Thinking Outside the Box to Engage Nursing Students | Teri Darnall

TL;DR

Nurse educators can engage students by using active-learning methods such as concept mapping, case studies, role-playing, breakout planning, and virtual simulation in classes of any size. Teri Darnall also recommends looking beyond acute care for clinical placements and using debriefing to assess whether learning activities worked; her own program needed 120 clinical hours under North Carolina Board of Nursing requirements. Read on for practical classroom, clinical, and debriefing ideas.

Transcript

well thank you so much and i am blushing now um from that very kind introduction and so excited uh to be with everybody here today um thank you for taking time out on a friday afternoon uh because i know we've all got lots of things to do to get ready for the semester and i want to appreciate letting you a little spend a little time with you um i a... Read More

Key Insights

• 🤔 Active learning strategies are crucial for developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills in students.
• 🧑‍🎓 Various techniques, such as concept mapping, case studies, and simulations, can be used to engage students in active learning.
• 😨 Educators should consider alternative clinical opportunities outside of acute care settings to provide students with diverse learning experiences.

Questions & Answers

Q: How can nursing educators engage students through active learning?

Nursing educators can use concept mapping, case studies, role-playing, simulations, and breakout sessions that require students to participate and apply knowledge. Teri Darnall designed these ideas to be adaptable to classrooms of any size.

Q: Why is active learning important in nursing education?

Some students enter nursing programs without prior opportunities to extract information, connect it, and draw conclusions. Active learning helps them practice the critical-thinking, problem-solving, and clinical-judgment skills emphasized in the presentation.

Q: Can active-learning strategies work in large nursing classes?

Yes. Darnall recalls studying in a University of Toronto nursing class of 167 students and says her faculty modeled ways to keep a large class engaged. She presents the strategies as applicable to any class size, provided educators think creatively about implementation.

Q: Which active-learning activities can nursing faculty use in class?

The presentation identifies concept mapping, case studies, role-playing, audience response systems, breakout sessions, and simulations as options. These activities can create opportunities for participation, collaborative planning, discussion, and application of knowledge.

Q: What resources can support active learning for nursing students?

Examples named on the page include Evolve and FA Davis online modules, the Nurse Tim simulation package, and the Ryerson University simulation experience. Darnall notes that she received no reimbursement for mentioning products and offered them only as possible places to find resources.

Q: How can nursing programs find clinical opportunities outside acute care?

Educators can rethink community resources such as primary care clinics, mental health facilities, group homes, and schools as possible clinical settings. Students may participate through precepted placements or group work, including gerontology and pediatric rotations.

Q: How many clinical hours did Teri Darnall need to arrange for her students?

Darnall says she needed to arrange 120 clinical hours under North Carolina Board of Nursing requirements. She describes the pressure of securing sufficient experiential learning opportunities so students could graduate the following year.

Q: Why should educators debrief after classroom, clinical, or simulation activities?

Darnall says debriefing is how educators determine whether their efforts to engage students are working. She recommends creating debriefing opportunities across didactic, clinical, simulation, and virtual-simulation environments using a variety of methods.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The presenter discusses the necessity of engaging students in active learning, emphasizing the development of critical thinking skills and clinical judgment.

• Various active learning strategies are proposed, including concept mapping, case studies, role-playing, and virtual simulations.

• The presentation also addresses the challenges and benefits of implementing these strategies, as well as the importance of debriefing to assess and enhance learning outcomes.

• Suggestions are given for finding alternative clinical opportunities outside of traditional acute care settings.