1,721,010 research outputs found
Peer Assessment in the Team-Based Learning Classroom
No full textAlthough peer assessment (PA) is purported to be an essential element of Team Based Learning (TBL), there is little evidence to indicate the most effective method of PA in this context. This literature review was undertaken to examine the research relating to PA of individual students’ contributions to group work. As such, this literature review might prove useful and informative for educators using PA in a variety of contexts, including problem-based learning, case-based learning, or group projects. A total of 45 research articles describing both qualitative and quantitative studies were examined. These articles were examined to investigate the potential benefits or drawbacks of PA; the validity and reliability of PA; what PA process and instrument constitute best practice; and the method that is most appropriate to use when calculating a student’s grade from a PA score. Each of these issues was examined and, where possible, evidence and recommendations from the literature were presented. In addition to describing many of the factors that teachers should consider prior to implementing PA in a university course, this literature review also revealed many gaps in knowledge and potential avenues for research into PA.Health and Social Development, Faculty of (Okanagan)Nursing, School of (Okanagan)UnreviewedGraduat
Nurses’ communicative practices related to medical assistance in dying (MAiD)
No full textIn 2016, Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) became legal in Canada. Since that time, nurses have played a unique role in the processes of MAiD. From initial patient inquiries, all the way through to a patient’s death, nurses require complex communication skills to navigate conversations with patients and families. Despite these conversations being difficult for nurses, little research has been completed on this topic.
In this qualitative study, I used Interpretive Description to answer the question, “How do nurses describe their communicative practices related to MAiD in Canada?” To do this, I completed a secondary analysis of 42 interviews with nurses in Canada in the years following the legalization of MAiD. I looked at how nurses described their communicative practices, what challenges nurses faced, and what is needed moving forward as more Canadians seek out MAiD.
The findings from this study revealed that nurses are involved in conversations that are unique to the MAiD context. Nurses face challenges in knowing how to respond to inquiries while abiding by the law and organizational policies. Nurses must have frank conversations about suffering and death while also educating patients about MAiD provisions. Where possible, nurses stay in touch with patients and continue to educate them about what is to come. Nurses have had to learn how to communicate during a new type of death. Finally, nurses stay in touch with families to provide support during the bereavement period.
This research suggests that, while nurses have developed strategies to communicate about MAiD in meaningful ways, challenges persist. This research provides recommendations for practice, education, and research. First, it is recommended that regulatory bodies or employers create guidelines to support nurses in communicating about MAiD. It is also recommended that further formalized education be developed that focuses specifically on communication and MAiD. Finally, it is recommended that additional research be completed to learn more about nurses’ current communicative practices and gain a better understanding of how nurses address challenging situations unique to MAiD. By implementing these recommendations, it is hoped that the uncertainty that nurses feel as they support patients through MAiD can be reduced.Health and Social Development, Faculty of (Okanagan)Nursing, School of (Okanagan)Graduat
Developing the role of the volunteer to support caregivers of children with medical complexity
No full textBackground: A growing number of children in Canada are born with medically complex conditions. The challenging presentation and progression of these conditions may lead to uncertainty surrounding a child’s survival into adulthood. A common thread throughout the life of a child with medical complexity is a high need for caregiving. To address these needs, parents may fulfill the consuming role of family caregiver, though many caregivers across Canada face a health system ill-equipped to provide them with family-centered and holistic support. Volunteerism is a potential, yet largely unexplored, avenue of support that could address some of the needs of family caregivers of children with medical complexity.
Research Design: This mixed-method study occurred over two phases. Phase One aimed to develop the role of a volunteer to meet family caregiver needs using a modified electronic-Delphi survey and a virtual Focus Group interview with family caregivers. Phase Two aimed to develop the competencies required by a volunteer to meet the roles as described by family caregivers in Phase One. Phase Two involved a second modified electronic-Delphi method of two survey rounds with academic and health professionals specialized in pediatric palliative care and volunteer navigation.
Findings: The result of Phase One was a list of 34 roles under eight domains: (1) communication, (2) daily-life and chores, (3) emotional support, (4) information and knowledge, (5) respite, (6) decision-making, (7) sharing the caregiving experience, and (8) qualities of help. Phase Two resulted in a list of 22 related sub-competencies and 62 accompanying learning objectives for each of the eight domains identified in Phase One.
