Innovative teaching within the nursing resource center: A blueprint for student sucess

Journal of Multicultural Nursing & Health, Fall 2001 by Ankele, Ruth, Lohner, Linda, Masiulaniec, Betty Ann Swat

In this new millennium, Nursing Educators are considering implementing culturally competent teaching strategies aimed at a more diverse student population. No longer are we teaching the 18-22 year old students; instead the increase is toward an older part time student with many other responsibilities such as work, school, and family. This challenge coupled with the needs of employers became the focus for the revisions that took place in the old lab turned into a nursing resource center. In the old nursing lab, fun and nursing skills were two concepts that have never been a shared vision by faculty or students. This article is about the transformation of a lab area that always had a sense of confrontation, to an area that is now truly a nursing resource center where FUN can also be detected.

As the healthcare environment expands to the wellness needs of a more unique diverse population, so also must the clinical expertise of nursing services. Nurse educators are now challenged to prepare the nursing student to learn and practice in more than just the traditional hospital setting. (Gaberson and German, 1998, pg. 221). The underserved community sites have also become a clinical teaching focus. With this information in mind the lab transformation included a change in focus to a community-based curriculum and developed into a Blueprint for success that correlates with Orem's Self Care Deficit Theory of Nursing.

KEY WORDS: Active learning; Community-based curriculum, Dorothea Orem, Cultural competency; Nursing resource center.

PAST HISTORY: OLD LAB

Traditionally, the old lab was a place where students had to go for assigned instructed skill presentations and then follow-up with a return skill competency demonstration. Prior to the years of 1998 and 1999, the old laboratory was isolated from the rest of the campus. There were only two part time nursing instructors hired to oversee the lab and there was no delegated lab coordinator position. Their duties included the presentation of the required skills and overseeing the student's return demonstrations. A full time instructor was given the assignment of making the weekly schedule of available open lab hours and ordering the needed lab supplies. Any additional hours were staffed with clinical laboratory instructors on an hourly basis. The old lab was in one large room. The beds were around the perimeter with fold away chair/desks in the center of the room. There was very little storage area, so most supplies were stacked in boxes in every corner. In this small area there was no available space where students could collaborate with other nursing students or utilize other technology supports, i.e. computers, videos, and library. Although students were able to learn their psychomotor skills, little was done to promote active learning, critical thinking, community integration and cultural competency.

When the old lab space was needed for expansion of another department, the old lab was moved to another part of the building. After input from the nursing faculty, the new area was divided into four rooms: a combination office/reception area, a storage area, a classroom for lecturing and a room for skill demonstrations. These four rooms began the first composition of what is now the Nursing Resource Center (N.R.C.). Unfortunately, no new ideas to enhance learning were implemented with the development of the new N.R.C. The N.R.C. continued to their demmaintain a rigid atmosphere and used the same old teaching strategies. The students spent only the necessary time to complete onstrations and attend the required lectures. A traditional format is not effective for teaching a higher-order of thinking skills and not useful when trying to change student attitudes or to motivate students. (Bonwell, 1996, pg.33).

OLD/NEW NRC

With the implementation of a new curriculum, the old / new N.R.C. was redesigned to have a more user-friendly environment. At this time, a full time lab coordinator was hired to manage the N.R.C. The faculty believed that to enhance student success it was necessary to assess student needs and involve them in the planning for their learning experiences. (Fuszard, 1995). The nursing students were surveyed to see what changes they wanted in their N.R.C. After the survey was evaluated and faculty input was obtained, the following changes were initiated. First of all, the room functions were changed to accommodate the student suggestions, and support their diverse needs. The classroom area was converted into a multi media and quiet study area. The entrance area was converted from faculty office space to student space. In this area students can eat, socialize with other nursing students, participate in group study sessions, obtain communication from their own personal mailboxes, and peruse current job opportunities that are posted.

During this time span is when the appointment times available for the students to access the N.R.C. were expanded. It was recognized that the traditional nine to five schedule no longer served the needs of our diverse student population. Implemented was a more flexible schedule with evening and weekend hours. This greatly reduced the anxiety of the students who had many additional responsibilities and commitments.