It was my pleasure meeting Susan Growe, MSN, RN, OCN ([email protected]), lecturer at the Nevada State College in Henderson, Nevada, at a faculty development session I facilitated. She is such a creative faculty member; I wish she had taught me in nursing school! Here are some of her teaching ideas:
When I lecture I have many different activities to keep the students engaged in this course. I can tell you from my past patho/pharm classes when I was in nursing school, it was boring and way above my head to follow, plus who could remember ALL that information with each classification of drugs? So, I decided when I teach this class that I would have many activities. These are the activities I have used.
First lecture is pain. The class is divided into 6 groups, but they have to count off because I do not want them to get into their comfort zone. I have created 6 puzzles with 5 case scenarios on each puzzle. On these pieces are sample medications for each scenario and then a common side effect for each pain medication. There are pictures that I drew (not very good) on these pieces to help visual learners. Then after the students put these puzzles together each group has to discuss in the class why they administered this medication for that scenario and side effects they are going to monitor. I tell them that they cannot just answer, because the pieces fit together! Students actually get a lot out of this and really enjoy the pain puzzle.
Students are formed in groups of 6 again and this time I switch the count off to start in the middle of the classroom. We have what is called "neuro man" and "neuro woman." Students are given pieces of paper with each "neuro" that is discussed in their reading. The students then need to create a concept map regarding the pathophysiology of this disease, medications for treatment, the nursing interventions, and side effects using simple terms. There are stick figures drawn to illustrate how these neuro people might present such as the figure with Parkinson's has shaking arms. Students then have to present this activity to the rest of the class explaining in simple terms how they were able to make the connection.
In psych lecture, 5-8 volunteers pick a card the night before the lecture. The card has a psych disorder on it and these students need to research about this disorder and role play how the client will present in the clinic. A volunteer for each client plays the nurse. The nurse will assess the client to find out what brought that client to this clinic but in the meantime the client will act out such as if they have schizophrenia the student will talk about why they are there but also have experiences of answering questions from voices in their head and so on. Students really like this activity because they can actually see a behavior rather than just discuss it.
Shock, MODS, and burns lecture incorporates the game "Who wants to be a millionaire?" Questions are posted and then students are entitled to phone a friend, 50/50, and poll the class. Whoever goes all the way to win the million also wins a surprise.
Endocrine lecture is where the students adopt a hormone. They will then have to discuss this hormone with the class and certain conditions that occur with this hormone if too high or too low.
Sexually transmitted disease (STD) lecture is where I use the "Wheel of Misfortune." Students spin the wheel and whatever STD the pointer lands on, the students have to discuss the condition, how they contracted it, what the treatment is, and if it is curable. On another "wheel" the students spin and are given a case scenario. Students then have to figure out what the client has and discuss the treatment. This second "wheel" is usually used after the lecture so the students can reinforce the information they learned.
In the GI track lecture, I use balloons. I pass out the balloons (the long, thin ones used to make animals) and instruct students to use a balloon pump and inflate the balloon only half way. The students are then told that this balloon is their colon. So then one group is to show the class what is volvulus. They twist the balloon and can see what happens to the body when circulation is cutoff and how this could be an emergency. Another group is showing the class about intussusception and will place the non-inflated piece of the balloon inside the inflated part of the balloon so they can see how telescoping can occur. The students will play with the balloon to experiment with how the condition might be resolved on its own and if treated, what happens during treatment. One student was able to squeeze the middle of her balloon to create a stenosis between the two pieces so we were able to discuss stenosis in class.
My last lecture is on musculoskeletal alterations and usually I have the students make a grid with the names of the different alterations on it, then they will place what body part it affects, signs and symptoms, and treatments. They usually get the answers from a word list that I created for them.
Thanks, Susan, for sharing your ideas!