Background and objective Despite increasing diversity within nursing programs, educators often report feeling underprepared to teach multilingual students. Self-efficacy is essential in shaping inclusive learning environments that promote academic success and retention. This project aimed to enhance nurse educators’ self-efficacy in teaching multilingual students through a targeted educational intervention.
Methods A one-hour faculty development session was implemented at an associate degree nursing program, utilizing evidence-based teaching strategies, inclusive classroom practices, and culturally responsive communication approaches. A single-group pretest-posttest educational intervention design was used. Changes in self-efficacy were measured using the revised Self Efficacy Toward Teaching Inventory for Nurse Educators (SETTI-NE).
Results Twenty-three educators participated. Self-efficacy significantly improved following the intervention (t(22) = 7.64, p <.001), with mean scores increasing from 34.22 (SD = 8.93) to 45.91 (SD = 5.49), representing a mean difference of 11.69 points (95% CI, 8.48-14.90) and a large effect size (Cohen's d = 1.59).
Conclusions Focused faculty development interventions can improve educators’ preparedness to teach multilingual students and support inclusive educational practices. These findings support faculty development initiatives that align with Domains 1, 3, 5, and 10 of the AACN Essentials by strengthening educator competence in inclusive, evidence-based instruction.
Introduction Dysphagia is common in dementia and can lead to aspiration pneumonia and malnutrition. Early identification is essential; however, established assessments are often impractical in dementia care because they require active patient cooperation and may be limited by care-resistant behaviour. This study aimed to assess initial diagnostic signals of nurse-observed clinical items for identifying dysphagia in this population.
Methods An exploratory multicentre pilot study was conducted on two geriatric wards in Austria. Nurses observed participants during mealtime using a 23-item checklist developed through a prior Delphi process. Dysphagia status was subsequently assessed by speech-language pathologists. Statistical analyses included chi-square tests, t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, and exploratory decision tree modelling to explore indicators.
Results Thirty-seven participants (mean age 79.1 ± 5.5 years) were included, of whom 27% were diagnosed with dysphagia. Eleven of the 23 observed items showed variation within the sample. “Cough while eating” was significantly associated with dysphagia (p =.003), while “Clears throat” did not reach statistical significance (p =.056) but may warrant further investigation in larger samples. In an exploratory decision tree analysis, “Cough while eating” and “Voice sounds throaty - wet voice” emerged as potentially informative items in this pilot sample, achieving 60% sensitivity, with a 13.5% overall misclassification rate.
Conclusions Two nurse-observed clinical items, “Cough while eating” and “Wet voice”, may represent promising indicators of increased dysphagia risk in people with dementia. These preliminary findings provide a rationale for developing and testing a brief observation-based screening approach. Further research is required to validate these indicators in larger and more diverse samples.
Background and objective Nurses are at a higher risk for depression compared to the general public, thus requiring regular screening for depression. It remains unclear if a self-assessment screening tool may be recommended. The objective of this study was to compare a self-administered screening tool versus a clinician-guided interview.
Methods Twenty-five nurses completed BDI-II and the SCID-5-RV. We used descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation for analyses.
Results BDI-II identified 44% as screening positive for depression, and SCID-5-RV identified 40.0%.
Conclusions Self-administered tools like BDI-II may be cost-effective for screening, while clinical interviews remain the diagnostic gold standard. Future research should focus on improving screening accuracy.
Objective Advanced ovarian cancer is often diagnosed at stages IIIB-IV, with frequent recurrence and poor prognosis despite standard treatment. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors are available as maintenance therapies; nonetheless, evidence on patient experiences remains limited. This study clarified patient experiences during maintenance therapy with PARP inhibitors and identified nursing support implications.
Methods We used a descriptive qualitative design. Three women with advanced ovarian cancer (40s-70s; FIGO stage IIIB-IIIC; two with recurrence) attending an outpatient clinic were recruited. Semi-structured interviews were conducted up to five times within 6 months after therapy initiation (total, 531 min), and medical records were reviewed. Transcripts were analyzed using the KJ method.
Results Seven categories were identified. Patients described PARP inhibitors as “a talisman-like treatment” that provided reassurance and enabled them to navigate daily life despite concerns about heredity and financial burden; they valued “the support of family, colleagues, and healthcare providers” and wished “to live by trusting in PARP inhibitors even under uncertainty.” They reported “symptom observation and daily management” as self-care strategies and expressed “fear of cancer and harsh treatments,” “conflicts in regaining self-identity,” and a strong need “for a place to consult about symptoms, costs, and continuation of therapy.”
Conclusions Patients balanced reassurance and uncertainty, supported by treatment efficacy and social relationships, but challenged by fear, financial strain, and identity loss. Nurses should assess these experiences and provide individualized consultations addressing symptoms, economic concerns, and genetic issues. Early, continuous consultation and strengthened multidisciplinary collaboration are essential to sustain treatment and improve quality of life.
Background Adolescents with neurological disorders (NDs) experience significantly higher rates of depression, anxiety, or both relative to adolescents in the general population. The purpose of this systematic narrative review was to examine the existing literature evaluating the effects of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) on anxiety, depression, or both among adolescents with a known ND.
Methods Articles published in the English language within the last 10 years were screened. Studies included in this review must have implemented an MBI.
Results Ten articles met the inclusion criteria for final analysis. Across the included studies, MBI-based physical and behavioral interventions demonstrated improvements in psychological, emotional, and behavioral outcomes, including reductions in pain, emotional dysregulation, and attentional difficulties. However, findings related to improvements in anxiety and depression were mixed, as several studies did not report statistically significant changes in either outcome.
Conclusions Future research is needed to clarify the effects of MBIs on adolescents with NDs and comorbid anxiety and/or depression. Future studies should specifically target this population to gain deeper insights into the impact of MBIs on mental health outcomes and overall well-being, with particular attention to anxiety and depression.
Objective Undergraduate nursing research and data analysis courses are foundational to evidence-based practice yet are frequently perceived as abstract and disconnected from clinical care. This study describes an instructional redesign that transitioned from an exam-centered model to a writing-intensive, guided learning approach to improve engagement, critical thinking, and clinical relevance.
Methods A structured pedagogical redesign incorporated writing-intensive assessment, guided skeletal notes, unfolding case studies, and interactive learning tools within a concept-based undergraduate nursing curriculum. A pre-post descriptive design was used to compare course-based assessment scores (analysis, application, and critical thinking) across multiple semesters. Qualitative data from student course evaluations were analyzed to assess perceived engagement, clarity, and relevance to nursing practice.
Results Following implementation, analysis and application scores increased by approximately 7%, while course-based measures of critical thinking improved by 6%. Continued refinement of the instructional approach was associated with sustained improvements, with analysis and application averages reaching 95%-98% in subsequent semesters. Student evaluations further indicated increased engagement, improved clarity of content, enhanced relevance to nursing practice, and greater confidence in applying evidence-based concepts.
Conclusions Writing-intensive, scaffolded instructional strategies grounded in learning science and concept-based education was associated with improvements in course-based measures of critical thinking and professional identity formation in undergraduate nursing education.