Innovative teaching strategies

Creating an effective learning environment is not an easy task in today’s world and it is even more complex in education programs for the nursing profession. Lecturers from the School of Nursing use, amongst others, the following innovative teaching strategies:

• Video-recordings that were taken of several clinical procedures and placed on Blackboard for students. Thereby they could repeatedly evaluate the psycho-motor skills relevant to specific procedures.
• Multiple role players (e.g. Life Rosepark Hospital, Free State Provincial Emergency Medical Services, Central University of Technology, Mangaung Fire Department, Netcare 911, South African Police Services, St Johns Ambulance Services and ER24) participated in the Trauma Simulation that was arranged for 77 third year students. This annual event gives students the opportunity to demonstrate their clinical and triage competency in emergency care.
• High-Fidelity simulation sessions were arranged for the entire group of advanced midwifery students. This was a unique dual approach where some students were exposed to obstetric emergencies via a medium fidelity birth device operated by a standardized patient, while the second was a high-fidelity simulation.
• The post basic students in Child Health Nursing had the opportunity to participate in 10 high-fidelity sessions.
• Four standardized patient training sessions were conducted with fourth year students in Psychiatric Nursing. The students enjoyed it immensely and found it very useful.

Effective learning is more than merely the results of good teaching. It is enhanced by a learning environment that includes active interventions among lectures, students and student peers. Effective learning is achieved through the use of creative strategies designed not to entertain, but to inform and stimulate.

 Taking the lead

• Prof Y Botma was inaugurated as a Fellow of the Academy of Nursing of South Africa (ANSA) at the Annual Education Conference, Gala Dinner and Award Evening on 26 July 2014.
• Ms Anna-Marie Welman presented simulation workshops in Ethiopia on special request from the Forum for University Nursing Deans South Africa (FUNDISA), as part of the Nursing Education Partnership Initiative (NFPI).
• Ms Maria Phillips and a team of lecturers from the School have been invited by the CEO of FUNDISA, Prof Hester Klopper, to present a simulation workshop at the ICOWHI 2014 International Congress in Cape Town.