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This paper present findings from research on the following issues: How nurses from surgical unit learn a caring theory by being co-researchers in a research group. The aim was to describe the learning process of the nurses when they were co-researchers in a research group. The study has a qualitative design and a hermeneutical approach. Data were collected through interviews with seven registered nurses in hospital in mid Sweden. The study shows that nurses learn caring by listening to each other. Four sub-themes emerged through the interpretation: Nurses learn caring theory by listening to each other when they are; giving time to talk to one another, expressing their actions in words, sharing thoughts with others and allowing themselves to be touched by each other's stories. The new understanding highlights that learning in research groups can be understood as a learning process, where nurses listen to one another and thereby create an expression and meaning of their experiences through caring theory, while at the same time developing their profession. Nurses learn caring theory by being co-researchers in a research group. In order for this to happen, the research collaboration should be characterized by realism and engagement. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Background: Cultural immersion as a learning activity provides students with the opportunity to experience diversity and develop cultural safety. Both, ‘Study Abroad Programs’ and ‘Internationalisation at Home’ (IaH) aim to provide a cultural immersion experience for students. However, explicit learning objectives are essential for quality pedagogy and for students to develop cultural safety from their learning experience. Objective: To identify the learning objectives of study abroad and Internationalisation at Home (IaH) programs in higher education health profession programs. Design: A scoping review was undertaken according to recommendations by the Joanna Briggs Institute (Peters et al., 2020) and PRISMA guidelines. Data sources: The electronic databases CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsychINFO and PubMed and were searched in November 2019 and updated September 2020. The search was limited to qualitative studies, text and opinion pieces, English language, published between 2015 and 2019. Review methods: Inclusion criteria using the participants, concept, and context (PCC framework) was utilised and search terms such as study abroad and Internationalisation at Home were combined with learning objectives to identify articles. The articles were screened for eligibility by title, abstract, and full text review by two independent reviewers. A data extraction tool was utilised to extract and synthesise data into categories that represent the core learning objectives of cultural immersion programs reviewed. Results: Fourteen of the 66 initially identified studies were included in this scoping review. Qualitative synthesis yielded five broad categories of learning objectives used in cultural immersion programs: cultural competence, internationalisation, pedagogy, collegiality, and personal growth. Conclusion: A minimum set of essential learning outcomes was derived from this review that will be of interest to developers and implementers of cultural immersion programs. 

Background: One comprehensive part of nursing practice is performing technical skills and handling of medical equipment. This might be challenging for new registered nurses (RNs) to do in patient-safe way. Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe and compare the extent to which new RNs perform various technical skills and handle medical devices in different settings, and to investigate their possibility for continued learning in this respect. A further aim was to describe their perceptions of incident reporting related to technical skills and medical devices. Design: A cross-sectional study with descriptive and comparative design. Participants: RNs who recently graduated from a nursing programme at three Swedish universities and had worked as a RN for up to 1 year were included in the study (n = 113, response rate 57%). Method: Data were collected by means of a postal questionnaire. Results: Half of the RNs reported that they performed several of the listed tasks every day or every week, regardless of workplace. These tasks were most frequently performed in surgical departments. The majority of the participants (76%) stated a need of continued practical training. However, less than half of them (48%) had access to a training environment. Several participants (43%) had been involved in incidents related to technical skills or medical devices, which were not always reported. Nearly a third of the participants (31%) did not use the existing guidelines when performing technical skills, and reflection on performance was uncommon. Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of shared responsibilities between nurse educators and health care employers to provide learning opportunities for new RNs in technical skills, to maintain patient safety. To increase the safety culture where nursing students and new RNs understand the importance of using evidence-based guidelines and taking a reflective approach in the performance of technical tasks is needed.

One problem addressed in teaching graduate students qualitative research methods is practising the cognitive and conative skills that students need to generate both rich data and meaningful analysis. The aim of the study was to illuminate development in a group of pre-doctoral and doctoral students as they learnt the phenomenological hermeneutics research method. In a course comprising 18 doctoral students we used the "guided path" pedagogical approach and decided to use a subject of which everyone has lived experience, "troubled conscience", for the phenomenological hermeneutic analysis conducted with the students. As the students progressed in their learning experience of the research method, they analysed their data according to the steps in the method, and we as teachers conducted separate analyses of the same data. The results point in the same direction as previous studies in the field. This is discussed in terms of strength of the pedagogical approach and the students' learning, since despite the fact that their data are limited and not very detailed they were able to come up with results that were in line with previous research.

