This project studies whether a redesigned baccalaureate nursing curriculum in a University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands can stimulate positive interest for the field of community care. In many Western countries, healthcare is changing from institutional care delivery to caring for patients in their own homes. Problematic is that most nursing students orientate on a career in the hospital and they do not see community care as an attractive option, due to a limited and often mistaken view of the field. Their career choices lead to increasing shortages in the labour market, which in many Western countries is a societal problem urgently needing attention. Providing students with a curriculum with more elements of community nursing could help them build a more positive perception of the field, leading to more students choosing this area as a career.The curriculum-redesign was based on quantitative and qualitative research about first-year students’ perceptions, placement preferences and underlying assumptions on the field. First, a cross-sectional multicentre survey study (n = 1058) was conducted using the SCOPE (Scale on COmmunity care PErceptions) questionnaire. The findings confirm the hospital’s popularity, with community care being perceived as a ‘low-status-field’ with many elderly patients and few challenges. Students’ perceptions of community care appear to be at odds with things they consider important for their placement (i.e., opportunities for advancement and enjoyable relationships with patients).To better understand the factors underlying the perceptions, a focus group study with first-year students at the start of their programme (n = 16) was performed.This led to formulation of eight redesign themes, namely:(1) variety and diversity,(2) challenges,(3) improving people's health,(4) collaboration,(5) role models,(6) patient- or environment-based perceptions,(7) self-efficacy, and(8) immediate vicinity.First-year students have clear ideas about what they see as important in a placement, but their perceptions do not always appear to be realistic.To remedy these misperceptions, recommendations for curriculum redesign strategies were formulated. Curriculum designers can more prominently highlight the complexity of community nursing in the theory part of the curriculum. As many students strive for challenges, in-depth knowledge about community nursing can be presented about aspects that students lacking experience in the field are not aware of (e.g., working in an interprofessional network). In the courses, patient cases can be presented that do not fit the stereotypical views of community care commonly held. Also, as role models are influential, it is important that students collaborate with mentors in the field with an appropriate level of education, who can act as a source of inspiration, but who also create a structured and supporting learning environment. Finally, it is useful to organise meetings where political developments and labour market issues in healthcare are discussed. This can potentially increase awareness of these topics and contribute to well-informed career decisions. These strategies can potentially foster a more optimistic and realistic career outlook on the community care field.
This project studies whether a redesigned baccalaureate nursing curriculum in a University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands can stimulate positive interest for the field of community care. In many Western countries, healthcare is changing from institutional care delivery to caring for patients in their own homes. Problematic is that most nursing students orientate on a career in the hospital and they do not see community care as an attractive option, due to a limited and often mistaken view of the field. Their career choices lead to increasing shortages in the labour market, which in many Western countries is a societal problem urgently needing attention. Providing students with a curriculum with more elements of community nursing could help them build a more positive perception of the field, leading to more students choosing this area as a career.The curriculum-redesign was based on quantitative and qualitative research about first-year students’ perceptions, placement preferences and underlying assumptions on the field. First, a cross-sectional multicentre survey study (n = 1058) was conducted using the SCOPE (Scale on COmmunity care PErceptions) questionnaire. The findings confirm the hospital’s popularity, with community care being perceived as a ‘low-status-field’ with many elderly patients and few challenges. Students’ perceptions of community care appear to be at odds with things they consider important for their placement (i.e., opportunities for advancement and enjoyable relationships with patients).To better understand the factors underlying the perceptions, a focus group study with first-year students at the start of their programme (n = 16) was performed.This led to formulation of eight redesign themes, namely:(1) variety and diversity,(2) challenges,(3) improving people's health,(4) collaboration,(5) role models,(6) patient- or environment-based perceptions,(7) self-efficacy, and(8) immediate vicinity.First-year students have clear ideas about what they see as important in a placement, but their perceptions do not always appear to be realistic.To remedy these misperceptions, recommendations for curriculum redesign strategies were formulated. Curriculum designers can more prominently highlight the complexity of community nursing in the theory part of the curriculum. As many students strive for challenges, in-depth knowledge about community nursing can be presented about aspects that students lacking experience in the field are not aware of (e.g., working in an interprofessional network). In the courses, patient cases can be presented that do not fit the stereotypical views of community care commonly held. Also, as role models are influential, it is important that students collaborate with mentors in the field with an appropriate level of education, who can act as a source of inspiration, but who also create a structured and supporting learning environment. Finally, it is useful to organise meetings where political developments and labour market issues in healthcare are discussed. This can potentially increase awareness of these topics and contribute to well-informed career decisions. These strategies can potentially foster a more optimistic and realistic career outlook on the community care field.
Aim: To develop an understanding of how nurses obtain and take account of patient preferences in shared decision-making processes in evidence-based practice to provide personalized nursing care. Design: Qualitative grounded theory. Methods: This research was part of a PhD study successfully completed in December 2015. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 27 nurses in four medium-sized hospitals in the Netherlands. Additionally, seven nurses were observed during their shift on the ward. Constant comparative analysis underpinned by Strauss and Corbin’s framework was used. Results: Three communication tools of nurses were identified to discern and attend to patient preferences to provide individual tailored nursing care: 1) A click-making tool that enables to build rapport instantly; 2) The use of antennae to carefully monitor the individual patient’s needs; 3) Asking empathic questions so that the care is fine-tuned to the individual patient’s preferences. This way, the nurses attempt to provide optimal nursing care to enhance the patient's perceived quality of life. Conclusion: The excellent nurses have a set of three implicit and intuitive tools to continuously attune their professional care to individual patient preferences in the evidence-based practice to provide personalized care. The nurses consciously spend time to discover patient preferences. The use of the implicit communication tools appears to be part of the nurses’ professional knowledge, and deserves further research as a follow up to this study. Considering the importance of taking account of patient preferences in the evidence-based practice, these findings have international relevance to nursing professionals across the world. Dit artikel is later verschenen in de Journal of Advanced Nursing onder de titel 'The role of patient preferences in nursing decision‐making in evidence based practice: excellent nurses’ communication tools' (2019).
The aim of the ProInCa project was to develop the sustainable innovation capacity of Kazakhstan’s Medical Universities for the modernization of nursing. The project was coordinated by JAMK University of Applied Sciences and consisted of a consortium of five Kazakhstani medical universities and four European higher education institutions. The project was co-funded by the Erasmus+ Capacity Building in the Field of Higher Education programme and supported by the Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Healthcare of the Republic of Kazakhstan during 15.10.2017 – 31.01.2021.he wider objective of the ProInCa project is to develop the sustainable innovation capacity of Kazakhstan’s Medical Universities for the modernization of nursing. This wider objective is divided into four specific objectives, which are:1. Development of mechanisms for collaboration and knowledge sharing between academic national and international nursing community and society.2. To learn from best practices on implementing evidence-based nursing in nursing research, education and practice to promote the efficiency and quality of health care.3. Strengthen higher education institutes’ role in building evidence-based nursing research activities in health services to promote quality and safety of health care system.4. Promote the capacity and system of nursing leadership and management in health care transition to improve the quality of health care system
