Dr Sarah Jeong

© 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd. Because nurses are at the forefront of end-of-life care, it is imperative that nursing students are prepared for this role upon graduation. Research suggests that many nursing students are unprepared to deliver compassionate and quality end-of-life care. There have been many attempts to address this need; one emerging method is end-of-life care simulation. This paper explores the experiences of 18 undergraduate nursing students of end-of-life care simulation. Participants' stories were obtained via observation during end-of-life care simulation, audio-recorded post simulation debriefing, and semi-structured interviews. Using Clandinin and Connolly's three dimensions of Narrative Inquiry (temporality, spatiality, and sociality) participants' stories reflected convergence of time, place, and person. Findings revealed three distinct plotlines along a time continuum, specifically surrounding time of death: (i) "The privilege of end-of-life care;" (ii) "Witnessing death as surreal;" and (iii) "The honor of providing after-death care." Participants' narratives suggest that end-of-life care simulation is an important means of preparing students for clinical end-of-life care experiences. This has implications for nursing educators wishing to consider simulation in end-of-life care education.

Background: Simulation is an evolving pedagogical approach to teaching in many undergraduate nursing curricula, however, there is little published literature on end of life care simulation as an effective means of teaching nursing students about end of life care. Literature review aims: To examine available literature on end of life care simulation. Review methods: An extensive literature search on end of life care simulation in the undergraduate nursing curriculum was conducted in CINAHL, Mosby's Index, Cochrane Database, Scopus, Eric via Proquest, and Medline. 6 research articles and 10 descriptive articles published between 2009 and 2013 that met the selection criteria are included in the review. Findings: Findings of these 16 articles are reported under 4 main themes: 1) Increased knowledge of end of life care through 'experiential learning'; 2) Impact of family presence on student learning; 3) the Debriefing imperative, and 4) Methodological issues raised from studies. Conclusion: The findings of the studies reviewed support end of life care simulation as a strong and viable pedagogical approach to learning for its positive effects on knowledge acquisition, communication skills, self-confidence, student satisfaction and level of engagement in learning. However, the important factors including psychological safety of students and the costs involved require careful consideration. Research on the use of simulation in nursing is still in its infancy, further research using various research designs is required to adequately explore the issues surrounding end of life care simulation. © 2013.

The migration of nurses has been a global phenomenon, and the integration of overseas-qualified nurses within host countries has led to debate worldwide. Evidence suggests that support provided by organizations can vary and that there is minimal information on the nature and extent of organizational support required to enhance a smooth transition of overseas-qualified nurses into nursing practice. This explorative study tour examined the organizational support provided to enhance overseas-qualified nurses' transition into the nursing workforce in two countries. The various support mechanisms provided to overseas-qualified nurses in different organizations include transition, acculturation, mentoring programs, and initial settlement assistance. The successful transition of overseas-qualified nurses into a host country is a complex issue. A robust support system for these nurses should be based on ethical considerations and a team approach that is linked to strong leadership. In addition, education and support for existing staff is essential for a successful transition of overseas-qualified nurses into practice. Lessons learnt from this study tour might also be relevant to the transition of other overseas-qualified health professionals, such as doctors and allied health professionals, in host countries. © 2013 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Background: Research on end of life care education suggests that undergraduate nursing students are largely unprepared to provide end of life care to dying patients and their families. Although there have been attempts to address the issue of lack of preparedness, little is known on how to improve this. Literature Review Aims: To examine how end of life care education has been delivered to undergraduate nursing students and to critically discuss the research on modes of delivery and teaching strategies. Review Methods: An extensive literature search on end of life care education in the undergraduate nursing curriculum was conducted in CINAHL, Mosby's Index, Cochrane Database, Scopus, Eric via Proquest, and Medline. 18 research papers published between 1984 and 2012 that met the selection criteria are included in the review. Findings: Findings of these 18 articles are reported under two main themes: Modes of End of Life Education Delivery and End of Life Care Education Initiatives. Conclusion: This review highlights issues with end of life care education and suggests that end of life care simulation is an innovative strategy that may help to prepare undergraduate nursing students to provide quality end of life care. © 2013.

© 2014 AJA Inc.Objective: The purpose of this literature review was to determine nurses' knowledge and understanding of the ageing process and attitudes towards older people in emergency care settings. Methods: Primary research publications about emergency nurses' attitudes towards and knowledge about older people were sought in six databases and Google. Results: Sixteen articles were reviewed, including seven cross-sectional surveys, seven qualitative studies and two mixed-methods studies. Conclusion: Emergency department nurses' attitudes towards and knowledge about ageing processes may affect therapeutic interactions between nurses and their older patients. Issues such as managerial style, past experiences and the medical model used for health-care delivery were secondary factors shown to influence emergency nurses' negativity towards their older patients. Further research focused on nurses' attitudes to and awareness or knowledge of gerontological issues, in particular in the ED, is warranted and would contribute to achieving desired cultural change.