Wait times in the ER (Patient Satisfaction)

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PICOT Question Paper

Dr. Sara Turpel

West Coast University

NUR350 Research in Nursing

Dr. Sara Turpel

Due Date

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PICOT Question Paper

The purpose of this paper is to address the topic of student success on a nursing research

course assignment, addressed through PICOT questions. Nursing student success is fostered

through faculty’s quality instruction and feedback (Rolf, Kroposki, & Watson, 2019). Included

in this paper is a discussion of the use of faculty review of student work prior to submission of an

assignment. PICOT questions are provided to address how this might improve student success.

Background

Khoza and Mathevula (2014) asserted that the transition to nursing courses is challenging

for students and that faculty support can facilitate student adaptation. Students’ motivation and

self-esteem are enhanced when the instructor provides guidance on assignments, especially when

the topic is new to the student (Khoza & Mathevula, 2014). Khoza and Methevula (2014) also

stated that an understanding of the challenges students face by faculty members can be

demonstrated in the classroom and will foster student success. Providing clear instructions and

outlining expectations for students demonstrates understanding and empathy.

Feedback provided on written assignments as a part of the grading process may be

perceived as a focus on mistakes and has been linked to negative reactions reported by college

students (Baker & Zuvela, 2013). Baker and Zuvela (2013) presented the concept of

feedforward, which is a strategy that allows students to take advantage of instructors’ advice

prior to completing an assignment. This allows students to have a clear understanding of what

the expectations are for an assignment. Feedforward strategies have been linked to student

success and include the use of exemplars, demonstrated through this paper.

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Significance to Nursing

The key to addressing the nursing shortage internationally is to retain students in nursing

programs and facilitate nursing student completion (Walker, 2016). Retaining nursing students is

dependent on assisting them to survive the rigors of nursing education. Walker (2016) noted the

importance of nursing student success and retention of nursing students to not only the individual

students and nurse educators, but also the members of society overall. The nursing shortage has

no projected end and the need for nurses is anticipated to continue to grow (Walker, 2016).

Success on individual assignments contributes to nursing students’ engagement in their

program and self-confidence (Khoza & Mathevula, 2014). This confidence can then be

transferred to their success in all courses and, eventually, success on the National Council

Licensure Examination (NCLEX), which is required of all nurses seeking to practice as

professional nurses in the United States. Combatting the nursing shortage through student

success and retention starts with student success on individual assignments within a nursing

program. This success can be fostered by nursing faculty through the use of the feedforward

technique.

PICOT Questions

The PICOT model provides the opportunity to focus questions on specific interventions

and how those interventions may lead to specific outcomes (Schmidt & Brown, 2015). Three

PICOT questions are presented here, focused on the topic of the feedforward technique as it

relates to student success and on students’ motivation to participate.

1. For students in an NUR 350 course, does faculty review of PICOT questions prior to

the students’ completion of the assignment as compared to no review influence

student grades on the assignment during Week 2 of the course?

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2. For students in an NUR 350 course, does placing an Announcement in the course

about faculty review of PICOT questions as compared to sending an email to students

influence the number of students submitting PICOT questions to the faculty during

Week 2 of the course?

3. For students in an NUR 350 course, does placing an Announcement in the course

about faculty review of PICOT questions as compared to sending a Remind text to

students influence the number of students submitting PICOT questions to the faculty

during Week 2 of the course?

Conclusion

Student success and retention in a nursing program have been identified as important

factors in addressing the nursing shortage (Walker, 2016). Student engagement and student-

faculty communication are linked to student retention (Khoza & Mathevula, 2014). Baker and

Zuvela (2013) identified the feedforward technique as a means to increase student engagement

and self-confidence, leading to increased retention. This paper presented PICOT questions

examining the use of the feedforward technique to allow students to feel positive about

interactions with faculty and confident about their ability to complete an assignment in an NUR

350 course.

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References

Baker, D. J., & Zuvela, D. (2013). Feedforward strategies in the first-year experience of online

and distributed learning environments. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher

Education, 38(6), 687–697. https://doi-

org.westcoastuniversity.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/02602938.2012.691153

Rolf, M., Kroposki, M., & Watson, S. (2019). Quantitative evaluation of variables to student

success in a mastery learning baccalaureate nursing programme. Nursing Open, 6(3), 959-

965. http://dx.doi.org.westcoastuniversity.idm.oclc.org/10.1002/nop2.278

Schmidt, N.A., Brown, J.M. (2015). Evidence-Based Practice for Nurses. (3rd ed). Sudbury,

MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning

Walker, L. P. (2016). A Bridge to Success: A Nursing Student Success Strategies Improvement

Course. Journal of Nursing Education, 55(8), 450-453.

http://dx.doi.org.westcoastuniversity.idm.oclc.org/10.3928/01484834-20160715-05