Group interviews with nursing teachers, students, and clinical preceptors identified concerns about the theory-practice gap: shortness of clinical placements, sequencing of theory and practice, lack of clinical-educational collaboration, and lack of clarity regarding teacher roles. Ways to minimize the gap were also identified. (SK)

Reviews literature on problem-based learning in health sciences. Describes characteristics, outcomes, and implementation strategies and discusses the potential for problem-based learning in nursing education. (Contains 56 references.) (SK)

A survey of 196 white students in prenursing found they had little discomfort with diverse racial/ethnic groups. They would have considerable difficulty working with lesbian, gay, or bisexual clients or patients with AIDS. Reasons for discomfort included lack of knowledge, skill, or exposure; disapproval of sexual orientation; and sympathy, pity,…

A statewide survey of 288 nurses with graduate degrees found that those were nursing faculty (n=79) were older than other nurses in the sample. There were no differences in job satisfaction between faculty and other nurses. Noncompetitive salaries, desire for clinical practice, and rising expectations in higher education were deterrents to…

Comparison of teacher education and nursing education in Britain shows how centralization and government control of quality assurance and funding diminished teachers' professional autonomy and subjected the profession to public policy shifts. The same could occur in the transfer of nursing education to a government-funded higher education system.…

Survey data from 70 hospitals and 75 long-term care facilities compared policies and practices of support for the educational development of nursing staff. Significant differences were found, suggesting that nursing homes lag behind hospitals in the development of their staffs. (JOW)

Drawing on nursing home records, examines the relationship between vision impairment and disruptive behaviors among nursing home residents (N=89). Results indicate that vision status is a significant independent contributor to disruptive behaviors among long-term care residents. Findings show vision to be an important comorbid impairment in…

Examines the unique, combined, and interactive contribution of existential variables and traditional measures as predictors of depression in institutionalized and community-residing older adults. Results show that choice-responsibleness, social resources, and physical health predicted depression in community elderly; personal meaning, optimism,…

Nursing students (n=131) were randomly assigned to groups; half used an educational game involving problem-based learning, half were conventionally taught. Groups switched treatments in the second term. First-term posttests showed higher scores for the game group; second-term posttests showed no differences, suggesting the impact of the game…

Partnerships between nursing education and health service providers can provide financial benefits, bridge the theory/practice gap, and cultivate collegial interdisciplinary relationships. To realize benefits may require creation of more formal partnership strategies. (SK)

An innovative approach to teaching psychiatric nursing incorporates students' knowledge and experience as subject matter for inquiry. It includes an artistic genre project in order to develop empathy through aesthetic experience. (SK)

A mental-health curriculum in a nursing school was revised to include a self-care focus using group process and psychoeducational approaches. Course components include theory, a lab involving self-care concepts and activities, and clinical time in which self-care is practiced through interaction with patients. (SK)

Uses the experiences of health care staff in a dementia facility to build a model of workplace learning, based on postmodern scholarship, with these elements: community of practice; dynamic engagement with diversity, power, and discourses; and a context integrated with the wider environment. (SK)

A literature review identified three aspects of personal tutors' role in nursing education. The academic role is increasingly important as higher education preparation of nurses increases. The clinical role is difficult to maintain but crucial for moving theory into practice. The pastoral role is less clearly defined and tutors need better…

Examines advantages and disadvantages of multimedia simulation in nursing education. Provides an example of a modular design with an integrated intelligent agent and knowledge base for teaching clinical decision making. Concludes that this approach overcomes some of the problems of intelligent tutoring systems. Contains 40 references. (SK)