BACKGROUND: Academic burnout is widespread in higher education, affecting academic achievements, professional development, and physical and mental health. Previous related research lacks qualitative studies on graduate nursing students.
OBJECTIVE: This study aims to provide valuable information to relevant authorities and stakeholders by identifying the key experiences associated with academic burnout in graduate nursing students.
METHODS: An exploratory qualitative research design.
METHODS: This research was carried out at two medical universities located in the southern region of China.
METHODS: Nineteen enrolled graduate nursing students.
METHODS: Data collection spanned from December 2023 to January 2024. After obtaining informed consent from the participants, the researchers conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews. Data processing and analysis were based on Giorgi\'s phenomenological method. The reporting of this study strictly adhered to the Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research (SRQR).
RESULTS: Nineteen participants completed the interviews, ranging in age from 22 to 42 years and including sixteen females and three males. \"Wheels stuck in mud\" was the core construct that explained graduate nursing students\' academic burnout. Analyses revealed four themes: invisible hand, a battle with myself, two choices, find my way.
CONCLUSIONS: The academic burnout of nursing graduate students is perceived as a psychological dilemma akin to being \"wheels stuck in mud.\" It is driven by an invisible force composed of multiple components, leading to intense internal struggles for individuals. Individuals exhibit two distinct trends in their academic performance: either \"remaining detached and indifferent to academics\" or \"overcommitting and self-exploiting.\" It is encouraged to conduct intervention using an integrative strategy based on acceptance and commitment therapy, self-disclosure, and mindfulness.

BACKGROUND: Empathy and self-efficacy for smoking cessation counseling can be enhanced through smoking cessation training. Narrative videos and virtual reality (VR) games have been applied in medical education, but their application in smoking cessation training is limited and understudied.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of smokers\' narrative videos and mini-VR games on nursing students\' empathy towards smokers (State Empathy Scale), confidence in practicing empathy, self-efficacy in smoking cessation counseling, and learning satisfaction.
METHODS: An open-labeled randomized controlled trial, registration number: NCT05440877 (ClinicalTrials.gov).
METHODS: Master of nursing students from the University in Hong Kong who enrolled in a smoking cessation course.
METHODS: All students attended a tutorial including case-based discussions and role-play. The intervention group could additionally access the narrative videos and mini-VR games of smokers\' cases. Linear mixed models and Cohen\'s d were used to evaluate the intervention effect on the self-reported learning outcomes after the intervention.
RESULTS: 26 students enrolled in this trial, with 13 in each trial arm. All completed the trial. Post-test state empathy scores were significantly higher in the control group than in the intervention group (Cohen\'s d = 0.814, p = 0.049). No significant group differences were observed in the change of confidence in practicing empathy (β = -11.154, p = 0.073), self-efficacy (β = 4.846, p = 0.096), and students\' learning satisfaction (Cohen\'s d = 0.041, p = 0.917). Both groups showed a significant increase in self-efficacy post-test (p < 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: Narrative videos showing smoking scenes and reluctance to quit, and our mini-VR games may weaken nursing students\' empathy towards smokers. Smoking cessation training involving narrative videos should be modified. Debriefing and guidance to understand smokers\' difficulties and express empathy are needed. VR games for smoking cessation training can involve more frame stories and challenging tasks to increase engagement.

BACKGROUND: Collaborative and innovative educational approaches are essential to building nurses\' competencies in responding to healthcare challenges and to enhance high-quality nursing practice. Nurses are increasingly learning in various contexts, and thus, the understanding and organising of collaborative learning needs further exploration.
OBJECTIVE: To describe collaborative learning in nursing practice and education from the point of view of nurses, involved as students and teachers in master\'s education in nursing.
METHODS: Qualitative study using semi-structured focus groups involving 33 nurses as master\'s students and teachers from Estonia and Norway. The data were analysed using inductive content analysis.
RESULTS: The essence of collaborative learning in the context of nursing practice and education was identified as the aggregation of diverse learners\' skills and reflections while working towards shared aims. This fostered the development of workplace competencies, professional attitudes, and personal growth. Organising collaborative learning requires careful planning and synchronisation between clinical and educational organisations.
CONCLUSIONS: Collaborative learning is an inclusive method, aiding nurses at different phases of their career to gain knowledge and enhance their soft skills, and potentially reducing professional hierarchies. Further research is needed to develop methods for evaluating the outcomes of collaborative learning.

