![[ Visit Client Website ]](images/banner.gif)
Learning Objective 1: utilize principles of experiential learning to develop leadership and change agent skills for future nurses.
Learning Objective 2: explore opportunities for developing collaborative interdisciplinary partnerships to promote leadership in the global nursing community.
This presentation examines an innovative course that was implemented for senior students in the
Course development aligns with the mission of the National Society for Experiential Education (NSEE). Learning through experience supports intellectual development, cross-cultural and global awareness, civic and social responsibilities, ethical development, career exploration and personal growth. Working within the guidelines of NSEE, an opportunity to design a course that reflected the changing nature of nursing was implemented.
Using a collaborative approach, nursing administrators and faculty at Purdue University Calumet School of Nursing sought input from nursing executives in area health care agencies to develop a new course for the last semester of the baccalaureate curriculum. Seniors develop leadership skills by working on teams and partnering with nursing leaders and faculty preceptors to complete a project-based practicum. Projects are designed to address “real world problems” in complex health care environments in the global community.
Principles of project management and Standards of Practice for Experiential Education provide the framework for course development. The design includes 30 hours of service learning to highlight the importance of social and civic responsibility and 60 hours of a team-driven design project. Design projects involved policy development, procedural changes based on evidence and best practices, global initiatives, and innovative ways to approach specific agency “real-world” practice issues. Activities to support course redesign, methods used, projects implemented, lessons learned, and recommendations for curricular implementation will be shared.
The course was initially implemented in the fall 2008 semester and is now being offered for the second time in spring 2009. The response to the design has been overwhelmingly positive. An inaugural event, held in December 2008, showcased the “hallmarks of excellence” projects that were developed to facilitate the roles of change agent and leader. Students, nursing executives, and educators were excited to move away from traditional approaches to nursing education. The next step--systematically evaluating the impact on student learning and expanding partnerships to benefit the local community and promote excellence in the global community of nursing.