Biomedical subjects

Lois R Robley

Publications and source records attributed to Lois R Robley.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

This new house: building knowledge through online learning.

The purpose of this study was to understand from baccalaureate-degree nursing students the experience of virtual learning in nursing and to understand how online education enhanced and detracted from learning. Three in-depth, focus-group interviews were conducted with a total of 27 baccalaureate nursing students. Hermeneutic phenomenology was employed to analyze the narrative data. Seven themes were identified from the data. The first theme was "making the framework": (1) providing flexibility; (2) enabling students through observing, guiding, and modeling; (3) faculty as facilitators; and (4) questioning as method. The second theme was "building incredible dialogue": (1) having great discussions, (2) sharing ideas/knowledge, and (3) not being inhibited. The third theme was "critical thinking--the 3-D effect": (1) sitting with the words, (2) using references/research, (3) seeing a variety of perspectives, (4) critiquing self and others, and (5) using selective language. The fourth theme was "personal and professional growth": (1) being connected, (2) feeling valued and respected, and (3) having intimate relationships. The fifth theme, representing the outcomes for online courses, was "more comprehensive learning": (1) deeper understanding and (2) better retention of knowledge. The sixth theme was "being overwhelmed", and the seventh theme was "being frustrated". As a result of this study, an understanding of the phenomenon of online learning was developed. The findings provide direction for future development of the pedagogy of distance learning.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Collaborative development of an insulin nomogram for intensive insulin therapy.

A significant reduction in morbidity and mortality can be achieved by using intensive insulin therapy to achieve normoglycemia in the critically ill patient. Nurses hourly titrate insulin infusion rates using protocols, most often in chart form, to guide practice. Despite the reported development of several intensive insulin protocols, information about the accuracy, practicality, ease of calculation, and preferences of critical care nurses have not been studied. The purpose of this study was to test a newly developed nomogram to determine if it was clinically practical, easily understood, and more quickly and accurately used than existing protocols in chart form. Three cohorts of nurses (N = 153), with an average of 9 years experience in critical care, performed calculations of insulin doses on the basis of hypothetical patient data, using chart and nomogram protocols. Time, accuracy, preference, and feedback were examined over all 3 phases. No statistical significance was found between the chart and nomogram methods regarding time to complete the calculations nor was there any significant effect of experience on the time it took to complete the calculations or the accuracy of the resultant answers. Overall, the accuracy of the calculations improved with each revision of the nomogram. The nurses did not have a preference of one tool over another but gave extensive feedback that helped refine the nomogram. The resultant nomogram was shown to be easy to use, helpful in improving the accuracy of insulin dosage calculation, and judged to be practical by the nurses who would use the tool at the bedside.

Algorithms↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The benefits of serving on a hospital ethics committee: a faculty perspective.

Community hospitals ethics committees rarely have formal support from persons within the academic community. The author discusses a liaison between a suburban hospital system and a nearby university school of nursing that garners positive educational, service, and programmatic benefits, related to ethics, for both. The lessons learned and insights gained by a faculty member serving on the ethics committee are examined.

Altruism↗