Teaching nursing students to teach: Creative Student Instruction

Kansas Nurse, Oct 2003 by Bitner, Linda, Giefer, Cheryl, Schiefelbein, Jan, Sheverbush, Joan

Introduction

Today's rapidly changing health environment challenges health care providers to produce effective teaching strategies during shortened hospital slays. How can student nurses contribute toward providing positive educational outcomes? We have found that the community setting is an ideal site for student projects teaching wellness and health education topics.

Faculty members believe that students should be given the opportunity to provide a teaching project to a Community group of their choice. Nursing students then feel ownership of their teaching projects which enhances their motivation to work with the group. Table I lists the learning objectives for this project:

The Community Setting

The Community Setting is an ideal site for student projects teaching wellness and health education topics. Students are encouraged to assess the developmental level of the group that they are planning to teach. From an assignment that is broad based, the students identify groups with educational needs related to some aspect of health promotion or disease prevention. This project involves the facts, skills, and understanding of educational needs related to some aspect of health promotion or disease prevention when teaching a group of people in the community. Often the students choose to work with a group of two to four other students, which is acceptable. The overall teaching project guidelines are listed in Table II:

The Assignment

The student may choose to provide a lecture, demonstration, group discussion, gaming, seminar, video or CD presentation. The students are allowed to work with materials and teaching aids that have previously been developed for specific groups. As part of the assignment, the student will describe the age of the audience, number of participants, gender, ethnic group, etc.

Minimum requirements for the teaching project include utilizing goals related to cognitive, psychomotor and objective learning domains. According to Stanhope and Lancaster (2002), the cognitive domain is defined as including memory, recognition, understanding, and application while the affective domain involves a change in attitude and value development. These same authors describe the psychomotor domain as the "performance of skills that require some degree of neuromuscular coordination." Stanhope and Lancaster (2002) have stated that, "an understanding of these three learning domains forms the background for providing effective health education." Each of the objectives are written in such a manner that they can be evaluated and measured at the completion of the project.

A brief outline of the teaching project is submitted for approval prior to implementation of the teaching project. The instructor approves the topic, the community group, date and time of presentation, and the specific type of presentation. The instructor approves pamphlets, audiovisuals and teaching material that will be utilized. The instructor arranges to attend the presentation of the teaching project.

The Teaching Project assignment has been taught to community groups involving every developmental level of the lifespan. The students learn as Stanhope and Lancaster (2002) stated "the effective health educator begins by assessing the cognitive abilities of the learner so that the instructor's expectations and plan target the correct level. Teaching above or below a person's level of understanding leads to frustration, irritation, and discouragement".

The students teach persons across the lifespan beginning with individuals in: Preschool classes or daycare sites, elementary school classes, 4-H groups, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts groups, Sunday School classes, adolescents in high school classes and middle school classes. The students teach groups of adult learners including: college students in sororities, childbearing families (maternity unit) and various organizations as well as geriatric residents of nursing homes. Table III describes the assignment.

The Pittsburg State University nursing faculty and students received the full cooperation of each of the clinical sites. Nurses in all settings are enthused about Health Education and go out of their way to assist in any way possible. The Creative Student Instruction topics which were taught this past spring included:

Instruction - Preschool Groups

"The Importance of Brushing Your Teeth and Washing Your Hands"

"The Amazing Tooth Adventure"

"Handwashing"

"Dental Care"

Instruction - Elementary Audiences

"Blow, Throw, Wash & Go!"

"Building Good Nutrition"

"Kids Be Fit"

"Brushing Your Teeth-The Right Way"

"Be Sun Wise"

"Basic Dental Care"

"Proper Handwashing"

"Lice, Something Not to be Shared"

"Bicycle Safety"

Instruction - Adolescents

"Personal Hygiene"

"Your Developing Body"

"Coronary Artery Disease Prevention"

Instruction - Adult Learners

"Breast Self Exam Education"

"Dance to Your Health"

"Sun Safe Skin"

"Antepartum Breast Feeding Class"

"Coronary Artery Disease, Causes and Risk Factors"

"Conserve Your Energy"

Instruction - Adult Learners

"Breast Self Exam Education"