This document discusses how RSS feeds can be used to enhance student access to recent research and current healthcare topics in online nursing courses. It provides examples of how RSS feeds could be used to direct students to scholarly articles on nursing theories and current topics related to clinical management courses. An evaluation found that about half of students found the RSS feeds helpful for assignments, though some had initial confusion. The document concludes that RSS can help increase student awareness of relevant information for courses if accompanied by instruction on its use.

1. Frontier School of Midwifery & Family Nursing presents Mary Breckinridge, Founder Frontier Nursing Service, 1925

2. Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds to enhance student access to recent research and current healthcare topicsJulie Marfell, DNP, FNP-BCBillie Anne Gebb, MSLSMary R. Nichols, PhD, FNP-BC

3. www.frontierschool.edu What is RSS? RSS = Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary Format for delivering regularly changing web content Many web sites syndicate their content using RSS – the aggregated content is referred to as a “feed” Symbol indicates that a feed is available

4. Advantages of RSS Saves time by allowing users to view content from several different sites at once More convenient as user controls when and where to view the information www.frontierschool.edu

5. Importance to students Presents content selected by faculty Access to large reference lists Regular updates on the latest publications Enables them to become better readers and writers www.frontierschool.edu

6. Goals of the faculty Expose students to peer-reviewed, scholarly content Updates on the latest publications and topics Access the most current publications for the most recent and widely read nursing research journals www.frontierschool.edu

7. Utilizing RSS Usually need a feed reader, such as Google Reader or Bloglines to manage and view feeds www.frontierschool.edu

8. RSS Feeds in Online Courses Using JavaScript, you can make a feed appear on a web site without using a feed reader. Several free services are available to automate this process (see rssinclude.com, feed.informer, Feed2JS) Just cut and paste the code! www.frontierschool.edu

9. RSS Feeds in Online Courses www.frontierschool.edu

10. RSS Feeds in Online Courses www.frontierschool.edu

11. Example 1: Using RSS feeds to enhance access to recent research in Theories and Research courses Introduce students to scholarly, peer-reviewed journal articles Students must find five quantitative research articles on a nursing theory of their choice in the Theories course Students select quantitative nursing research studies to replicate and extend and include a literature review in the Research course www.frontierschool.edu

12. Example 1 Announcement in course: Thanks to the help of our librarian, Billie Anne Gebb, we have an RSS feed for the most recent indexes in "Research Journal Articles" (found at the end of Lessons) where you may access the most current publications for the most recent and widely read nursing research journals. RSS (= Really Simple Syndication) is a way to get to the latest issue of a journal and a list of the index for the latest published articles in a variety of nursing research journals (there are ten of the major nursing research journals available) www.frontierschool.edu

13. Example 1 www.frontierschool.edu

14. Example 2: Using RSS feeds to enhance access to current healthcare topics in a clinical course Introduce students to key concepts for a clinical management course Students compose a complex case presentation of a patient that they have followed in their clinical rotations www.frontierschool.edu

15. Example 2 Introduction in course: As a nurse practitioner it will be very important for you to keep abreast of current trends and debates in healthcare. While it is necessary to keep up with the literature and news, it can be difficult to find the time to do so. This “Current Awareness” folder is set up to provide you with current articles and websites related to key topics that you are studying in this course. Each of the pages in this folder contains RSS feeds for searches on selected topics from both PubMed and Google. .. www.frontierschool.edu

16. Example 2 www.frontierschool.edu

17. Example 2: Goals Comparison of the information from Google vs. PubMed Awareness of issues related to the assignment other than evidenced-based treatment guidelines Introduction to a system that will help them stay current in the literature once they graduate www.frontierschool.edu

18. Example 2: Evaluation Inconclusive 50% response to course evaluation 50% rate helpfulness at 5 or above on a 10 point Likert scale Most comments were positive: “Found it helpful for my case study” “Easy to find current information” Challenges: None Nothing useful A little confusing at first www.frontierschool.edu

19. Conclusions RSS can be used for students to help increase their awareness of particular information, such as research in clinical management issues Instruction on how and why to use RSS are helpful for course work Further student and faculty evaluation are needed www.frontierschool.edu

20. References Eisenzopf, J. (2000). Making headlines with RSS. Web Techniques, 5 (2), 67-72. Fichter, D. (2004a). Intranet librarian. Online, 28 (4), 45-49. Fichter, D. (2004b). Technology trends for intranet librarians. Online, 28 (6), 52. . www.frontierschool.edu

21. References cont’d Gibbs, M. (2002). RSS tools and stuff. Network World, 19 (9), 38. Notess, G.R. (2002). RSS, aggregators, and reading the Blog fantastic. Online 26 (6), 52-55. www.frontierschool.edu

22. www.frontierschool.edu “... to reach wide neighborhoods of men.”

23. www.frontierschool.edu For More Information about theFrontier Schoolof Midwifery & Family Nursing www.frontierschool.edu (606) 672-2312 P.O. Box 528,195 School St.Hyden, KY 41749