Abstract

The dynamic and changing healthcare environment requires educators to prepare nurse practitioner students with more than knowledge and skills. Healthcare providers need to be prepared with enhanced skills related to critical thinking and decision making. Metacognition training has been used by many disciplines within and outside of healthcare to prepare individuals to work in an environment that has volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity, and delayed feedback (VUCAD). Metacognition training is rooted in cognitive theory. Cognitive theory strives to understand the relationship between an individual's thought processes and behavior. This retrospective exploratory study uses computerized strategic management simulation (SMS) data to address the question: What parameters of metacognition do master's level nurse practitioner (NP) students excel versus underperform? Presentation will include SMS parameters linked with the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) Core Competencies. In doing this, faculty can better assess students' individualized learning needs and tailor their academic education to address specific needs. Fifty-nine master's level students completed SMS, measuring five unique parameters of metacognition (Crisis, Task, Strategy, People & Information Management). Students' mean and median scores were observed to be high range for crisis management; and moderate range for task management, strategy management, and people management. Conversely, mean and median scores were in the low range for information management. Knowledge gained from this study can be used for curriculum development and planning to ensure that the parameters of metacognition are demonstrated throughout the content delivery of the curriculum, training exercises, and evaluation methods. Knowledge related to areas in which NP students score in the low range can be added to courses to bolster students' education. Preparing competent nurse practitioners for the healthcare environment has been made even more apparent by the recent global COVID-19 pandemic.

Author Details

Kathryn Holliday DNP, CPNP, CNE; Justin Waryold DNP, ANP-C, ACNP-BC, GS-C, CNE, FAANP; Eric Rodriguez MS, FNP

Sigma Membership

Omicron at-Large

Lead Author Affiliation

The State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, USA

Type

Presentation

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Quasi-Experimental Study, Other

Research Approach

Pilot/Exploratory Study

Keywords:

Metacognition, Cognitive Theory, Nurse Practitioner Students, Critical Thinking, Information Management

Conference Name

Contemporary Applications of Imogene King's Work and Related Theories Conference

Conference Host

KING International Nursing Group

Conference Location

Virtual Event

Conference Year

2021

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.

All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.

All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host

Acquisition

Self-submission

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Metacognition in nurse practitioner students: How nurse educators can best serve students

Virtual Event

The dynamic and changing healthcare environment requires educators to prepare nurse practitioner students with more than knowledge and skills. Healthcare providers need to be prepared with enhanced skills related to critical thinking and decision making. Metacognition training has been used by many disciplines within and outside of healthcare to prepare individuals to work in an environment that has volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity, and delayed feedback (VUCAD). Metacognition training is rooted in cognitive theory. Cognitive theory strives to understand the relationship between an individual's thought processes and behavior. This retrospective exploratory study uses computerized strategic management simulation (SMS) data to address the question: What parameters of metacognition do master's level nurse practitioner (NP) students excel versus underperform? Presentation will include SMS parameters linked with the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF) Core Competencies. In doing this, faculty can better assess students' individualized learning needs and tailor their academic education to address specific needs. Fifty-nine master's level students completed SMS, measuring five unique parameters of metacognition (Crisis, Task, Strategy, People & Information Management). Students' mean and median scores were observed to be high range for crisis management; and moderate range for task management, strategy management, and people management. Conversely, mean and median scores were in the low range for information management. Knowledge gained from this study can be used for curriculum development and planning to ensure that the parameters of metacognition are demonstrated throughout the content delivery of the curriculum, training exercises, and evaluation methods. Knowledge related to areas in which NP students score in the low range can be added to courses to bolster students' education. Preparing competent nurse practitioners for the healthcare environment has been made even more apparent by the recent global COVID-19 pandemic.