Discussion: The findings of this thesis have laid the groundwork for a volunteer role with families of children with medical complexity. These findings suggest that caregivers would benefit from individualized and family-centered volunteer support that addresses a range of needs. Ideally, caregivers would prefer long-term support in-the-home and with a volunteer who has some previous lived experiences as a caregiver for a child with medical complexity. This thesis can lead to future research such as the development of a comprehensive training curriculum and a feasibility and acceptability study.Health and Social Development, Faculty of (Okanagan)Nursing, School of (Okanagan)Graduat
Experiences of nurse educators of international nursing students : an interpretive description study
No full textBackground: Nurses are increasingly migrating to Canada for higher wages and better working conditions that exist in their own home countries. With this increase, higher education institutions across Canada have adopted education programs to facilitate the migration process for internationally educated nurses (IENs). However, nurse educators are challenged with teaching students of different cultural backgrounds and learning needs.
Research Design: This qualitative study aimed to gather information on nurse educators' experiences who have taught international nursing students (INS) to improve teaching and learning practices. Semi-structured interviews of INS nurse educators were conducted at a rural Canadian college that adopted a program to support international nurses to gain a nurse specialty. An Interpretive Description methodological approach was used to examine and apply the data to ensure the findings applied to the nursing discipline.
Findings: Four thematic statements were constructed from these interviews: learning the learner, experiencing moral uncertainty in my role, inviting reciprocal relationships, and finding our way. Described in these themes were: the experiences of participants as they were trying to understand who their new learner was and how to effectively teach them when confronted with issues related to cultural safety; the uncertainties participants had about integrating INS into the school, community and workplace; the benefits experienced by educators by becoming better global citizens through the cultural knowledge gained and relationships they built with their INS; and the nurse educators’ determination and dedication to the program, students, and themselves.
Discussion: This study's findings indicate that INS nurse educators at a Canadian college felt unprepared to teach INS. They experienced moral uncertainty in witnessing equity issues faced by INS, such as inadequate academic and psychosocial supports, discrimination, and de-skilling. The desire to ensure INS were given value in their education was necessary for educators to overcome the moral uncertainty from INS's equity issues. Furthermore, educators also sought to overcome challenges to bring forth the intercultural exchange potential that a nurse program for INS may bring to Canada and the students’ home countries.Health and Social Development, Faculty of (Okanagan)Nursing, School of (Okanagan)Graduat
Ecological factors influencing the successful transition from early childhood to kindergarten : a case study
No full textBackground: The first five years of a child’s life shape the trajectory for lifelong health and well-being. One critical experience during early childhood is the transition from early childhood into kindergarten and so it is critically important that we understand what contributes to a child’s transition.
Research Design: The aim of this qualitative study was to explore ecological factors that influenced a child’s successful transition from early childhood into kindergarten in the community of Revelstoke. Revelstoke was chosen as the context for this case study as it appeared to be an exemplary case from their Early Development Instrument data. Eleven participants representing various stakeholders in the Early Childhood Development (ECD) sector were recruited using purposive and snowball sampling to participate in semi-structure interviews conducted virtually. Interviews were analyzed using a deductive/inductive method. Data were organized using a research framework and then themes were developed inductively from within those categories.
Findings: Daily efforts that supported a successful transition were focused on creating social opportunities, ensuring programs were accessible and providing continuity between programs using a wrap-around model. Relational approaches that supported a successful transition included creating a welcoming environment, intentional connections, supportive partnerships between professionals and parents, and collaboration between professions. Organizational philosophy that facilitated a successful transition included attention to organizational culture, organizational resource commitments that fostered interprofessional working relationships, a focus on early prevention, an emphasis on quality education and improvement, and the careful use of physical space. Revelstoke’s geography and community context also influenced a child’s transition.
Discussion: Revelstoke’s ECD sector’s efforts to support transition were complex, individualized, and intentional. This study demonstrated the impact of a connected, coordinated, and collaborative ECD sector on a child’s successful transition. The nature of the professionals’ efforts was cultivated through the intentional shift in responsibility for children’s readiness from parents to a collaborative responsibility between parents and professionals. Successful transitions were fostered through formal and informal investments led by organizational leaders. This study provided a nuanced description of Revelstoke’s ECD sector’s intentional efforts at each ecological level and their perceptions of how these efforts influenced a child’s transition from early childhood to kindergarten.Health and Social Development, Faculty of (Okanagan)Nursing, School of (Okanagan)Graduat
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Nurses' experiences with assisted death
No full textBackground: The 2016 legalization of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) was a landmark event in Canada. For the first time in our country’s history, healthcare providers are legally permitted to play a role in assisting patient death. Existing legislation includes registered nurses (RNs) as core members of the interprofessional MAID team, and nurse practitioners (RN/NPs) as assessors and providers of MAID. This constitutes a significant change in practice. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to understand the reported experiences of nurses who have participated in an assisted death.
Research Design: A modified systematic review and narrative synthesis of international research and grey literature on RNs’ reported experiences with assisted death.
