Several studies have been published listing sources of practice knowledge used by nurses. However, the authors located no studies that asked clinicians to describe comprehensively and categorize the kinds of knowledge needed to practice or in which the researchers attempted to understand how clinicians privilege various knowledge sources. In this article, the authors report findings from two large ethnographic case studies in which sources of practice knowledge was a subsidiary theme. They draw on data from individual and card sort interviews, as well as participant observations, to identify nurses' sources of practice knowledge. Their findings demonstrate that nurses categorize their sources of practice knowledge into four broad groupings: social interactions, experiential knowledge, documents, and a priori knowledge. The insights gained add new understanding about sources of knowledge used by nurses and challenge the disproportionate weight that proponents of the evidence-based movement ascribe to research knowledge.
Few studies have examined clinical nurse educators and the determinants of their research utilization behaviour in clinical practice. Future research on clinical nurse educators needs to focus on the outcomes of research utilization, including the effectiveness of their role as facilitators and the contexts in which they practice.
Overall combined pressure ulcer prevalence and common body locations were consistent with findings from comparable hospitals. Patients at the extreme ends of the age spectrum had an increased risk of pressure ulcers. Stage I and II ulcers occurred most frequently. Potential prevention and early management strategies may be effective in decreasing the prevalence of these ulcers.
This paper reports on the implementation of formative e-assessments in courses taken by first year students. The central aim is to measure effectiveness of the formative eassessments with reference to the student voice and staff reflections. Students engaged with the formative assessments and the evidence gathered via questionnaires shows that students perceived that formative e-assessments helped them to monitor their progress; encouraged further study and increased their learning and understanding. The findings also allowed academics to reflect on the benefits of adopting formative eassessments to foster student engagement and permit early intervention. By focusing on the student view (rather than student performance) the findings add to our understanding of the benefits of integrating regular formative assessment in first year courses.
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