Applied Learning Utilizing Case Studies and Clinical Expertise to Enhance Student Learning
Presentation
Overview
Overview
Description
Problem/Purpose: Nurse practitioner students prepare for clinical placement using various methods, including on-campus intensives that incorporate applied learning approaches. Clinical faculty are content experts in their specialty and can use their expertise when preparing and planning learning activities, such as intensives. The purpose of this presentation is to discuss the positive impacts of designing and using case studies as applied learning experiences. Case studies place the student into the scenario, thus allowing time for dialogue and Socratic questioning enhancing critical thinking. Additionally, faculty can meet the students’ learning needs while providing them with realistic scenarios, applying evidence-based practice and using clinical expertise. The case studies, used as a teaching method, enable students to apply the previously acquired skills and decision making learned in earlier didactic courses. This can have a multitude of positive impacts for both faculty and student. Intraprofessional collaboration is enhanced, fostering an opportunity for growth and scholarship between individual faculty members, increasing student comfort with faculty, and promoting student to-student relationships by allowing students to learn from one another.
Design: This project was intentionally developed to follow an applied learning approach with case studies designed to enhance students’ critical thinking skills. The use of examples and expertise of the faculty made these case studies similar to what may be encountered in daily practice. Students employ their didactic and clinical knowledge to evaluate each case, think about plans, reflect, and discuss how these skills will be valuable in an advanced practitioner role and increase self-confidence as a novice provider.
Setting: Academic with Doctor Nursing Practice (DNP) students, University School of Nursing Intensives
Participants/Target Audience: DNP students, nurses, novice and veteran faculty, and clinical nursing educators
Methodology: Faculty members with clinical experience developed case studies based on actual experiences. Subjective data was modified to protect patient privacy. However, lab values included were based on prior clinical cases and with the plan focused on best practice recommendations. Each case included the scenario and patients’ underlying history, and allowed students to discuss a plan, including labs, imaging, and medications. Scenarios were then further reviewed with faculty to ensure evidence-based practice guidelines were employed.
Results/Outcomes: Post surveys had overall positive outcomes based on student responses, stating students felt better or very prepared and more confident in reviewing and analyzing lab results, compared to being unprepared and somewhat prepared in the pre-survey.
Implications for future practice: Provides students a framework for evaluating and analyzing complex issues and scenarios using evidence-based practice and clinical professors’ expertise to provide feedback and support to enhance the learning experience.
