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Learning Objective 1: Appreciate innovative education strategies in an effort to promote best practice as it relates to clinical competencies.
Learning Objective 2: Adopt strategies of concept mapping combined with simulation into educational and clinical practice endeavors.
Nurse practitioner faculty are challenged to establish the foundation for clinical competence in order for nurse practitioner students to function in the role of advanced practice nurses. Essential management of nurse practitioner curriculum includes adopting meaningful learning strategies that will assist in meeting core competencies, transform knowledge, and ultimately enhance clinical competence. The integration of didactic instruction, concept mapping, and simulation will be utilized as innovative strategies to promote awareness and management of clinical topics, from acute care to primary care as well as across the life span. These strategies can be expanded for educating undergraduate nursing students, new graduates, as well as annual competency based activities for staff nurses.
Students enrolled in the clinical courses of the Acute Care Nurse-Gerontology Practitioner Track at a Midwestern Liberal Arts University are exposed to three different learning strategies. The students are initially provided with didactic content. A group concept map is developed from a case study and then a simulation exercise occurs. The concept map grading rubric was developed by course faculty and integrates the theoretical underpinnings of concept mapping. The simulation evaluation rubric includes assessment and diagnosis of health status and plan of care/implementation of treatment. Documentation of clinical practice guidelines with identified level of evidence related to the case study is expected. Following the simulation, the student group has an opportunity for a debriefing session with theory faculty. This debriefing will allow for immediate feedback to the student group on their plan of care, analysis of group dynamics, and further clarification for an online exam.