Professions take different approaches to competency-based continuing education: (1) pharmacy and nursing analyze competence in terms of roles and tasks (performance); (2) law analyzes professional knowledge, skills, and attitudes (attributes); and (3) medicine analyzes attributes in the context of performance of professional tasks, an integrated…

The nursing faculty at Mercy College (New York) affiliated with several prison facilities to provide clinical experiences for senior nursing students. An ideal setting for the clinical group leadership course, the prison affiliations also helped students develop social awareness and advocacy strategies for this at-risk population. (SK)

This article traces the evolution of the development and refinement of the professional code from concerns about the ethical conduct of nurses to its present state as a professional code for all nurses. The relationship of the Ethics Committee of the American Nurses' Association to the development of the code is also discussed. (Author/MLW)

According to a survey of 37 middle managers in nursing schools, 57% did not view their position as a step to deanship; 62% did not aspire to deanship, largely because of family responsibilities; powerlessness or job satisfaction did not influence this decision; and the lowest degree of job satisfaction was related to parking and to the leadership…

Developed database on ethnic elderly persons; examined extent of communication problems they face in hospitals, nursing homes, and homes for aged in Metro Toronto; and reported on institutional response. Nursing home supervisors (n=77) reported that communication was essential to health care needs of ethnic elderly individuals. Most health care…

A Boston interdisciplinary health care project places nursing students and medical students in neighborhood health centers for clinical experiences for primary care. The students engage in interdisciplinary seminars, work together with patients and families, and plan projects. (JOW)

Two studies were conducted on the relationship between field dependence and academic learning in the context of distance learning; subjects were undergraduate nursing students in Hong Kong. In both studies, field independent nurses performed significantly better than field dependent ones, as indicated by a positive correlation between academic…

Nursing students' exposure to transformative learning is compared to Alice's adventures in"Wonderland". Teaching strategies that encourage critical reflection and discussion, questioning of the status quo, and understanding of one's own and others' world view are recommended. (SK)

To support nursing students in clinical placements, nurse educators are developing a variety of roles, such as lecturer/practitioner, researcher/practitioner, and lecturer/researcher. Nurse educators should have a firm practice base and collaborate more closely with clinical staff and lecturers from other disciplines. (SK)

Of 340 nursing students in a capstone course, 145 were traditional age, 12 were returning registered nurses (RNs). Course content was applied differently by the two groups; most preferred discussion/seminar format. Most viewed RNs as positive role models, though some would prefer separate courses. (SK)

The Partners in Caregiving Program was created to train staff and family members in communication techniques and conflict-resolution skills. Through a joint meeting with facility administrators, both groups influenced facility practices. Evaluation indicates that satisfaction with the program was high and that positive changes in staff/family…

Describes the formative use of poster presentations in a nursing-education program. Discusses the use of poster presentation as a successful assessment strategy and a motivating experience for students and teachers. (Author/WRM)

Describes the steps of the Pyramid Evaluation Model to evaluate programs and outcomes systematically and comprehensively through an impact model that examines goals, reviews program design, monitors program implementation, assesses outcomes and impact, and analyzes efficiency . (Author/JOW)

Part I describes a nursing student's experience learning to think in clinical practice, illustrating the need for a variety of approaches to critical thinking. Part II shows how nursing teachers and students are challenging conventional approaches and creating more responsive pedagogies. (SK)

Instruments were developed to test the following elements of Cervero's model of continuing professional-education effectiveness in achieving behavior change: motivation, social system, perceptions of the nature of change, and satisfaction with continuing professional education. Four studies and an expert panel confirmed the validity and…