No abstract

No abstract

The teaching intervention improved the accuracy of students' medication calculation, specifically, understanding the correct formula to use and identifying errors of calculation.

Increasing demands for clinical placements have forced tertiary institutions to look for alternative placements for third year nursing students. While Prison Health Services provide an opportunity for nursing students to engage in care of offender populations with significant chronic illnesses, there has been little evaluation of such placements. Third year undergraduate nurses (18/46) participated in a mixed methods study to provide evidence-based research on students' perceptions of clinical placements in Prison Health Services. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected via an anonymous survey and individual interview. Whilst the majority of students valued the opportunity to increase their knowledge and clinical skills and felt supported by preceptors, challenges included being psychologically ill-prepared for the physical and emotional aspects of placement, and witnessing poor attitudes and behaviours of staff, which impacted on the quality of their experience. Recommendations include changes to orientation programs and introduction of simulation to help students feel better prepared and supported during placements in prison settings. Refining the selection process for placements in this setting will also help to ensure student suitability for clinical placement in Prison Health Services.

Aim To examine experienced registered nurses' motivations for choosing agency work, their experiences and perceptions of agency nursing and how they meet their regulatory professional development obligations. Background Agency registered nurses are employed by healthcare organizations to meet staffing shortfalls and contain costs. Methods Using an integrative review framework, four databases (CINAHL, Medline, Embase and Scopus) were systematically searched between 2000 and 2017: study selection followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta‐analyses. Results Our search identified 491 sources. From these, two primary qualitative sources were included in this review. Four themes were identified: orientation, allocation of the agency nurse, isolation in clinical practice and lack of education opportunities. Conclusion Given the limited literature on agency nurses and how to support them, further research is required on this subject. Implications for Nursing Management Support for agency nurses is necessary, so they can seamlessly integrate with the healthcare team to provide safe patient care. This review may assist managers to identify strategies to effectively engage and support agency registered nurses in the acute care nursing team. The gaps identified highlight the need for further research to explore agency nurses' motivations, and support needs to inform future strategic workforce planning.