OBJECTIVES: The aim was to describe and compare the clinical teacher's role in different models of clinical practice from the perspective of student nurses.

DESIGN AND SETTINGS: The study took place in collaboration with two Swedish universities that applied different educational models in clinical practice. A mixed method approach was used. The quantitative part had a comparative design and the qualitative part had a descriptive design.

PARTICIPANTS: The study group consisted of 114 student nurses (response rate 87%). Fifty-three of them had met clinical teachers employed at the university and not participating in the daily clinical work (University Nurse Teachers, UNTs), whilst 61 had met clinical teachers dividing their time between teaching and nursing (Clinical Nurse Teachers, CNTs). Eight students participated in the qualitative part of the study.

METHODS: A questionnaire including the CLES+T scale was used to ascertain the students' perception of the clinical teacher's role, complemented by interviews directed towards an enrichment of this perception.

RESULTS: Students meeting CNTs agreed more strongly than those meeting UNTs that the teacher had the ability to help them integrate theory and practice. Whilst spontaneous meetings between students and CNTs occurred, students mostly met UNTs in seminars. Students meeting UNTs felt alone but did appreciate having someone outside the clinical environment to provide support if they did not get along with their preceptor.

CONCLUSIONS: In the case of UNTs, it is important that they keep their knowledge of clinical issues updated and visit the clinical placement not only for seminars but also to give students emotional support. In the case of CNTs, it is important that they are members of the faculty at the university, take part in the planning of the clinical courses and are able to explain the learning goals to the students.

Objective The overall aim of the present study was to explore awareness of inequity in healthcare and the intersection between different structures of power among nursing students. Another aim was to delineate the knowledge and use of Swedish Healthcare Direct in this group. Design The study had a descriptive design with a quantitative approach. Participants The sample consisted of 157 nursing students from three universities in central Sweden. Methods The students filled out a study specific questionnaire in class. The questionnaire consisted of short descriptions of twelve fictive persons who differed in gender, age, and ethnicity, with questions about their life situation. The mean was calculated for each assessed fictive person for every item. In the next step, the assessments were ranked from the lowest probability to the highest probability. A ‘Good life-index’ consisting of quality of life, power over own life, and experience of discrimination, was also calculated. Free text comments were analysed qualitatively. Results People with Swedish names were assessed to have the highest probability of having a good life. Among those with Swedish names, the oldest woman was assessed as having the lowest probability of a good life. All students had knowledge about Swedish Healthcare Direct, but more female students had used the service compared to male students. Conclusions The results indicate that the nursing students had awareness of how power and gender, ethnicity and age, are related. Based on the free text comments, the questions and the intersectional perspective seemed to evoke some irritation which points to their sensitive nature. Therefore, the questionnaire could be used as a tool to start a discussion of equity in healthcare and in interventions where the aim is to raise awareness of inequality and intersectionality.

There is a current need for nurses to take on new roles due to changing health care policies, economic cut-backs and shortage of staff. It is therefore important to study nursing students' view of their future profession. The theoretical framework was contemporary theories of competence development, which has shown that people's understanding of their work is expressed in their actions. The aim of this study was to describe nursing students' understanding of their future professional role in health care. A purposeful sample of 12 nursing students wrote narratives. The texts were condensed in five steps using the Empirical Phenomenological Psychological Method. The essence of the students' view of their future work was A tension between genuine nursing care and other duties. Four themes constituted this essence: professional status, working conditions and stress, evidence-based nursing contra holistic care, teamwork, co-operation and disrespect, and intensive care instead of geriatrics. This study highlights pedagogic and practical problems that need to be constructively addressed. The nursing students' eagerness to care in a holistic way needs to be acknowledged and used in a fruitful way. This core function of nursing needs to be integrated with up-to-date nursing research.

