Educating registered nursing and healthcare assistant students in community-based supportive care of older adults: A mixed methods study
Date
2015
Authors
Pesut, Barbara
McLean, Tammy
Reimer-Kirkham, Sheryl
Hartrick-Doane, Gweneth
Hutchings, Deanna
Russell, Lara B,
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Nurse Education Today
Abstract
Background: Collaborative education that prepares nursing and healthcare assistant students in supportive care for older adults living at home with advanced chronic illness is an important innovation to prepare the nursing workforce to meet the needs of this growing population.
Objectives: To explore whether a collaborative educational intervention could develop registered nursing and healthcare assistant students' capabilities in supportive care while enhancing care of clients with advanced chronic illness in the community.
Design: Mixed method study design.
Setting: A rural college in Canada.
Participants: Twenty-one registered nursing and 21 healthcare assistant students completed the collaborativeworkshop.Eight registered nursing students and 13 healthcare assistant students completed an innovative clinical experience
with fifteen clients living with advanced chronic illness.
Methods:Preandpost-testmeasures of self-perceivedcompetenceandknowledge insupportive carewere collected at three time points. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to evaluate the innovative clinical placement.
Results: Application of Friedman's test indicated statistically significant changes on all self-perceived competence scores for RNand HCA studentswith two exceptions: the ethical and legal aswell as personal and professional issues domains for HCA students. Application of Friedman's test to self-perceived knowledge scores showed statistically significant changes in all but one domain (interprofessional collaboration and communication) for RN students and all but three domains for HCA students (spiritual needs, ethical and legal issues, and inter-professional collaboration
and communication). Not all gainswere sustained until T-3. The innovative community placementwas evaluated positively by clients and students.
Conclusions: Collaborative education for nursing and healthcare assistant students can enhance self-perceived knowledge and competence in supportive care of adults with advanced chronic illness. An innovative clinical experience can maximize reciprocal learning while providing nursing services to a population that is not receiving home-based care
Description
Keywords
Baccalaureate nursing education, Chronic illness, Collaboration, Education, non-traditional, Home care nursing, Home health aide education, Older adults, Palliative care
Citation
Pesut, B., McLean, T., Reimer-Kirkham, S., Hartrick-Doane, G., Hutchings, D. & Russell, L.B. (2015). Educating registered nursing and healthcare assistant students in community-based supportive care of older adults: A mixed methods study. Nurse Education Today, 35, e90-e96. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2015.07.015