The purpose of the study was to determine nursing students' perceptions of patient safety competencies as it related to Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) competencies and the Safety Competencies Framework developed by The Canadian Patient Safety Institute. The study determined if nursing students knew how to provide safe patient care…

Ethical dilemmas are experienced by all individuals, but are especially prevalent among healthcare professionals. Universities and colleges preparing students to work and provide care in this arena are currently addressing this challenge through traditional ethics courses and lectures. However, student perspectives of the major ethical dilemmas in…

In Britain, nurses' attitudes toward research are changing. Schools of nursing must consider the following research issues: funding, contracts, support, publication, and staff recruitment and retention. (SK)

Nurse-led research ethics committees are generally more tolerant of diversity in research proposals than are medical committees steeped in empirical traditions. However, national trends in nursing in Britain may influence a preference for multidisciplinary over nurse-led committees. (SK)

Unstructured interviews with six people involved in nursing service delivery or education uncovered a lack of common understanding of career guidance, formal guidance policies, and responsibility for nurse guidance. Respondents believed students did receive guidance from a variety of sources but made recommendations for improvement. (SK)

In a survey of 1,164 British nurses (87% responded), written information, discussions with educators, and personal or family member involvement in health care were positive influences on the decision to become a nurse. Family members, especially mothers, were supportive; secondary school teachers and fathers of male nurses were less encouraging.…

Scores of 77 entering British nursing students on a math diagnostic test were compared to their math grades on General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) exams. Results suggest that Advanced-level math is a good predictor of future math performance. Although GCSE grade C is an entry standard for nursing, it does not ensure math competence.…

Deconstruction of three British nursing research projects found that, due to a "Utopian" perspective, they reintroduce theory-practice gaps they sought to close. Future nursing research should avoid idealistic prescriptions and promote more skeptical and realistic approaches. (SK)

A British nursing school's version of the Objective Structured Clinical Examination is a process for assessing clinical skills in the context of holistic patient care. Students work with one simulated patient at one station, demonstrating competence in a sample of skills. (SK)

A discussion of the social, economic, and interest group considerations in two nursing education issues, concerning hospital-based versus educational institution training and certification of two levels of nurse, focuses on the situation in New Zealand but makes comparisons with the United States and Great Britain. (MSE)

Interviews with 56 practice nurses, 29 general practitioners (GPs), 23 health administrators, and 1 government official revealed that nurses use a variety of education and training opportunities; GPs largely let nurses take responsibility for their continuing education. The informal nature of training opportunities and lack of funding were…

The way competence is construed in Britain's National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) has little use in nursing education because education differs from training. A holistic conception of competence that facilitates critical thinking is preferable to NVQs' emphasis on outcomes over processes. (SK)

Increased academic standards in midwifery education are causing conflict between research-based and traditional knowledge used in clinical assessments. Training of evaluators, frequent changes in clinical placements, and lack of contact between students and evaluators also impinge on the validity and reliability of assessments. (SK)

Interviews with 76 lecturers, 46 practitioners, and 131 nursing students in Britain showed that, despite recommendations that lecturers spend 20% of their time in clinical practice, most feel unprepared and unsupported in this role. Students and practitioners want a better-organized approach that would give them sustained support in the practice…

A British study examined nursing modules enrolling 10-174 students; proportion of grades from coursework and from examinations; and student questionnaires. Nursing students performed less well in large classes and better when more coursework than exams were assessed. In large modules, they used surface more than deep approaches to study. (SK)