Technology as a teachinglearning strategy for workplace experience in nursing: Complementary or cont

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Technology as a teaching/learning strategy for
workplace experience in nursing Complementary or
contradictory perspectives?

• Dr. Robyn Nash
• Dr. Sandy Sacre, Ms Pam Lemcke
• Faculty of Health, QUT

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The School of Nursing, QUT

• QUT is one of Australias largest universities
  enrolling 40,000 students
• The School of Nursing offers a comprehensive
  range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses
• We have approx. 2,300 UG students across 4
  undergraduate degrees
• We manage approx. 3,500 nursing WIL placements
  per year

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Background to our online scenario program

• Issues
• uncontrolled nature of clinical practice
• nature of learning opportunities
• quality of supervision
• increasing pressure on the number of available
  placements
• demand for ? flexibility re teaching and learning

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Background to our online scenario program

• Aim
• to develop an on-line teaching/learning space
  that would complement the development of clinical
  practice knowledge and skills.
• Objectives
• improve students application of problem solving
  and critical thinking skills to a range of
  clinical practice problems
• extend opportunities for practice-related
  learning (WIL)
• provide greater flexibility in clinical
  teaching/learning.

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About the program ...

• suite of self-directed, on-line learning
  resources designed for undergraduate students in
  nursing, paramedic practice, podiatry, nutrition
  and dietetics, optometry
• Clinical Decision Making
• Medication Administration
• Wound Care Management
• Working as a Multidisciplinary Team
• scenarios based on real life/authentic clinical
  situations and associated problems
• developed in collaboration with industry partners

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Pedagogical underpinnings ..

• informed by principles derived from a
  constructivist framework - learning as an
  individual construction within the learners
  environment
• anchoring of learning activities to a larger
  task,
• design of authentic tasks,
• supporting and challenging the learner's
  thinking,
• testing of ideas against alternative views and
  alternative contexts, and
• reflection on the content learned and the
  learning process (Savery Duffy 1995)
• technology supports knowledge construction - it
  does not define it - technology based
  teaching/learning tools should be part of the
  learning process and not ends in themselves
  (Jones 1996)

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About the program ...

• The scenarios
• are built around key Decision Points
• are supported by a range of on-line resources
  that include authentic patient documentation,
  policy and professional guidelines / requirements
  etc.
• allow students to consult with virtual experts
  as they make their Decisions
• feature increasing complexity as students
  progress from Year 1 Year 3
• fully embedded within the nursing curriculum

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Outcomes (quantitative)
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Outcomes (quantitative)
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Students comments

• A good learning experience
• this was a good learning experience useful for
  reinforcing important aspects of medication
  practice (Year 2 student)
• fantastic- a great help. Promoted my decision
  making skills (Year 3 student)
• good to do before you go out on prac. Gets you
  thinking about whats involved with giving meds
  (Year 2 student)

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Students comments

• Preparation for prac
• it gave me an idea of what to expect if I hadnt
  been on prac before. Helps to improve first years
  confidence for prac.
• the scenarios are very realistic. Having all the
  documents is goodhelps you get better at working
  with them. Also good to have your buddy nurse.
  
• when youre out in the real world information
  comes in different forms. Associated skills are
  knowing what to find and where to find it. The
  MedAdmin program helps you to learn this.

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Students comments

• Online and face-to-face delivery
• I gained a better understanding during the tute
  and group discussion on Mr Dwight
• Its much better to reflect with others rather
  than on your own
• Have lab sessions on the scenarios so that we
  can understand the practical application

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Reflections on the journey

• Some issues
• Online WIL
• can extend but doesnt replace work place
  experience
• Maximising student learning
• anchoring learning to the work place
• complementary F2F strategies
• balancing self direction with focussed teaching
  support
• Sustainability
• resources
• constantly emerging curriculum imperatives

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Technology as a teaching/learning strategy for
workplace experience in nursing Complementary or
contradictory perspectives?

• Questions?
• Dr. Robyn Nash
• Assistant Dean -Teaching and Learning
• Faculty of Health, QUT
• r.nash_at_qut.edu.au