"Black out or back out": Understanding the alcohol habits, behaviors, and motivations of generation Z students.

This qualitative phenomenological study explored alcohol habits, behaviors, and motivations of Gen Z students (born 1996-2010). Thirteen participants met selection criteria: aged 18-24 years (thus, part of Gen Z), enrolled as at either the University or community college, and able to share experiences. Maximum variation was sought for race/ethnicity, Greek life/sorority involvement and hometown regional area.

Improving Confidence in Clinical Assessment Skills Through Service-Learning Experiences Among Nursing Students.

Background: Service-learning (SL) was incorporated into a nonclinical undergraduate nursing course. This study examined the effects of SL on nursing students' confidence in performing patient health assessments.

Method: Nursing students completed an experiential SL vital signs assessment and a subsequent reflective journal.

Calories and control: Eating habits, behaviors, and motivations of Generation Z females.

Objective: This qualitative phenomenological study explored eating habits, behaviors, and motivations of Gen Z females (born 1996-2002).

Participants: Ten participants met selection criteria: female aged 18-24 (thus, part of Gen Z), enrolled full-time at the University and able to share experiences. Maximum variation was sought for race/ethnicity, Greek life/sorority involvement and hometown regional area.

Peace, Love, Field Day: An Innovative Approach to Cultivating Healthy Academic Communities.

The American Nurses Association declared 2017 the Year of the Healthy Nurse. In an effort to promote a healthy academic environment, faculty and staff in institutions of higher learning should serve as role models for healthy living for their students. This article describes an innovative approach to cultivating a healthy academic environment.

Laughter Is the Best Medicine: Teaching to Teach Using Standardized Patients.

This article describes an innovative approach to patient teaching using standardized patients, humor, and therapeutic communication. The strategy was designed for baccalaureate students enrolled in a fundamentals nursing course. Students, divided into small groups, were assigned a patient education topic to provide to the standardized patient.

Bringing your a-game: Educational gaming for student success.

Background: The purpose of this article is to describe the theoretical basis for the integration of gaming in nursing education and discuss aspects related to the implementation of "The Race for Nursing Student Success" game.

Methods: This game was designed for 112 junior-level baccalaureate nursing students enrolled in a fundamentals nursing course. Students were divided into groups of 5-8 and rotated through ten specific learning activities that took place in various locations throughout the nursing building.

Unfolding case studies as a formative teaching methodology for novice nursing students.

Nurse educators are challenged to incorporate evidence-based practice initiatives into content-laden curricula in a manner that supports learner-centered teaching environments. This article describes a technique for using unfolding case studies to include such initiatives in the teaching of novice nursing students, as opposed to summative evaluation of their knowledge. Modeled after Kolb's experiential learning theory, a framework for unfolding case studies is presented, which proposes that instead of faculty selecting scenarios for students, they should instead challenge students to directly and creatively develop their own.

Preventing information overload: cognitive load theory as an instructional framework for teaching pharmacology.

Nursing students are challenged by content-laden curricula and learning environments that emphasize testing outcomes. Likewise, educators are challenged to support student-centered learning in a manner that encourages students to connect and act upon their personal motivations. This article describes the use of cognitive load theory (CLT) as an instructional design framework for an undergraduate pharmacology for nursing course.