Exploring how we can improve nursing education together! Practical active learning ideas and interesting thoughts about nursing education.
π¨ What does creativity mean in nursing education? Ways of Thinking Part 2
Published 5 months agoΒ β’Β 3 min read
β
π‘ Before we get into this week's series, quick question:
β Have you created an active learning tool that you and your students love?
β I'm looking for just a few more nurse educators to share their innovative teaching tools on Season 2 of the Learning Lab RN podcast. This is your chance to: β π‘ Share your expertise with fellow educators β¨ Help others feel inspired and empowered to try new teaching techniques π Earn 50% of all sales from your teaching tool
When we hear the phrase creative thinking, our minds often go straight to art, music, or design. Nursing education, at first glance, doesnβt seem to allow room for such creativity. After all, how could you approach IV insertion or medication administration creatively?
A nurse creating a painting masterpiece.
But creativity in nursing is expanding what we see as possible and imagining new ways of doing things. Itβs about stepping outside the routine and considering fresh ways to solve problems, improve care, or approach teaching.
Creative thinking starts by asking questions.
What if we could prevent this?
What if there were a less painful way to do this?
What if we rearranged the order?
For nurse educators, we recognize that this type of thinking is crucial, particularly as nursing practice continues to evolve rapidly. The real barrier is figuring out how to teach or encourage it. That's where this series comes in! π
To develop creative thinking, students must first understand the systems and routines that shape nursing practice. By learning how nurses currently work, students gain a foundation that allows them to imagine new approaches. Most of nursing school focuses on this groundwork, but we can actively foster creative thinking by encouraging students to:
π combine ideas in new ways, allowing students to draw connections between seemingly unrelated concepts, leading to innovative solutions.
πͺ Apply known principles to a new context, to help students adapt to evolving healthcare environments and discover better ways to care for patients.
π Model how to look for alternatives to help students develop problem-solving skills and remain open to continuous improvement.
Incorporating these habits into nursing education helps students become flexible and innovative professionals. Here is one active learning tool that can help you to develop this type of thinking in your nursing classroom.
π Interdisciplinary Observation Day
One easy way to help students practice creative thinking is to use familiar ideas in new situations. Nursing is always connected to other healthcare fields. We work daily with physical therapists, pharmacists, EMTs, respiratory therapists, and mental health professionals. Each one offers a unique view of patient care.
1. Schedule an interdisciplinary day on your clinical calendar. Give the students instructions in pre-conference.
2. Students will spend 10 to 15 minutes shadowing another profession and then think about what they saw. Students can independently choose the experience and self-schedule it into their clinical day. The observation could be:
π Something that they just happen to observe, like pharmacy staff loading the Pyxis.
π¦΅π½ Related to their patient, ie, they join a physical therapy session. Or help respiratory therapy administer a treatment.
π A request to join an interdisciplinary team member for their conversation with the patient, such as a case manager who is preparing a discharge plan.
3. Afterward, ask them some reflective questions.
How did this team memberβs process compare to the way a nurse would do this same activity?
What surprised you?
What could you borrow from this discipline to make your nursing practice safer or more effective?
4. Finally, they can share their responses in a post-conference.
Sometimes, just watching others at work sparks creative ideas. Educators can help students recognize how other fields approach problem-solving. Then, we can ask students to consider how these strategies could work in nursing.
Summary
As educators, we can encourage creative thinking by providing a safe space for students to combine, reorder, or imagine alternative ways of doing. We can often apply known principles in new contexts. As educators, one of the easiest ways to inspire this way of thinking is by giving students opportunities to observe, connect, and transfer ideas across disciplines.
To make sure you keep getting these emails, please add martha@breakoutRN.com to your address book or add me to your school's safe sender list. Want to unsubscribe from all emails for good? No worries, just click this link, and off ya go: Unsubscribeβ
β