Case Study 17A: using technology to teach clinical skills
This case study describes a two-year pilot project using virtual case simulation to enable the acquisition of clinical skills at the University of Southampton School of Nursing and Midwifery (SONAM), the second largest such school in the United Kingdom. ::: The projected shortfall of the required numbers of health professionals, especially in English-speaking nations and particularly among nurses is being addressed in the United Kingdom primarily by means of a significant increase in education and training. The SONAM responded to this imperative by expanding its pre-registration education programs by approximately 300 percent over the past six years, with an annual intake of 750 students. Ironically, as student enrolments have increased, our service organisations’ ability to absorb students and provide clinical experience has decreased markedly.
This article describes research that sought to identify and critique selected content areas from three nursing fundamentals text- books for the presence or absence of racial bias embedded in the portrayal of African Americans.The analyzed content areas were the history of nursing, cultural content, and physical assessment/hygiene parameters. A researcher-developed guide was used for data collection and analysis of textual language, illustrations, linguistics, and references.A thematic analysis resulted in 11 themes reflecting the portrayal of African Americans in these sampled textbooks. An interpretive analysis with a lens of Sadker and Sadker's categories of bias, along with other literary and theoretical contexts, were used to explore for the presence or absence of racial bias. Recommendations for nursing education are provided.