NR 536 Week 7 Designing an Experiential Learning Activity

Name

Chamberlain University

NR-536: Advanced Health Assessment, Pathophysiology & Pharmacology for Advanced Nursing Practice

Prof. Name

Date

Experiential Learning Activity

Part 1: Foundation for the Learning Activity

Experiential learning is an essential approach that integrates multiple facets of nursing practice, including theoretical knowledge, practical skills, challenges, communication, collaboration, ethical considerations, and professional codes of conduct, into a unified learning experience (Jones & Guthrie, 2012). It emphasizes “hands-on” skills, psychomotor abilities, concept mapping, and interactive methods (Nunes et al., 2015). The purpose of this paper is to design an experiential learning activity tailored for young nurses with less than two years of clinical experience. This activity aims to enhance their skills, knowledge, and quality of practice. The activity will cover essential learning objectives and be tailored to specific learners within designated settings and scenarios.

Description of the Experiential Learning Activity

This learning activity will be conducted in a skills lab replicating an ICU environment, equipped with a full-sized human patient simulator (HPS) mannequin simulating a chronic condition. The activity is structured as part of a mentoring program for new graduates. Groups of five nurses, including recent graduates and those with under two years of experience, will be assigned varied roles with specific responsibilities. A mentor will observe and record each group’s interactions, decisions, patient outcomes, ethical choices, and civility within the simulated workplace setting.

Each group will receive a scenario that outlines the characters’ attributes, including their attitudes, skill levels, and roles. The mentor may intervene only if the group strays from the set objectives or storyline. Following the scenario, group members will evaluate each other’s behaviors and discuss challenges faced in patient care and interprofessional communication, aiming to propose solutions (Victor et al., 2015). Observers not actively participating will conduct guided observations to contribute to the reflection process. In this reflective phase, the mentor will facilitate by asking questions and suggesting alternatives, following Kolb’s experiential learning model to incorporate abstract conceptualization, active experimentation, concrete experiences, and reflection.

Learning Objectives

This activity encompasses three primary objectives: enhancing interprofessional communication and collaboration, promoting ethics-based decision-making, and instilling an understanding of workplace civility. These objectives will be woven into scenarios and characterizations to create an authentic learning environment. The simulated ICU setting, with the HPS mannequin, aligns with the competencies expected of new graduate nurses and supports the development of their clinical and interpersonal skills.

Part 2: Presentation of the Learning Activity

Description of the Setting

The skill development lab, set up to resemble an ICU in an acute care environment, will include two adjacent rooms and a central hallway. The lab will be equipped with a ventilator, patient monitoring system, and a full-sized HPS mannequin representing a patient with congestive heart failure at risk of developing ventilator-acquired pneumonia. This lab setup divides into four areas: the ICU with a ventilator and HPS mannequin, two adjacent rooms separated by a compartment, and a hallway. Observing students will be seated in a circular arrangement around the activity area, while participants will engage in various roles—one nurse handling the mannequin, an assistant, nurses in two adjacent rooms, a mentor, and a student acting as a nurse leader.

Identification of the Characters and Roles

The nurse educator assumes the roles of instructor and observer, as well as the non-participating student and nurse leader. This individual will facilitate the activity, manage resources, mediate conflicts, and promote civility. The nurse leader exhibits strong decision-making, communication, and problem-solving skills but struggles with patience under pressure. The nurse (Nurse 1) stationed bedside as the anesthesiologist and monitor has a calm, cooperative demeanor, yet displays low self-confidence. Another nurse (Nurse 2), responsible for hygiene and rapid triage, is outgoing, confident, and empathetic. In the adjacent rooms, Nurse 3 is assertive, experienced, and prone to dominate discussions, while Nurse 4 is skilled but introverted and non-confrontational. These varied characteristics influence interactions and outcomes within the scenario.

Outline of the Scenario

The setting involves three patients: a 65-year-old male with congestive heart failure in the ICU and two others in adjacent rooms. Hospital policy mandates bundle treatments to prevent infections in bedridden patients, including a 30-degree ventilator angle and scheduled physiotherapy. When a family member raises concerns over a missed physiotherapy session, the ICU nurse notices a discrepancy in ventilator angle in one room. This discovery leads to a conflict between Nurse 1 and Nurse 3, with incivility and ethical issues surfacing as the conversation escalates. Nurse 2 intervenes by alerting the nurse leader, while Nurse 4 remains passive. The nurse leader ultimately steps in to mediate, involving all parties to resolve the dispute.

Interactions between the Characters

Sample Dialogue:

Nurse 3: “What are you doing here?”

Nurse 1: “The family reported missed physiotherapy. I also noticed the ventilator angle is incorrect. I’m just checking for potential issues. I suggest adjusting sedation timing for patient comfort and recovery.” (Exemplifies interprofessional communication)

Nurse 3 (angrily): “I don’t need a rookie telling me what to do. Here, the assigned nurse handles the patient. It’s my responsibility!” (Displays incivility and cultural prejudice)

Nurse 1: “I was born here. I’m just trying to help the patient, but I apologize if it’s seen as interference.” (Reflects on ethical dilemmas)

Debriefing

The debriefing process is integral to this experiential learning activity, facilitating participant reflection and understanding (Victor et al., 2015). Initial debriefing introduces participants to the purpose and objectives of the simulation, clarifying roles and responsibilities and allowing for questions about each role’s impact and the experiment’s objectives (Romaniuk et al., 2020). The second debriefing, conducted in the lab setting, further prepares participants with a scenario walkthrough, while a rehearsal finalizes role positioning and readiness (Young & Dufrene, 2020).

Socratic Questions

How does open-ended communication compare to scripted dialogues in experiential learning?
Is it effective to conduct only one simulation with a single group?
What barriers might hinder successful implementation of this learning activity?

Conclusion

Experiential learning activities significantly enhance nursing competencies, incorporating key objectives like collaboration, ethical decision-making, and workplace civility. This design integrates Kolb’s model within a simulated ICU using HPS mannequins, effectively addressing new graduates’ learning needs.

NR 536 Week 7 Designing an Experiential Learning Activity

References

Jones, B., & Guthrie, K. (2012). Teaching and learning: Using experiential learning and reflection for leadership education. New Directions For Student Services. https://doi.org/10.1002/ss.20031

Nunes, S., Prado, M., Kempfer, S., & Martini, J. (2015). Experiential learning in nursing consultation education via clinical simulation with actors: Action research. Nurse Education Today, 35(2). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2014.12.016

Romaniuk, D., Paula, M., & Liu, L. (2020). Comparison of debriefing methods after a virtual simulation: An experiment. Clinical Simulation In Nursing, 19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecns.2018.03.002

NR 536 Week 7 Designing an Experiential Learning Activity

Victor, C., Turk, M., & Adamson, K. (2015). Effects of an experiential learning simulation design on clinical nursing judgment development. Nurse Educator, 40(5). https://doi.org/10.1097/NNE.0000000000000159

Young, A., & Dufrene, C. (2020). Successful debriefing—Best methods to achieve positive learning outcomes: A literature review. Nurse Education Today, 34(3). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2013.06.026