Elective Course for Senior Year Nursing Students.
Acute Care Nursing.
Toth, E.C., Senior lecturer, MSc. Health
Science, RN
Linnet, M., Senior lecturer, MSc. Health
Science, RN.
School of Nursing, Metropolitan University
College, Copenhagen, Denmark
ecto@phmetropol.dk
School of Nursing, Metropolitan University
College, Copenhagen, Denmark
mara@phmetropol.dk
PURPOSE
The elective course in Acute Care Nursing is
the first of its kind in Denmark. The purpose
of the course is to support and optimize the
student’s academic knowledge in regard to
barriers and possibilities in implementing
innovative acute care nursing methods in
Denmark, as well as training clinical
reasoning and decision making using full
scale simulation. Lessons in Crisis Resource
Management bracket [1] are incorporated in
regard to quality and safety in acute nursing
care.
Key words: High fidelity simulation, elective
course, senior nursing students, acute care,
CRM, quality and safety of nursing care,
clinical decision making.
METHODS
The elective course is developed based on
prior developmental projects for pre-graduate
nursing students in their third year.
The elective course is 6 weeks consisting of 6
clinical and 4 theoretical ECTS. The students
are assigned to a clinical ward in groups of
two or three students, where they do their
empirical data collection. The wards are
emergency departments, perioperative -,
cardiology - and surgical departments.
The Students learn national and international
triage systems and acute care practice. They
learn nursing theory in regard to managing a
crisis bracket [2] and CRM and non-technical
skills and awareness of secure communication
and collaboration in an emergency situation
bracket [1, 3]. Using High fidelity simulation
on mannequins they participate in full scale
simulation and debriefing process where they
reflect on the learning goals for scenario. Real
life scenarios chosen were septic shock and
hypovolemic shock. Lectures on sepsis,
electro cardiograms and arterial blood gas
Toth E. & Linnet M. 2013.
interpretation are given prior to simulation.
RESULTS
Approximately 70 students from four
different nursing schools in Denmark
participated. They all did empirical data
collection
using
different
methods.
Represented methods were observation
studies, questionnaires audits, focus group
interview and semi structured interviews. The
results were presented at a mini-symposium.
Each student wrote individual reflections on
the outcome of the mini-symposium. This
showed critical reflections on methods for
collection on empirical data, high student
commitment, engagement and knowledge
acquired from fellow student’s presentations.
The course is concluded with an individual
graded written assignment with reflections on
the outcome of the learning objectives for the
course. The elective course is module 13 out
of 14. Module 14 is their bachelor project,
and many students use empirical data
collected during the elective course for their
bachelor project. Acute Care Nursing elective
course was conducted for the second time in
fall of 2013. There were more applicants for
the course than could be admitted.
REFERENCES:
[1] Rall M, Dierckmann P. 2005. Crisis
resource management to improve Patient
Safety. Euroanesthesia. May, p. 107-112.
[2] Benner, P. Stannard, D. & HooperKyriakidis, P. 2011. Clinical wisdom and
interventions in acute and critical care: a
thinking-in-action approach, 2nd edition,
Springer Publ. New York.
S. 1
[3] The Danish Safer Hospital Model, 2013. A
collaboration between Tryg Fonden, Dansk
Selskab for Patientsikkerhed og Danske
Regioner. Lokalized 04.10.2013 on
http://patientsikkertsygehus.dk/forbedringsmodellen/si
kker-mundtlig-kommunikation.aspx
Toth E. & Linnet M. 2013.
S. 2