Findings: From a literature sample of 20 international sources, six major themes were identified. These themes included: RNs’ reported experiences with receiving and navigating a request for assisted death; their ways of being during the practice; the intensity of their experiences; how assisted death caused significant moral conflict and uncertainty; the relationship between teamwork and assisted death and how RNs experienced the practice; and their personal and professional development over and time.
Discussion: Findings indicated that RNs experienced assisted death as complex, nuanced and challenging. RNs served as advocates for patient autonomy, beneficence and truth telling, which assisted in the development of relative freedom and equality between providers and patients. However, RNs often existed “in between” their own values and patient suffering and were required to examine the relationship between their subjective moral agency, the moral ontology of nursing, and decision-making. Finally, assisted death influenced RNs’ experiences with interprofessional teamwork, wherein the nuanced aspects of collaboration, interprofessional relationships and team-based engagement were influenced by the challenging landscape of actualizing teamwork in the face of assisted death. Ultimately, these experiences highlighted the exceptionally challenging nature of assisted death-related care.Health and Social Development, Faculty of (Okanagan)Nursing, School of (Okanagan)Graduat
Nursing students' attitudes toward, and willingness to participate in Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) in the Canadian context : survey development
No full textBackground: In 2016 Canada passed legislation which legalised Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), allowing eligible Canadians the ability to receive a lethal substance to end their life under certain circumstances. Nurses in Canada have a significant role in providing care to clients before, during, and after a MAiD death. Nurses’ and nursing students’ experiences with MAiD thus far have been complex. The purpose of this study was to develop a survey to assess nursing students’ attitudes toward and willingness to participate in MAiD in the unique Canadian context.
Methods: This study created and initially validated a survey that can be used at a future date to assess nursing students’ and their attitudes toward, and willingness to participate in, MAiD. This study utilized item generation techniques, a Delphi method with panel of expert nursing faculty, and a cognitive interview focus group with nursing students to prioritize, refine, and validate the survey questions.
Results: The final survey consisted of 45 questions including four case studies. Categories of the survey included questions relating to: participant demographics, experiences with end-of-life and MAiD, knowledge of MAiD, agreement/disagreement with MAiD, influences of beliefs about MAiD, willingness to participate in roles related to MAiD, and clinical case scenarios.
Discussion: This study provided a significant step in being able to assess nursing students’ attitudes toward MAiD in Canada, and the results aligned with existing literature. Each category of the survey proved to be an important area of future study, with several controversies providing a focus for future research.Health and Social Development, Faculty of (Okanagan)Nursing, School of (Okanagan)Graduat
Volunteer navigation in dementia care : adapting Nav-CARE for caregivers of persons living with dementia
No full textThis research aimed to adapt Nav-CARE (Navigation - Connecting, Advocating, Resourcing, Engaging), a volunteer-led navigation program for people with life-limiting illnesses, to support caregivers of persons living with dementia and assess the feasibility of doing so. This research took place over three distinct phases: 1) a review of the literature regarding caregivers' needs, existing support programs, and dementia navigation programs; 2) Study One: a modified e-Delphi study to identify caregivers' needs and the competencies volunteer navigators (VN) need to be trained in to support caregivers to meet these needs; and 3) Study Two: a pilot feasibility study to evaluate the feasibility of adapting the Nav-CARE program. Study One established two comprehensive lists: 1) caregivers’ needs and 2) VN competencies. These lists informed the development of the VN training manual used in Study Two. Study Two utilized VN self-perceived confidence questionnaires, VN visit reports, and semi-structured interviews with caregivers and VN to evaluate four key feasibility domains: 1) assessment procedures, 2) implementation resources, 3) intervention delivery, adherence, and safety, and 4) acceptability. Collectively, findings suggest that it is feasible to adapt the Nav-CARE program to support caregivers and people with dementia, but further adjustments are needed to improve the program’s delivery, adherence, and acceptability. The high response rates and complete data from the questionnaire demonstrate that this assessment procedure was both effective and acceptable. Similarly, the semi-structured interviews, in which all eligible participants participated, and data saturation was reached, were effective and acceptable. However, visit reports were completed infrequently and, when submitted, often lacked thoroughness. Specific findings highlighted that the program was meaningful to caregivers and VN. They developed strong relationships, and VNs provided emotional and relational support, as well as some healthcare and legal system navigation support. Some caregivers found the emotional and relational support valuable, while others felt it inadequate. Many caregivers desired increased navigation support. The lack of navigation support provided by VNs may be attributed to their inadequate knowledge of dementia and caregiving, which both VNs and caregivers noted as barriers. Increased knowledge could lead to better program delivery, adherence, and acceptance.Health and Social Development, Faculty of (Okanagan)Nursing, School of (Okanagan)Graduat
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