Aim: The aim was to investigate student nurses' experiences of the clinical learning environment in relation to how the supervision was organized. Background: The clinical environment plays an essential part in student nurses' learning. Even though different models for supervision have been previously set forth, it has been stressed that there is a need both of further empirical studies on the role of preceptorship in undergraduate nursing education and of studies comparing different models. Method: A cross-sectional study with comparative design was carried out with a mixed method approach. Data were collected from student nurses in the final term of the nursing programme at three universities in Sweden by means of a questionnaire. Results: In general the students had positive experiences of the clinical learning environment with respect to pedagogical atmosphere, leadership style of the ward manager, premises of nursing, supervisory relationship, and role of the nurse preceptor and nurse teacher. However, there were significant differences in their ratings of the supervisory relationship (p < 0.001) and the pedagogical atmosphere (p 0.025) depending on how the supervision was organized. Students who had the same preceptor all the time were more satisfied with the supervisory relationship than were those who had different preceptors each day. Students' comments on the supervision confirmed the significance of the preceptor and the supervisory relationship. Conclusion: The organization of the supervision was of significance with regard to the pedagogical atmosphere and the students' relation to preceptors. Students with the same preceptor throughout were more positive concerning the supervisory relationship and the pedagogical atmosphere.

Background Undergraduate nurse education needs to prepare student nurses to meet the demands and to have the necessary communication skills for caring for an increasing older population. The challenges involve how best to support and empower student nurses to learn the communication skills needed to care for older people. Objective The aim of this study was to investigate student nurses' views on the care of and communication with older people. Design A descriptive study with a mixed-method approach was conducted. Methods Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from a questionnaire completed by third-year Swedish student nurses in 2015. Results The student nurses reported positive attitudes to the care of and communication with older people. The findings focus on the central aspects related to relationship building, techniques for communication and external prerequisites. Conclusions Despite positive attitudes, student nurses had a limited view of communication with older people. Educators need to increase student nurses' capacity to communicate effectively with older people. Educational interventions to improve and evaluate the communication competency of nurses and student nurses are needed.

Background: Is it possible to increase the value, meaningfulness, and relevance of a course experience by integrating it with the healthcare context? Students and teachers from a course on organization, learning and leadership sought to explore this possibility through a collaborative effort with nurses from an affiliated teaching hospital. Methods: Working as teachers, students created continuing nursing education (CNE) courses using the Adaptive Reflection process. The students and teachers then researched the experience in terms of: 1) content analysis of student self-reflections (discussion notes and logbooks) on the learning process, 2) a student self-assessed outcome achievement survey, and 3) perceived relevance of the CNE courses by the clinical nurse educators. Results: Thirteen nursing students created three CNE courses together with sixteen nurses. Each course consisted of multiple 20-minute long web-based modules with automatic formative feedback. In the process, students exceeded course outcome-levels, journeyed from chaos to confidence and experienced new ways of viewing the group and their own capabilities. Conclusions: The innovative design of the course moved the focus from student-centered learning to learning by contributing to health care. Working in a real world context, the content of the students' efforts and the skills they developed not only met course requirements, but were also aligned with the needs of the wards. This contribution was valued by the students and the RNs which enhanced students' feelings of self-confidence. Further research lies in testing the model in other contexts. 

Background: With the continuing increase in the older population, being able to communicate with the elderly is one of the many important skills in caring for older people. Therefore, student nurses need support during education to be prepared with the necessary communication skills to meet these demands. Objective: The aim of this study was to describe the development of communication skills during nursing education. Design: A quantitative descriptive and comparative study. Settings: The nursing programme at a university in an urban area of Sweden. Participants: Student nurses in the first and third year in a nursing programme in Sweden in 2015. Methods: Data were collected with a self-efficacy questionnaire and analysed with descriptive and comparative statistics. Results: The student nurses in the final semester had a higher self-rated ability to communicate with older people than students in the second semester of the education year. There was also a difference in self efficacy between students with or without former experience of health care work or work in care with older persons in the second semester. However, these differences were not seen in the final semester. The age of the students did not affect the self-efficacy rate in either semester. Conclusions: Student nurses in the present study scored themselves relatively highly, while student nurses in previous studies expressed a need for more communication skills training. Further studies with observations of student nurses’ actual communicative skills in clinical and simulations settings are needed, to pinpoint weak spots and targets for such an education.