Help! I need group ideas!

Whispera, MSN, RN · Jul 27, 2015

nutrition...explain food groups, nutrients

positive affirmations...everyone puts his or her name at the top of a paper and then pass the sheet around, with every other person writing something positive about the named person. after everyone is done, each person shares something positive about him or herself that was written

codependency...roleplay situations--you can have situations preprinted in detail or they can draw a generic situation from a hat

anti-smoking...discuss the effects

line-dancing

wheelchair racing...i'm not kidding

make a meal or a snack together

you need reasons for all activities, I assume...teamwork, education for a healthy life, fun rather than using, the sky is the limit

relaxation methods with practice

WKShadowNP, DNP, APRN · Jul 27, 2015

music therapy or percussion therapy.

Have a set of bongos or something and each person has a few seconds to strike the drum to maybe express their mood. Check out some youtube videos on the topic.

If you know any social workers, seek their input as well.

angeloublue22, BSN, RN · Jul 28, 2015

Wow, those sound great! Thank you!

amoLucia · Jul 30, 2015

A short story/article-to-read book club discussion group. I'm NOT talking War and Peace literature.

a group discussion about some TV/video.

Now this one may be off-the-wall, but there's a new thing about coloring books for adults. Seems it is creative & relaxing and is taking off like wildfire. They even were offering coloring books with included colored pencils on a TV Shopping Channel the other day. This one sounds REALLY cool.

garnetgirl29, BSN, RN · Jul 31, 2015

When I worked in detox, the majority of my patients were IV drug users, so I did a lot of research on all the things they are at risk for just from the use of the needles. They were always very involved with this group and asked lots of questions. I covered things like abscesses, blown veins, skin infections, sepsis, and diseases that are commonly spread this way, and the risks that re-using dull needles and the increased damage it does to their veins. I usually started off with..."what's the largest organ of your body?" or "what is your body's first line of defense against infections?" Then went on to explain how the millions of bacteria on your skin help to prevent new bacteria by taking up all the space so that new bacteria cannot attach to the skin, and also that repeated breaks in the skin allow the bacteria to enter the body which leads to infection.

I always included photos of various infections and educated them on the importance of having an abscess treated appropriately. I also included magnified photos of what a needle looks like brand new and after it's been used. That one always surprised them.

I talked to them about sleep and nutrition and hydration. Our nursing groups were expected to be educational & were supposed to last an hour. If I had time left-over, I used that for open discussions which usually came around to questions about medications prescribed at our clinic and health concerns regarding their lifestyles. We had up to 16 clients at a time, so questions could really fill up the hour.

We also did ETOH detox and if I had few in the group, I would talk about the effects of ETOH on the body, short term and long term.

In another group, I explained the detox protocols we used and the expected outcomes and discussed which PRN medications were available and why and what types of symptoms they needed to report to nursing.

I did another group on infectious diseases and STD's.

Our counselors held groups as well and those were geared toward coping mechanisms, music therapy, community resources, etc.

allnurses Guide · Aug 17, 2015

What about a Big Book Study - I believe groups should be focused on recovery especially in the early raw stages. Focus on the 12 steps. The promises and the traditions of AA, NA etc.......

iluvivt, BSN, RN · Aug 28, 2015

You can get a lot of good ideas at web sites for teachers. They have great ides for projects and crafts