learning by design - higher education - nursing protocol design
Detailed Description:
Evidence-Based Practice is a model for nursing practice that grounds clinical decision making in current research, personal experience, and patient values to ensure optimal patient outcomes. Evidence-Based Practice in nursing care has been endorsed by a number of health-care organizations including the American Nurses Association, the Presidents Advisory Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality in the Health Care Industry, and the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (Society of Pediatric Nurses 2004). Studies have shown a distinct lack in preparing undergraduate nursing students to incorporate Evidence-Based Practice to its fullest extent (Cleary-Holdforth and Leufer 2008; Meeker, Jones, and Flanagan 2008; Foster 2004). Students are less able to synthesize research with their own personal clinical judgment and the reality of the nursing context (Foster 2004). This may be, in part, due to the fact that as novice nurses, they simply do not have a wide range of experience from which to base their clinical judgment.
The prototype will be grounded in the pedagogical model of Learning by Design. Students will design a nursing protocol (a series of nursing actions designed to address a clinical problem) by seeking out current research and considering the realities of clinical practice. To address the issue of lack of experience, students will work in teams to share experiences with each other. Nurse mentors will also be on hand to share their experiences. Students will periodically seek out feedback on their designs from organizations related to their populations, or from people who share characteristics of their patient populations. The students will balance research and multiple perspectives from experts and patients in the design of their protocols.
Learning Outcomes:
The learner will be able to:
Phase One:
Collaborate with team members and other classmates in the design process.
Generate a "hypothetical protocol" based on current knowledge. Compare and contrast current protocols with hypothetical protocol.
Identify learning issues and allocate amongst team members.
As an individual:
Evaluate research for validity and relevance to the nursing protocol in question as well as applicability to one's own nursing practice.
Articulate relevant expertise and research findings with team members during the protocol development phase.
Reflect on the design process. This includes articulating individual learning needs as well as creating and implementing plans to meet needs. This also includes articulating and justifying (based on research and feedback) design decisions.
Modify hypothetical protocol recommendations to incorporate peer, expert, and patient feedback received. If necessary, conduct additional iterations of development by identifying new learning needs, conducting further research and receiving further feedback.
Synthesize the results of research findings and the practical realities of the care environment gleaned from personal experience and consultation with peers, patients, and experts into a cohesive protocol recommendation.
Phase Two:
As an individual, design a nursing protocol that synthesizes nursing knowledge, emergent research, patient feedback, and the realities of the care environment.