Bridging the Gap to Practice Readiness: An Active Learning Strategy for Teaching Failure to Rescue

Friday, March 27, 2020

Deborah Wonderly, MSN1
Shanda Clark, PhD1
Sue Carrow, MSN1
Augusta Arato, MSN2
(1)College of Nursing, Roseman University of Health Sciences, henderson, NV, USA
(2)Roseman University of Health Sciences, henderson, NV, USA

Purpose: Improve Practice Readiness of nursing students

Methods: Introduction of an active learning strategy and post activity survey tool

Results: The project/work is ongoing, however thus far, results are positive

Conclusion: Students indicated increased awareness of the complications that precipitate

failure to rescue and patient safety.

Abstract

A nursing student's preparation to safely enter the high stakes fast paced world of

professional practice is dependent on their clinical education (Madhavanpraphakaran,

Shukri & Blachandran, 2014). The ever widening gap between nursing graduates and

their ability to implement safe patient care is an educational failure in preparation-to-practice

and impacts the ability of healthcare facilities to provide safe and reliable client care

(Kavanagh and Szweda, 2017). According to Beischel and Davis (2014) deficiency in

clinical competence of new graduate nurses is statistically significant. This deficiency is

concerning considering competent nursing professionals influence positive

client outcomes. According to Kavanagh & Szweda (2017) the failure of educators to provide

deep level learning opportunities to nursing students has accelerated this crisis in competency.

To improve practice readiness, an active learning clinical project was introduced to the advanced

medical surgical students. The project included a video case study on patient care and

answering a set of guided questions, developed cooperatively by didactic and clinical faculty.

The clinically guided questions are based on the video case study and related to failure to rescue,

communication, patient safety, and changes in healthcare practices. Students then created a

30-minute interactive presentation and help educate other students about safe patient care

based on the assigned case study. The grading rubric and post activity survey tool were developed to

evaluate student perceptions regarding the learning acquired and to objectively evaluate

the assignment. Students indicated increased awareness of the complications

that precipitate "failure to rescue", patient safety, medical errors and communication.

Strategies to prevent negative patient outcomes were recognized and application of these

approaches were discussed during the student presentations. The dynamics of failure to rescue

is analyzed by the students to facilitate learning for future practice, prevention and patient safety

measures. The goal of nursing education is to prepare capable student nurses, therefore their

training should include ways to practice and develop competency (Shin, Sok, Hyun & Kim, 2014).

Active learning strategies have been identified to help students gain understanding beyond the

memorization level and allow for application of knowledge for more meaningful learning

(Kim, Speed & Macaulay, 2019).