Clinical Experience is ONLY Clinical?

[showbizrn]

I was recommended to teach Psychiatric/Mental Health Nursing Clinical to BSN students. Since I "didn't have a clue" where to start, I asked the advice of the faculty member who recommended me for the job. He gave me several handouts and advised me to give the students some review questions on the topic that's covered in the lecture as a "warm-up"during the pre-conference.

Of course, we review the policies/procedures of the unit, to goals for the clinical day, the goals for the student-RN/patient interaction, etc before proceeding to the clinical area. After clinical, we meet for post-conference whereby the students perform their clinical patient presentations.

OKAY.

The students complain about the lecture content---

-lecture content NOT reflective on exams.

-lecture content: BORING!

-students claim they're not learning from lecture content.

The students claim that they learn MORE from the review questions done in pre-conference than from the lecture. Not just this semester (my 4th semester teaching), but every semester. Mind you, the students have had 2 different

lecture professors.

MY QUESTION?

I offered to present an exam review session for the students during the last clinical session whereby attendance IS OPTIONAL at the discretion of the clinical instructor (ME). I was informed that clinical is not for exam review.

If the students are learning, what is wrong with this nontraditional approach?

Hey, I'm not trying "put-down" my colleagues who lecture, but THE STUDENTS

state that they are benefiting and learning from the review sessions. My bottom line is student learning.

Why must the educational process be so rigid?

Don't get the wrong idea. The preconference review sessions last only 15-minutes.

What's the big deal?

I'd like to hear from some HARD CORE Clinical Instructors!

[cholli]

I do exam review at clinical very subtly by highlighting key concepts from patient care for the upcoming exam

[llg, PhD, RN]

I've done both -- taught clinical and also taught lecture classes. I would definetely NOT want some other instructor going behind my back and interferring with my lecture class. If you want to help the students to apply the lecture content in the clinical setting, that is another matter and you should be able to WORK WITH the lecturer to promote the successful integration of the lecture content into your pre- and post- conference discussions.

The key is to work WITH the other instructor to promote application of the content she is trying to teach -- and not to appear to be working behind her back, setting yourself up as someone who can teach that content in a classroom format better than she does. That undermines her position as the lecture course instructor.

Just as a staff nurse should not undermine the work and/or professional reputation of a fellow staff nurse in front of the patients ... an instructor should not undermine and/or insult another faculty member in front of the students. That is a fundamental principle of teamwork that you inadvertantly violated. The school is a system - and each part of that system has a function to perform. If a portion of the system starts to interfer with the functioning of the other parts, the system gets disrupted and stressed. By stepping out of your proscribed role and into the territory of the lecturer, you disrupted the system.

Mend your fences with the instructor that you undermined/insulted and try to work together, focusing your efforts on helping the students to apply the lecture content in the clinical area. Keep your role in the system in focus and you should be able to help the students as you would like to without overstepping your role. That makes it a win-win-win situation for eveyone involved. The lecturer maintains her role/authority as the instructor of the lecture content and "saves face." You get a less contentious relationship with a team mate on the faculty. The students get a team of instructors WORKING TOGETHER to help them learn and apply the material.

[cholli]

Well said llg, I teach both theory and clinical and have another faculty p/t for lab and clinical, it is sooooo important that we are both on the same page and complementing each other's instruction, not competing.

[showbizrn]

The key is to work WITH the other instructor to promote application of the content she is trying to teach -- and not to appear to be working behind her back, setting yourself up as someone who can teach that content in a classroom format better than she does. That undermines her position as the lecture course instructor.

If a portion of the system starts to interfer with the functioning of the other parts, the system gets disrupted and stressed. By stepping out of your proscribed role and into the territory of the lecturer, you disrupted the system.

.

THANKS for your response and expertise. I had no idea nor intention of "lecturing behind the intructor's back."

Review questions are exactly that---review questions. Nothing more.

Be that as it may, you have helped me gain another perspective on the issue that has increased my understanding.

Again, I thank you.

SHOWBIZRN