There is growing recognition of the critical role nursing leadership plays in healthcare. Integrating strengths-based approaches into nursing education enables positive learning settings and empowers nurses as leaders who foster healing and well-being for patients and their families. This paper describes an effort to integrate Strengths-Based Nursing and Healthcare (SBNH) and Strengths-Based Nursing and Healthcare Leadership (SBNH-L) into the development, implementation and evaluation of a postgraduate pediatric nursing program in Ghana. In the evaluation of the program in Ghana, three themes emerged related to strengths-based nursing: transformation of teaching and learning, impact on relationships with colleagues and impact on relationships with patients.

OBJECTIVE: This research aimed to examine students\' emotions, opinions, and suggestions regarding the \"Applied Scientific Research\" course.
METHODS: The study was conducted in a province in eastern Turkey between June and July 2023. Data were collected from 9 postgraduate students attending the \"Scientific Research\" course at a university\'s Institute of Health Sciences using a \'Descriptive Information Form\' and a \'Semi-Structured Questionnaire\'. Content analysis was employed for the qualitative data evaluation.
RESULTS: The participants\' ages ranged from 25 to 32. Six participants were female, five were academicians, and five were doctoral students. Six participants had taken a statistics or research course before the scientific research course. Additionally, seven had attended scientific conferences, five followed a scientific publication regularly, five had conducted scientific research before, and five had not published scientific research before taking the course. Through the analysis of data obtained from participant interviews, three themes, namely \"Effects of Activities in the Course,\" \"Reasons for Recommendations and Preferences,\" and \"Outcomes of the Course,\" were identified. Six sub-themes and 18 codes were generated, including \"Most Challenging Activity,\" \"Least Challenging Activity,\" \"Recommendations for the Course,\" \"Reasons for Choosing the Course,\" \"Contributions of the Course,\" and \"Feelings Towards the Course.\"
CONCLUSIONS: The research results indicate that students improved their skills in conducting scientific research, writing articles, and getting published after taking the course. Furthermore, the course evoked positive feelings in students and increased their perceived competence.

OBJECTIVE: Trying to juggle multiple roles and responsibilities as a student, nurse, and mother can be challenging due to pressures from overlapping time management. This study was conducted to explore the experiences of graduate students who work as nurses and are mothers.
METHODS: The qualitative phenomenological data for this study were gathered from nurses at a training and research hospital between August and November 2022, utilizing face-to-face interviews. The study cohort comprised twelve nurses aged 28 to 48, all actively engaged in postgraduate education. Data were collected using a descriptive information form and semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was executed through inductive coding, facilitated by the Max Qualitative Data Analysis (MAXQDA) Analytics Pro2022 software.
RESULTS: Four central themes were developed: \"Experiences During the Breastfeeding Process,\" \"Positive Effects,\" \"Encountered Challenges,\" and \"Expectations.\"
CONCLUSIONS: The findings underscored that nurses who are mothers and pursuing postgraduate education encounter difficulties throughout their academic pursuits, notably attributed to working conditions and professional cultural values.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the motivations and perceptions of RNs with completed doctorates in an integrated healthcare system.
BACKGROUND: Historically, PhD preparation was the primary doctorate available for nurses, preparing them to conduct research and hold leadership positions. The recent growth of Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs that focus on either advanced clinical practice or executive competencies has significant implications for the future of nursing in practice settings.
METHODS: A 30-item survey was sent to all 93 RNs at a healthcare system who have completed doctorates.
RESULTS: A response rate of 71% found DNPs outnumber PhDs 3 to 1. PhDs are significantly more likely to perceive concrete benefits associated with their degrees, and DNPs are more likely to report that their degrees have not made a difference in their jobs.
CONCLUSIONS: Leaders in practice and education must collaborate to ensure that both DNPs and PhDs are engaged in positions that use their highest level of competence in any setting.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to elicit graduate entry nursing students\' views on factors that enable and constrain their learning engagement.
BACKGROUND: Learning engagement has been associated with student retention/attrition and the achievement of learning confidence and success. While all students are subject to challenges that affect their learning engagement, those experienced by international students who are learning in a foreign and unfamiliar context are of particular concern to academics. An understanding of international graduate entry nursing students\' perspectives on factors that enable and constrain their engagement can inform development of learning and teaching strategies that are more responsive to the needs of this group of students and can support their learning achievement.
METHODS: A qualitative descriptive design conducted in one Australian multi campus university School of Nursing. Participants included first and second-year international students enrolled in a graduate entry Master of Nursing course.
METHODS: Data, including demographic information, was collected via a theoretically informed online survey consisting of a Likert scale and open- ended questions. This study reports participant responses to open ended questions included in the survey. A thematic analysis was used to interpret findings.
RESULTS: Analysis identified participants\' perspectives on factors that influenced their learning engagement in four theme areas: 1) Availability of study support resources, 2) Opportunities for social interaction, 3) Opportunities to build a sense of belonging, and 4) Constraints on development of a sense of engagement. Opportunities for social engagement emerged as a dominant finding across all themes.
CONCLUSIONS: This research, which focused on international students\' perspectives on learning engagement, contributed to existing knowledge on student engagement in higher education graduate entry nursing courses. Opportunities for social interaction within and beyond formal course learning experiences were valued by students and identified as key to their learning engagement. These findings have implications for academics and student support services who together, can influence the context of students learning to better meet their engagement needs.

