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BACKGROUND: Support for veterans in nursing education programs is a priority in universities across the U.S. While studies have examined the relationship between admission criteria and successful nursing program outcomes, minimal data are available regarding predictors of veteran student success. METHODS: Success for veterans in one university BSN nursing program was examined, as measured by three outcomes: Nursing program graduation GPA, graduation rate, and NCLEX-RN pass rate, as predicted by two admission criteria: GPA and TEAS. RESULTS: Among veteran students, pre-admit science GPAs at or above the median score (3.41) predicted higher nursing program graduation GPA, but did not predict graduation rates or NCLEX-RN pass rates. TEAS scores were not predictive of nursing program graduation GPA, graduation rates or NCLEX-RN pass rates. In comparison, veteran and non-veteran nursing students' graduation rates and NCLEX-RN pass rates were similar; with average nursing program graduation GPAs slightly lower for veterans. Veterans contributed gender, age, and cultural diversity to the nursing student body. When NCLEX-RN exam retakes are included, 100% of all veteran participants were successful, a possible indicator of resilience and work ethic. CONCLUSION: Further discussion is indicated regarding nursing program admission criteria, and factors for success of veterans in nursing programs.

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Baccalaureate nursing programs select students likely to graduate, become licensed, and contribute to a diverse workforce, and admissions criteria need to support those goals. This study assessed five criteria: pre-admit science GPA; TEAS score; healthcare experience; previous baccalaureate degree; and pre-admission university enrollment vs. college transfer as predictors of three desired outcomes: graduation; nursing program GPA; and passing NCLEX-RN. Results found TEAS and pre-admit science GPA predicted nursing program outcomes. Students with TEAS≥82 had 8 % greater probability of graduating, 13 % greater probability of a GPA≥3.25, and 9 % greater probability of passing NCLEX-RN, compared to students with TEAS < 82. Students with pre-admit science GPAs≥3.8 had 11 % greater probability of passing NCLEX-RN and 14 % greater probability of a GPA≥3.25 compared to students with pre-admit science GPAs < 3.8. Further discussions regarding factors important for training a diverse nursing workforce and effective ways to implement non-academic admission criteria are warranted.

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Ongoing restructuring within the health care system juxtaposed with mandated increased seats in nursing programs have taxed traditional clinical practice settings beyond their capacity. In the search for suitable clinical placements to meet learning objectives and fulfill required clinical hours, nursing program administrators are turning to various non-traditional settings. Yet limited research exists to describe the prevalence and types of 'innovative' clinical placements (ICPs) or the nature and quality of student learning in such settings. Described in this article are findings from a national survey of Canadian baccalaureate nursing programs completed by nurse educators and clinical placement coordinators regarding nursing student placements within ICPs. Participant survey responses provide a national snap-shot of ICPs, along with perspectives on pedagogy, strengths and weaknesses, capacity and sustainability issues, and ethical, legal and academic considerations associated with student placements in these settings.

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In an era of globalization, increasing numbers of nursing programs are initiating international learning experiences, yet empirical data is lacking regarding long term benefits and effects of international placements. This paper presents findings from a participatory action study designed in response to this gap. Objectives were to describe student learning in international experiences, and to facilitate strategies that supported integration of this learning into personal and professional domains upon return to Canada. Seventeen students and three faculty participated over twelve months following their international experiences. Initial responses to the international experience included reports of new ways of viewing the world - often characterized by heightened social consciousness - yet in the immediate and longer-term many struggled with how to translate and sustain this learning in home settings. Considerable effort and intentionality was required to sustain social consciousness over time. Based on these findings, a preliminary framework for international experiences is presented.

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An urgent need to secure additional community health placements provided initial motivation to use alternate clinical settings. Subsequent student requests for placement in these settings, rather than the traditional community settings, drew attention to the sites' unique and far-reaching benefits. Presenting the findings of a qualitative study, the authors discuss the perspectives of students, instructors, and RNs regarding their experiences in these alternative clinical settings and provide recommendations for the use of alternative settings in nursing education.

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Nursing in rural communities offers opportunities for independent nursing practice and community participation. However, recruitment of nurses to rural settings can be difficult. In response to this challenge and the rising demand within nursing education for community clinical placements, intensive, short-term, rural community clinical placements are being developed by urban universities. As yet, little research has examined the use of these placements for undergraduate nursing education. The purpose of this qualitative research study was to examine the experiences of students, registered nurse mentors, and clinical instructors in rural health clinical placements, as part of a larger study examining alternative clinical placements. Through use of the interpretive descriptive method, the perspectives of participants were elicited from focus groups and interviews. The paradox of nursing student placements in rural health is that limitations of the rural site became the impetus for nursing student learning and partnership. An implication is that service learning partnerships be pursued for mutual benefit of students, communities, and rural nurses.

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The nursing profession has renewed its commitment to social and political mandates, resulting in increasing attention to issues pertaining to diversity, vulnerable populations, social determinants of health, advocacy and activism, and social justice in nursing curricula. Narratives from a qualitative study examining undergraduate nursing student learning in five innovative clinical settings (corrections, international, parish, rural, and aboriginal) resonate with these curricular emphases. Data were derived from focus groups and interviews with 65 undergraduate nursing students, clinical instructors, and RN mentors. Findings of this study reveal how students in innovative clinical placements bear witness to poverty, inequities, and marginalization (critical awareness), often resulting in dissonance and soul-searching (critical engagement), and a renewed commitment to social transformation (social change). These findings suggest the potential for transformative learning in these settings.

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Spirituality is a universal human phenomenon, yet confusion and incomprehension of the concept is ever-present. The purpose of this study was to explore how research on the concept of spirituality has been reported in the health literature in the past decade and develop an ontological and theoretical understanding of spirituality. The examination was based on quantitative and qualitative integrative review approaches, which integrated empirical research on spirituality. The sample included 73 spirituality research articles, which were published in English between January 1990 and September 2000. An electronic data-collection tool was designed for use in this project and formatted using Excel software for transfer of coded data into the NVivo software for the data analysis. The results identified essential elements of spirituality, current use of operational definitions and instruments, conceptual frameworks used in spirituality research, and cultural aspects of spirituality. Historical comparison among decades and barriers in researching spirituality are discussed.

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