Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Assessing Competence During Professional Experience Placements For Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Systematic Review, Sharon Bourgeois, Denise Blanchard, Katherine Nelson

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Review Objectives To identify and synthesise the best available evidence about the meaningfulness of assessments of competence during the professional experience placement for undergraduate nursing students, with the overarching aim to make recommendations concerning strategies and initiatives that support assessment of competence for undergraduate nursing programs.

Review Questions What are undergraduate nurses‟ experiences of the clinical assessment of competence? What are registered nurses‟/health care professionals experiences of the clinical assessment of competence?

Comparison Of Assessment Performance Of Rural And Regional Students In A Unique Australian Graduate-Entry Medical Program, David L. Garne, J Bushnell, A Lethbridge, J Douglas

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

The Graduate School of Medicine at the University of Wollongong is one of Australia's newest medical schools, with a regional/rural focus and a distributed campus, and students are all expected to spend a significant proportion of their training in a rural setting. Due to the diverse learning environments that students are exposed to, we sought to determine by phase if there was any difference in examination results between groups who were located in rural settings and those in regional settings.

Novel Digital Food Photos Resource Enhances Knowledge Of Nutrition And Dietetics Students, Karen Walton, Anne Mcmahon, Chris Brewer, Joanna Baker, Janaye Fish, Fiona Manning, Sara Grafenauer, Meredith Kennedy, Yasmine Probst

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

A robust knowledge of food composition, the Australian food supply and cooking methods is integral to dietetics practice. Students learn these concepts across a variety of subjects, however a new dietetics subject in 2009 and a faculty based learning and teaching grant provided a timely opportunity to develop innovative new digital resources for students to enhance their food composition knowledge. One-hundred and sixty high quality digital food photographs were developed and nutrient composition data were added, before making the resource accessible to students via their eLearning sites. The primary aim of this study was to assess the views and experiences …

Can You Get It Online? How To Enhance Professional And Clinical Learning Experiences For Exercise Physiology Students, Angela Douglas, Chris Brewer, Lisa Carrington

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Abstract of paper presented at the 5th Exercise & Sports Science Australia Conference 2012.

An Innovative Osce Clinical Log Station: A Quantitative Study Of Its Influence On Log Use By Medical Students, Judith N. Hudson, Helen Rienits, Linda Corrin, Martin Olmos

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Background A Clinical Log was introduced as part of a medical student learning portfolio, aiming to develop a habit of critical reflection while learning was taking place, and provide feedback to students and the institution on learning progress. It was designed as a longitudinal self-directed structured record of student learning events, with reflection on these for personal and professional development, and actions planned or taken for learning. As incentive was needed to encourage student engagement, an innovative Clinical Log station was introduced in the OSCE, an assessment format with established acceptance at the School. This study questions: How does an …

Rural Placements Are Effective For Teaching Medicine In Australia: Evaluation Of A Cohort Of Students Studying In Rural Placements, H H. Birden, I Wilson

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Introduction: Medical education in Australia is increasingly delivered through longitudinal placements in general practice and other community settings. Early meaningful exposure to patients has been shown to improve the transition from medical student to junior doctor. This study examines the experience of the first year cohort of the University of Western Sydney (UWS) Medical School long-term rural placement students. Results have been placed in the context of other published results for rural training schemes, comparing and contrasting the present results to those of others. Methods: Students undertaking a rural placement in their final year of the UWS medical program (n=21) …

Using Research To Identify Teaching And Learning Innovations That Will Better Prepare Nursing Students For Professional Practice, Dominique Parrish, Kay Crookes, Patrick A. Crookes

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

In Australia, data is collected by universities across students' institutional tenure to measure and monitor student learning, engagement and experience (DEEWR 2009). This data is often used to assess the performance of a subject, course, faculty or university and also to inform potential marketing materials and campaigns. However, there is very little data (if any) collected to enable universities to assess how well their educational programmes are preparing students for professional practice. This paper is based on a pilot study that aimed to address this gap by asking recent university graduates to provide some feedback on how their undergraduate nursing …

A Qualitative Analysis Of Medical Students Views Of Their First Psychiatry Rotation, Nagesh Brahmavar Pai, Shae-Leigh C. Vella, Kerry Dawes

Graduate School of Medicine - Papers (Archive)

Objective: The importance of student's perspectives in informing curricula and pedagogy has long been recognised. However, student's perspectives are rarely reported in the academic literature. Therefore this study explores and reports on medical student's perspectives of their first psychiatry clinical rotation in a 'new' era medical school in Australia. Method: Seventy-three graduate entry medical students completed a semi-structured questionnaire about their experiences during a mental health rotation. The responses were analysed and coded into thematic categories. Results: The following thematic categories were evident; staff, breadth of experience, attitudes towards mental health, course materials and structure, and professional development. Conclusion: The …

Increasing Medical Students' Capacity To Practice Evidence-Based Medicine Through Improving Student Participation And Interest In Journal Club, Warren C. Rich, Judy Mullan, Kathryn M. Weston, Peter L. Mclennan

Graduate School of Medicine - Papers (Archive)

Research indicates that graduating doctors believe they are deficient in the skills needed to become evidence-based practitioners. To address this the University of Wollongong’s new Graduate School of Medicine has embedded research and critical analysis (RCA) skills into the case-based curriculum. A key component of the RCA curriculum is improving the medical students’ critical appraisal skills by participating in Journal Club during their first phase of the course. Feedback from the first two student cohorts participating in Journal Club suggested that it was not important or interesting.

To increase the level of interest, enthusiasm and participation in Journal Club peer-assessment …

Practice Nurses Experiences Of Mentoring Undergraduate Nursing Students In Australian General Practice, Elizabeth J. Halcomb, Kathleen Peters, Susan Mcinnes

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Internationally, the delivery of health services has shifted from secondary to primary care, necessitating an exponential growth of the nursing workforce and expansion of the nursing role in general practice. This growth, and the subsequent need to develop this workforce, has created a need to expose undergraduate nurses to general practice nursing as a viable career option. Concurrently, universities are struggling to find sufficient clinical places for their undergraduate students to gain clinical experience. It is logical, therefore, to increase the number of undergraduate nursing student placements in general practice. Through qualitative research methods, this paper seeks to explore the …

A Hangover And A One-Night Stand: Alcohol And Risky Sexual Behaviour Among Female Students At An Australian University, Heidi Gilchrist, Kylie Smith, Christopher A. Magee, Sandra Jones

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

There is a growing body of research in Australia exploring the alcohol consumption behaviours of young people and the attendant health and social risks associated with excessive use of alcohol (Chikritzhs et al. 2003; Mancina-Pena & Tyson 2007). A number of studies from countries such as the United States and New Zealand indicate that university students tend to drink at riskier levels than the broader population (see for example Wechsler et al. 1994; Kypri, Stephenson & Langley 2005; Wechsler & Nelson 2008). Data from Australia are limited, although the few studies that have been conducted suggest that Australian university students …

Why (Not) Alcohol Energy Drinks? A Qualitative Study With Australian University Students, Sandra C. Jones, Lance R. Barrie, Nina J. Berry

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Introduction and Aims. Alcohol energy drinks (AEDs) are a recent entry to the ready-to-drink market, but there is an absence of research into the reasons young people consume these products and their consumption-related experiences.The aim of the current study was to investigate university students’ perceptions of, and experiences with, pre-mixed AEDs.

Design and Methods. Four focus groups with undergraduate university students in a large regional city in New South Wales; with transcripts coded for key themes.

Results.Participants reported a number of benefits of AED consumption,many of which were similar to other ready-to-drinks, such as taste and image. However, the primary …