Olaide B. Edet

BACKGROUND: Nursing education and training are essential in the attainment of evidence-based practice (EBP) competence in nursing students. Although there is a growing literature on EBP among nursing students, most of these studies are confined to a single cultural group. Thus, cross-cultural studies may provide shared global perspectives and theoretical understandings for the advancement of knowledge in this critical area. AIMS: This study compared self-perceived EBP competence among nursing students in four selected countries (India, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, and Oman) as well as perceived barriers to EBP adoption. METHODS: A descriptive, cross-sectional, and comparative survey of 1,383 nursing students from India, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, and Oman participated in the study. The Evidence-Based Practice Questionnaire (EBP-COQ) and the BARRIERS scale were used to collect data during the months of January 2016 to August 2017. RESULTS: Cross-country comparisons revealed significant differences in EBP competence (F = 24.437, p < .001), knowledge (F = 3.621, p = .013), skills (F = 9.527, p < .001), and attitudes (F = 74.412, p < .001) among nursing students. Three variables including nursing students' gender (β = .301, p < .001), type of institution, (β = -0.339, p = .001), and type of nursing student (β = .321, p < .001) were associated with EBP competence. Barriers to EBP adoption included having no authority to change patient care policies (M = 1.65, SD = 1.05), slow publication of evidence (M = 1.59, SD = 1.01), and paucity of time in the clinical area to implement the evidence (M = 1.59, SD = 1.05). LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION: Both academe and hospital administration can play a pivotal role in the successful acquisition of EBP competence in nursing students.

BACKGROUND: Mounting literature on stress and coping in nursing students are available; however, most of the findings are confined to a single cultural group. AIMS: This study was conducted to determine the level of stress, its sources and coping strategies among nursing students from three countries: Greece, the Philippines and Nigeria. METHODS: Using a descriptive, comparative research design, 547 nursing students (161 Greek nursing students, 153 Filipino nursing students, 233 Nigerian nursing students) participated in the study from August 2015 to April 2016. Two standardized instruments were used, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and the Coping Behavior Inventory (CBI). RESULTS: Findings revealed that the degree of stress and the type of stressors and coping styles utilized by nursing students differ according to the country of origin. The year of study predicted overall stress (β = -0.149, p < 0.001) while advanced age predicted overall coping (β = 0.008, p = 0.037) in the nursing students. CONCLUSIONS: Strengthening nursing students' positive coping skills may be helpful for them to effectively deal with various stressors during their educational experiences while maximizing learning. Implementing empirically tested approaches maybe useful to prevent the recurrence of stress and lessen its impact such as stress management counseling, counseling programs, establishing peer and family support systems, and formulating hospital policies that will support nursing students.

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to compare perceptions of stress and quality of life (QoL) among nursing students from three countries (the Philippines, Greece, and Nigeria) and to examine the impact of stress on their QoL. DESIGN AND METHODS: A comparative, cross-sectional research design was used in this study. Data were collected from 547 nursing students from three countries using the perceived stress scale (PSS) and the quality of life evaluation skill (QOLES). FINDINGS: Students' perceptions of stress and QoL were different across the three countries. Furthermore, higher stress perceptions were identified from taking care of patients, the clinical environment, and faculty, peer, and staff encounters, which predicted a negative QoL. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The findings emphasized the need for empirically tested and culturally tailored interventions to effectively reduce stress and enhance the QoL in nursing students.

Purpose The aim of this study was to identify perceptions of caring behaviors in student nurses from four countries. Methods This study employed a descriptive, comparative survey design. Four hundred sixty-seven students were recruited from four countries (Nigeria, India, Greece, and the Philippines) to participate in the study during the months of September 2013 to January 2014. Data were collected using the Caring Behavior Inventory. Findings The highest ranked subscale was “assurance of human presence” (4.827 ± 0.927), while “positive connectedness” (4.610 ± 0.949) was the lowest ranked subscale. There were no statistically significant correlations between the Caring Behavior Inventory scale and gender ( F = 0.215, p = .643), educational level ( F = 0.396, p = .529), and family structure of students ( F = 0.680, p = .410), except for age ( F = 9.380, p = .002, η 2 = 0.141) and the country of origin ( F = 5.772, p = .001, η 2 = 0.036). Conclusion Students from four countries possess positive caring behaviors, specifically on physically based caring interventions, while there is a need to emphasize expressive caring behaviors during nursing education and training. Implication for Nursing Practice Caring interventions should be carried out in order to help students build or enhance their caring behaviors that can be adapted to clinical situations.