Aim

To explore nursing assistants' (NAs') experiences of developing communication skills while participating in an educational intervention on person-centred communication.

Design

A descriptive qualitative study was conducted.

Methods

Data were collected from interviews and written assignments before, during and after an educational intervention on person-centred communication targeting NAs in home care services. The data were analysed using a phenomenological approach. A total of 25 NAs participated in the study.

Results

The findings describe NAs' experiences concerning the communication skills needed for building relationships with older persons and handling emotionally challenging situations. The educational intervention increased their knowledge and awareness of the importance of communication skills and how such skills are developed and refined.

Background: Communication is important for nurse assistants (NAs) when caring for older persons. There is limited research about how to improve the communication competence of NAs in home care. The aim was to describe NAs perception on learning in relation to an educational intervention on person-centred communication.

Methods: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted. Data consisted of four group interviews, five individual in-depth interviews and written reflection assignments from participants gathered during the web-based intervention. In total 23 NAs at two home care units participated. The data were analysed using a phenomenographic approach. This is a qualitative method for analysis developed from Nordic traditions of phenomenology. Phenomenography aims to describe individual perceptions of a certain phenomenon.

Preliminary findings points to the nurse assistants perceiving that the education supported their development of person-centred communication. They pointed out self-reflections as important for their learning as well as to get confirmation on what was already known. The NAs described that the intervention added to their knowledge and skills. Even though, there was more to learn and challenges that remained regarding communication in challenging situations such as caring for persons in end-of-life and supporting their relatives, caring for persons being aggressive or violent.

Preliminary implications of research: This study can provide knowledge on participants’ perspective on their learning process, which may be important to consider when conducting educational interventions in home care as well as other health care contexts.

Background: There is currently a strong emphasis on person-centred care (PCC) and communication; however, little research has been conducted on how to implement person-centred communication in home care settings. Therefore, the ACTION (A person-centred CommunicaTION) programme, which is a web-based education programme focusing on person-centred communication developed for nurse assistants (NAs) providing home care for older persons, was implemented. This paper reports on the process evaluation conducted with the aim to describe and evaluate the implementation of the ACTION programme. Methods: A descriptive design with a mixed method approach was used. Twenty-seven NAs from two units in Sweden were recruited, and 23 of them were offered the educational intervention. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from multiple sources before, during and after the implementation. Quantitative data were used to analyse demographics, attendance and participation, while qualitative data were used to evaluate experiences of the implementation and contextual factors influencing the implementation. Results: The evaluation showed a high degree of NA participation in the first five education modules, and a decrease in the three remaining modules. Overall, the NAs perceived the web format to be easy to use and appreciated the flexibility and accessibility. The content was described as important. Challenges included time constraints; the heavy workload; and a lack of interaction, space and equipment to complete the programme. Conclusions: The results suggest that web-based education seems to be an appropriate strategy in home care settings; however, areas for improvement were identified. Our findings show that participants appreciated the web-based learning format in terms of accessibility and flexibility, as well as the face-to-face group discussions. The critical importance of organizational support and available resources are highlighted, such as management involvement and local facilitation. In addition, the findings report on the implementation challenges specific to the dynamic home care context. Trial registration: This intervention was implemented with nursing assistants, and the evaluation only involved nursing staff. Patients were not part of this study. According to the ICMJE, registration was not necessary (). © 2021, The Author(s).

The shift from hospital-based nursing care to municipal home healthcare has led to the provision of more diverse, complex and advanced nursing care in this context. This poses challenges for undergraduate nursing students’ clinical education. The aim of this study was to describe nursing students’ experiences of learning nursing care through peer learning in a dedicated educational unit in municipal home healthcare. Data were collected through interviews with seven nursing students. The analysis was based on a reflective lifeworld research approach. The study followed the COREQ checklist. Strong cooperation and feelings of safety were found to boost learning and encourage the students to challenge themselves. Alternating between an observational and an active role during independent home visits was beneficial for intertwining caring and learning. Further, being trusted to work independently increased their ethical orientation, knowledge, self-esteem and self-confidence.

Background

The specialist education for district nursing at the University of Borås is carried out as a distance education with students from all parts of Sweden. Due to long distances preception and assessment of clinical studies is challenging. Since web-based technology is being used in theoretical education, the idea of ​​using this technology also in clinical assessment emerged. 

Aim

To test web-based meetings (WBM) for preception and assessment of district nurse students in clinical education and to elucidate the experiences of students’, preceptors’ and teachers’ perspective.

Method

All district nurse students and their preceptors were offered WBMs with the teacher instead of the usual telephone calls or on-site visits. Two teachers conducted WBMs with 9 students and their preceptors. Data collection methods were surveys to students and preceptors and a focus group interview with teachers. Data was analysed using content analysis.

Results

Support and information before WBM were mainly perceived as good and sufficient. WBM went well and above expectations, but minor technical problems sometimes occurred. The opportunity for all participants to visually share the same assessment form was highly appreciated.  All participants felt that WBM were better than telephone calls, the discussions improved and it felt like a genuine meeting. Teachers felt that WBM made it possible to read body language and thus get a picture of the relation between student and preceptor.

Conclusion

WBM is regarded as advantageous for preception and assessment in clinical education. Using WBM encourages and lowers the threshold for use of such technology in patient work as well. The use of WBM can also be justified from a sustainability perspective.

Background: Creative strategies are needed in nurse education to integrate theory, practice and lived experiences.Towards that end, reflective seminars, conducted in congruence with reflective lifeworld theory andcaring science, were implemented during a three-year nursing programme. The reflection seminars took placeduring the theoretical parts of education and the clinical placements. Each reflection group consisted of six tonine students, and the seminars were led by a lecturer from the university.

Objectives: This article aims to describe the experiences of learning about caring science by participating inreflective seminars that were integrated into courses during a three-year nursing education programme.

Design: A phenomenological approach was used, and qualitative group interviews were conducted.

Setting: The study was conducted at a university in southern Sweden.

Participants: Twenty three students, 19 women and four men, volunteered to participate. All participants were atthe end of a three-year nurse education programme. Data were collected through four group interviews with fiveto seven participants in each group.

Methods: This study used a reflective lifeworld research approach based on phenomenological philosophy

Results: The findings reveal that nursing students experience reflective seminars as being valuable for theirprofessional development. The result is described in more detail via four meaning units: An obtained awarenessof the value of reflection in clinical practice; Reflection contributes to an approach of thoughtfulness; Caringscience has become second nature, and Reflection as a strength and a challenge at the threshold of a profession.

Conclusions: This study contributes to the understanding of reflective seminars grounded in lifeworld theory as adidactic strategy that enables students to increase their knowledge of caring science and develop their reflectiveskills