Advantages of Cooperative Learning: A Systematic Review

Nursing education is responsible for the production of competent nursing staff with the collaborative skills required by the workforce. Nursing recruitment and retention requirements have made nursing education more challenging. Consequently, alternative teaching methods are being explored in nursing education to narrow the gap between workforce requirements and training. This article contains literature review conducted to examine the advantages of cooperative learning. The purpose of this study is to survey the advantages of cooperative learning using articles outlining the advantages of cooperative learning. A literature search with focus on studies published between 2009 and 2018 was undertaken from four electronic databases. Identified articles were pruned with the help of the Prisma (2009) Flow Diagram. Forty-five articles were identified, 15 reviewed and 11 considered eligible for this study. Significant differences were found in favour of cooperative learning, between the various teaching methods in almost all the studies. Additionally, cooperative learning was noted to markedly enhance human development. The studies reviewed concluded that cooperative learning was better than traditional teaching methods like lecture as cooperative learners were noted to display higher achievements and positive social interdependence than their peers from traditional methods. These results are important for both nursing administrators/managers and faculty in planning lessons; hiring and assigning faculty respectively. The implications of this study are that nursing curricula should be designed to incorporate cooperative learning as a means to enhance learning and hiring of nursing faculty should be based on the appropriate display of cooperative learning skills.

We still need international applicants

Sam Foster, Chief Nurse, Oxford University Hospitals, reflects on her experience visiting Kerala to interview overseas candidates for nursing recruitment

Factors influencing the recruitment and retention of registered nurses in adult community nursing services: an integrative literature review

Background: Adult community nursing services are evolving around the world in response to government policies and changing patient demographics. Amidst these changes, recruitment and retention of community nursing staff are proving a challenge. An integrative literature review has identified multiple factors that influence nurse retention in adult community nursing with sparse information on recruitment factors. Although factors impacting retention of community nurses have been identified, their generalisability around the world is a challenge as they are context and co-dependent. Indicating the need for this area of study to be explored at a local level, as the same factors present with different findings globally. Aim: To establish factors influencing recruitment and retention of registered nurses in adult community nursing services. Design: Integrative literature review. Data sources: Four electronic databases were searched in August 2019 from January 2008 to December 2018: CINAHL Complete, Web of Science, MEDLINE and PROQUEST. Both qualitative and quantitative studies focusing on factors influencing community nursing recruitment and retention were included. Review methods: An integrative literature review methodology by Whittemore and Knafl (The integrative review: updated methodology. Journal of Advanced Nursing 52, 546–553) was followed, supported by Cochrane guidelines on data synthesis and analysis using a narrative synthesis method. The Center for Evidence-Based Management (CEBMa) critical appraisal tools were used for study quality assessment. Results: Ten papers met the study inclusion criteria. Data synthesis and analysis revealed individual and organisational factors influencing the retention of community nurses with the following three dominant themes: (1) work pressure, (2) working conditions and (3) lack of appreciation by managers. Conclusion: The review identified context-dependent factors that influence adult community nurses’ retention with limited generalisability. There is a lack of data on factors influencing recruitment into adult community nursing; further research is needed to explore factors affiliated to community nursing recruitment.

The Interim NHS People Plan: implications for nurse education

Proposals to tackle nursing recruitment and retention issues centre on addressing workplace culture and improving leadership, as Janet Scammell, Associate Professor (Nursing), Bournemouth University, explains