For the past two years, the Florida Center for Nursing and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida teamed up to promote the use of simulation in nurse education as a means to (1) address the limited clinical capacity for practical learning, and (2) improve nurse competency, retention and facilitate transitioning from one area of practice to another.

 

The Florida International University (FIU) nursing program is taking the lead in studying simulation and its outcomes. FIU is one of only ten nursing programs in the country participating in the National Council of State Boards of Nursing’s (NCSBN) landmark national study of the optimal use of simulation scenarios by pre-licensure nursing education programs. Beginning this fall, the FIU NCSBN Study Team will evaluate more than 100 incoming BSN nursing students from their first day of class through the end of their first year of practice, to determine to what degree different amounts of simulated clinical education (<10%, 25%, 50%) enhances nursing comprehension, competence, clinical judgment, and teamwork compared to traditional clinical experiences. The study also evaluates, one year after graduation, the new graduate nurses’ ability to apply this knowledge, competence and clinical judgment during the care of patients and families based on these different levels of simulated clinical experience The outcomes of this study will significantly affect the future of nursing education.

 

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ Administration on Aging, by the year 2030, persons 65 years or older will reach 72.1 million persons, representing 19% of the population. FIU nursing associate professor Dr. Ellen L. Brown, a recent “Edge Runner” designee by the American Academy of Nursing, created the Training in the Assessment of Depression (TRIAD) program to help identify and treat depression of older adults in home healthcare settings. TRIAD is a first-of-its kind intervention program designed specifically to help home healthcare staff better identify symptoms of depression so nurses can initiate further evaluation and treatment.

 

On the other end of the age spectrum, FIU nursing professors and nationally recognized nurse researchers Dr. JoAnne Youngblut and Dr. Dorothy Brooten are spearheading a breakthrough study on how children cope with the death of a sibling. Each year, approximately two million U.S. children experience the death of a sibling, with more than half of these “survivor siblings” presenting with significant behavioral problems. Though one in four needs clinical intervention, little research has been done to guide their care. The National Institute of Health, National Institute of Nursing Research granted $2.5 million to conduct this unique study, Children’s Responses to Sibling Death in NICU/PICU in 3 Racial/Ethnic Groups, that will follow the mental, physical and functional progression of survivor children (ages 6 to 18) at various stages after the death of a sibling in a hospital NICU/PICU. The study will also evaluate outcomes among Hispanic, black non-Hispanic and white non-Hispanic groups to determine differences or similarities that may influence the coping process and help guide timely, culturally competent interventions.

 

Action research is gaining popularity in nursing research circles as one way to develop practice-based knowledge and initiatives that improve health outcomes. At FIU, associate nursing professor and noted HIV/AIDS nurse researcher Dr. Sandra Gracia Jones employs this tactic to help minimize the spread of HIV/AIDS among Miami’s youth. Since 2003, Dr. Jones and FIU nursing students who are certified peer educators worked on three distinct projects: SENORITAS (Student Education Needed in Order to Reduce Infection and Transmission of AIDS/HIV and STIs); SALSAH (Student-led Activities about Latinos on Substance Abuse, AIDS/HIV and Hepatitis); and HIV-PEP (HIV Prevention Education Programs). Each project’s goal has been to effectively engage students at FIU, a Hispanic-serving institution, in better decision-making about their health and well-being by developing age- and culturally appropriate student-led education, intervention and prevention measures addressing at-risk sexual and social health behaviors.

 

As the role of today’s nursing professional extends beyond the bedside, the nurse educator’s role must extend beyond the blackboard. Nurse educators must bring experiences and findings from research into the classroom to prepare the next generation of nurses to translate constant streams of new information to improve practice through action, change and developing new policies.