The PaTH (University of Pittsburgh/UPMC, Penn State College of Medicine, Temple University Hospital, and Johns Hopkins University) clinical data research network initiative is a collaborative effort among four academic health centers in the Mid-Atlantic region. PaTH will provide robust infrastructure to conduct research, explore clinical outcomes, link with biospecimens, and improve methods for sharing and analyzing data across our diverse populations. Our disease foci are idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, atrial fibrillation, and obesity. The four network sites have extensive experience in using data from electronic health records and have devised robust methods for patient outreach and recruitment. The network will adopt best practices by using the open-source data-sharing tool, Informatics for Integrating Biology and the Bedside (i2b2), at each site to enhance data sharing using centrally defined common data elements, and will use the Shared Health Research Information Network (SHRINE) for distributed queries across the network.

If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -The purpose of this article is to explore the opportunities for informal learning among nurses working on a hospital ward. Design/methodology/approach -A field study was conducted in one hospital ward. Methods used to collect data included participant observation, ad hoc conversations and formal interviews. Findings -Eight categories describe the opportunities for informal learning among the nurses. Several factors seemed to mediate the opportunities for informal learning, such as the size and physical structures of the ward, role modeling by the nurse leader, systems and artifacts that triggered and scaffolded learning, and interaction and collaboration among all professionals on the ward. Research limitations/implications -A limitation is that data are collected from only one ward. A strength is the use of several methods to collect data and the range of participants' ages, experience and gender. Practical implications -This study offers examples of informal learning opportunities that can be tailored to different clinical settings. Through role-modeling the leader can influence both the norms that become established in a ward and the development of a culture of mutual support and learning. Originality/value -This article adds to the existing research by including observation in the hospital setting of actual practices that involve informal learning.

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Aim The aim of this study was to describe the experiences of a master's‐level critical care nursing program for trainees in postoperative and intensive care units. Design An exploratory design with a multidimensional approach was chosen. Methods The study was conducted from 2018 to 2019 at a university hospital in southern Norway in collaboration with a university college of nursing. Data were collected through seven focus group interviews with trainees, preceptors, heads of departments, clinical nurse educators and professors ( n = 26). The thematic analysis progressed from description to a deeper understanding, searching for manifest and latent patterns across the data. The COREQ checklist was used for reporting the study. Results The analysis resulted in one overarching theme: ‘To walk the critical care nursing pathway – balancing competency, time, and challenges to become proficient’. The subthemes were ‘expectations, obligations, and workload in unknown environments’, ‘constantly assessing while being assessed’, ‘continuous precepting and challenges’, ‘vulnerability and commitment’ and ‘thriving in the role, mastering new skills’. The study provides valuable insights into a complex learning environment and the importance of caring aspects for trainees during their critical care nursing education. Conclusion Precepting, continuous competence assessment and clear learning outcomes are necessary to create a safe environment for the trainees during their development. Implications for the profession The results advocate investing in inexperienced trainees' competency development to become proficient, creating a safe learning environment in a highly complex setting. This may also, as previous studies suggest, increase staff retention.

Background Critical thinking is a crucial skill in the nursing profession, so teaching strategies and methodology must be carefully considered when training and preparing nursing students to think critically. Studies on simulation-based learning supported by technology are increasing in nursing education, but no scoping reviews have mapped the literature on simulation-based learning supported by technology to enhance critical thinking in nursing students. Objective The proposed scoping review aims to systematically map research on the use of simulation-based learning supported by technology to enhance critical thinking in nursing students. Methods The proposed scoping review will use the framework established by Arksey and O’Malley and will be reported according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) extension for scoping reviews. A systematic, comprehensive literature search was performed in the LILACS, ERIC, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science databases. Pairs of authors independently selected the articles by screening titles, abstracts, full-text papers, and extract data. The data will be analyzed and thematically categorized. Results The development of a comprehensive and systematic search strategy was completed in June 2021. The database searches were performed in July 2021, and the screening of titles and abstracts was completed in September 2021. Charting the data began in February 2022. Analysis and synthesis will be performed sequentially, and the scoping review is expected to be complete by May 2023. Conclusions The results of this proposed scoping review may identify gaps in the literature and provide an overview of research on the topic of simulation-based learning supported by technology to enhance critical thinking in nursing students. The research may identify nursing students’ reported barriers and enablers for learning critical thinking skills through simulation-based learning supported by technology, and the results may help educators enhance their educational approach through knowledge of students’ firsthand experiences and further development of successful teaching strategies in nursing education. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/36725