About this Issue: November/December 2018
In nursing we need good studies to guide our decisions about admission criteria (eg, scores on standardized admission tests) to select applicants who are likely to succeed in the program. Standardized admission tests generally assess multiple content areas. Liu et al found that using scores on mathematics, reading, and English in conjunction with science contributed significantly to predicting student success in the nursing program. Another article in this issue contributes important evidence about engaging part time faculty in online nursing programs. Of the 257 part time faculty surveyed, the most significant factor was being supported in decisions regarding student issues, followed by institutional commitment to offering quality online education. Peer teaching and evaluation are being used increasingly in nursing programs: Be sure to read the articles on peer teaching in simulation and on peer evaluation in an online RN-to- BSN course. In your nurse practitioner (NP) program, can students take more than 1 clinical course per academic term? If they can, or if you are considering this option, be sure to read the article by Morgan et al. They found that NP students (N = 3760) who took more than 1 clinical course at a time had a greater percentage of clinical course failures than other students (2.1% vs 0.8%, P = .001). The benefits of preceptored experiences for nursing students are well documented. However, there has been limited evaluation of preceptorship with NP students. McQueen et al examined the preceptorship experience from the perspective of NP students. Other articles address the Veteran's History Project, developing seminars to promote integrative learning, partnerships for students to gain experience in the operating room, using iPad videos in the skills lab, and a new approach to curriculum evaluation. Read and share the issue – also take a few minutes to watch some of our videos and listen to our podcasts.
Marilyn H. Oermann, Editor-in-Chief
