural and regional practice details into the instrument. This phase will also involve initial validity and reliability testing of the adapted instrument. Collaboration with the original instrument’s creator will add to the methodological rigor.
Expected Outcomes: The expected outcome of phase 1 includes the successful adaptation and validation of the instrument. The focus group data are expected to yield a culturally relevant and context specific instrument that accurately reflects CNS practice and will allow for precise data collection and meaningful CNS activity metrics. This phase of the study will facilitate the next phases of the study, observing CNS activities, developing a dashboard that displays key CNS practice metrics, and analyzing the impact on patient and organizational outcomes.
Significance: A dashboard that clearly shows the link between CNS practice and outcomes has the potential to demonstrate the value of the CNS role and provide clarity in role confusion. These insights could shape future CNS practice, policy decisions, and organizational resource allocation
Creating a Quality Improvement Academy to Advance the Professional Development of Front-Line Nurses
No full textInvolving nurses in quality improvement (QI) is associated with improved quality care, operational efficiency, cost, and job satisfaction (Djukic et al., 2021; Robinson & Gelling, 2019; Tschannen et al., 2023). For nurses to engage in QI, they need proper structure, education, supportive leadership, and resources (Connor et al., 2023; Tschannen et al., 2021). Without such, they are ill-equipped to improve or sustain current practices with confidence and competence.A gap was identified in an organization’s nursing structure in which a QI methodological approach and supporting resources was lacking. To address this gap, an 8-month QI Academy pilot was developed to equip front-line nurses with education, tools, and mentorship in the development, implementation, sustainment, and dissemination of QI projects. Using the organization’s shared governance model, this project aimed to provide a platform for nursing-driven changes through nursing unit councils.The unit council chairs and/or co-chairs of five nursing units participated in QI Academy and were taught QI methodology using the Model for Improvement and Plan, Do, Study, Act (Deming, 1986; Langley, 2009). Monthly sessions broke down the concepts of QI, introduced key tools, provided project work time, and used action items to keep projects on track. Clinical nurse specialists served as QI Coaches and attended standardized mentorship training. An electronic QI toolkit provided project guidance and housed all elements of the project, enabling participants to create a professional poster to disseminate findings at an organizational event.Each unit successfully completed QI Academy. Pre-post Likert scale questionnaires collectively demonstrated an increase in QI coaches’ knowledge of QI concepts and confidence in mentoring. Participants demonstrated an improved knowledge of QI methodology and found mentorship valuable. Since the inception of the program, the pilot has been expanded to all unit councils system wide.The development of a QI Academy program may serve as an effective platform to address nursing process gaps. Creating QI mentors and engaging front-line nurses through a structured program that utilizes standardized tools, trained mentors, and dedicated work time offers nurses the ability to further their professional development by building knowledge and skills for applying QI methodology to improve nursing practice
Developing an Evidence-Based Educational Framework to Support ICU Nurses in Trauma Care Competencies
No full textBackground: Managing trauma patients in intensive care units (ICUs) significantly impacts patient survival and outcomes, requiring skilled nurses to deliver competent care. In-service education (ISE) is vital for developing trauma-care-specific competencies.1 Research on trauma care education in critical care is limited, especially in contexts with a workforce of diverse educational backgrounds.2 This study aimed to develop an educational framework to support trauma care competencies for a mixed-culture workforce in Saudi Arabia.
Methods: An exploratory multiple-case study, guided by the Medical Research Council Framework for developing complex interventions3 was conducted across three hospitals in two Saudi Arabian regions. Participants included 68 key stakeholders from adult ICUs, including clinical staff, educators, managers, and leaders. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, complemented by documentary reviews of trauma-related education syllabi/ competencies, followed by advisory focus groups for education framework refinement. Framework analysis was used for interviews and focus groups, while content analysis was employed for document reviews.
Results: The findings were categorised into three main categories, including several themes and subthemes:
1. Trauma care and education practices:- Trauma care practice: Highlighted limited competencies, educational support, and the educational needs of nurses.- Trauma education practice: Described staff learning behaviours, supervision practices, and ISE systems in the studied settings.4
2. Educational components: Stakeholders emphasised the need for ISE by subject experts characterised by:- Relevant educational content.- A range of educational techniques.- Flexible delivery and format.
3. Factors influencing the implementation of the ISE framework: Enablers included adequate planning, sufficient resources, and a supportive work environment. Barriers included heavy workloads, cost, low-quality training, and balancing life and well-being.5
Conclusion and implications: This study systematically developed a novel ISE framework that enhances the understanding of the multicultural nursing workforce\u27s educational needs in complex clinical settings. The use of multiple cases enhances the transferability of the developed framework; however, future research should evaluate its feasibility and implementation