Nursing skill levels and implementation of Advanced Nursing Practice in Austria: A cross-sectional study Abstract: Background: New fields of practice are emerging under the concept of \"Advanced Nursing Practice\" (ANP) that offer specialised care provided by nurses who hold master\'s degrees. In Austria, nurses are currently being trained as Advanced Practice Nurses (APN). Aim: The project aimed to investigate which advanced nursing practice tasks according to the Hamric model are undertaken by nurses at different levels of qualification in Austria. Methods: Certified nurses did participate in a cross-sectional survey through an online questionnaire based on the Role Delineation Model and tailored to the Austrian context. The tasks were assigned based on the Hamric model and were tested and evaluated descriptively according to the qualification level through factor analysis. Results: Completed data was available from 105 participants, among them 80% with undergraduate education, 20% with a master\'s degree. A tendency in the results showed that the level of qualification was related to the activities carried out. The higher the academic degree, the more activities were performed in the field of leadership. The central ANP-competencies, research and education, are rather weak among all respondents. Conclusion: The results show that activities corresponding to the competencies of an ANP are performed by a heterogeneous group of nurses. Conditions and a standardized understanding of ANP need to be established in order to offer a professional practice that matches the competency profile.
Zusammenfassung: Hintergrund: Unter dem Konzept „Advanced Nursing Practice“ (ANP) entstehen neue Handlungsfelder, in denen Pflegende mit Masterabschluss spezialisierte Pflege anbieten. In Österreich werden bereits Advanced Practice Nurses (APN) ausgebildet. Ziel: Das Ziel war zu untersuchen, welche Aufgaben einer erweiterten Pflegepraxis nach dem Hamric-Modell von Pflegenden auf unterschiedlichem Qualifikationsniveau in Österreich ausgeführt werden. Methoden: In einer Querschnittsstudie wurden diplomierte Gesundheits- und Krankenpflegepersonen mittels eines auf dem Role Delineation Model basierenden und an den österreichischen Kontext angepassten Online-Fragebogens befragt. Mittels Faktorenanalyse wurden die Aufgaben entsprechend dem Hamric-Modell zugeordnet, geprüft und deskriptiv nach Qualifikationsniveau ausgewertet. Ergebnisse: Von 105 Teilnehmenden lagen vollständige Daten vor, darunter 80% mit abgeschlossener Grundausbildung, 20% mit einem Masterabschluss. Es zeigte sich eine Tendenz der durchgeführten Tätigkeiten in Zusammenhang mit dem Qualifikationsniveau. Je höher der akademische Grad, desto stärker liegen die Tätigkeiten im Bereich Führung. Die ANP-Kernkompetenzen Forschung und Edukation sind bei allen Befragten eher schwach ausgeprägt. Schlussfolgerungen: Es wird aus den Ergebnissen ersichtlich, dass eine heterogene Gruppe von Pflegepersonen Tätigkeiten übernimmt, die den Kompetenzen einer ANP entsprechen. Es müssen noch Rahmenbedingungen sowie ein einheitliches Verständnis für ANP geschaffen werden, um eine zum Kompetenzprofil passende Berufspraxis bieten zu können.

The global shortage of nurses and high attrition rates for newly graduated nurses along with the shifting demand for home care has created a critical need for retention strategies that address the specific challenges of rural settings. The effectiveness of structured transition or mentoring programs are primarily studied in acute care settings, making it difficult to translate to the unique context of rural home care nursing. The complexities of the independent nature of home care nursing practice and limited resources to address transition shock make it difficult to successfully transition newly graduated nurses to rural home care. A case study supports mentorship facilitation as a readily available, effective strategy that can overcome the challenges of rural home care settings. A comparative analysis will link Duchscher\'s (2008) transition shock theory to mentorship as an effective strategy for supporting NGNs\' transition in home care nursing. Recommendations offer rural care leaders practical strategies bundled with mentorship to optimize the successful transition and retention of newly graduated nurses in their workplaces.