Creative skills lab ideas

[goingback]

Who has ideas for how to make skills lab more interesting/fun/educational?

I did visit a colleague who had a great idea--he was going over wounds and wound care. He broke students into small groups and gave them each a special topic/population and had them write down how it would impact wounds and what could be done. Like how incontince affects skin and what could be done, how would paraplegic and neurologically affected patients be affected, etc. So this generated a lot of critical thinking.

Iv'e done scenarios where they each have cards-kind of like amurder mystery- so it is played out where Rn is assisting a hip fx patient to commode and then patient falls or complains of pain or gets dizzy. Or gave insulin to patient before dinner now after your break find patient cool clammy lethargic--what do you assess and do.

I'm just teaching skills this semester and feel like it will be boring with just lecture, demo, then student practice. (They have to check off for each skill either the next day or next week--accelerated program they have only 6 hours a week in lab a 4 hour segment and a 2 hour segment).

Are there any good resourses out there for skills teaching?

[nursebrandie28, BSN, RN]

I hope you get a lot of replies, because I would like some have some interesting ideas as well!!

I also have the students watch videos, however, I would not say that that is very much fun!!

I know for nutrition, I would have them each bring in food for a potluck and they would have to feed each other!! It puts a different spin when you are the one being fed!!

Hope this helps some :0)

Brandie

[Finn]

How many are in your group? We have groups of 10 and I often will have them teach each other. I don't lecture. We expect them to come prepared. They purchase a study guide. They are expected to have the study guide completed and videos watched. I take the objective right out of the guide and have them get in groups of 2. I encourage drawing, I bring out markers and poster paper. I also will give the visual aids for show and tell. I am there to pose questions and answer ones they have. It goes well and often fun and creative.

This year will be a challenge. All 46 students will be together for 50 min. harder to do this teaching strategy, but I am going to try.

[eccentricRN]

In my school we were required to break into groups, pick from a list of skills and present. We needed to come up with a visual aid, a handout & of course perform the skill in front of the class. One group had pressure ulcers & they used bagels & various toppings to signify the different stages of wounds. Another group used different colored soda to show the different types of drainage you might see in different drains.

[dani_girl]

Not a teacher, but a student.. so.. here is my thought that I got from my brothers school (he went to a Maritime Academy) and for a section of their final in medical seafaring they were each given a card (a week or so before) that had a dx.. MI, Pre-term labor, anaphylactic shock, subdural hematoma..ect.. then when they were out to sea, she would tap one of them and they had to act how the pt would.. (VS, shaking, answering questions) and someone else had to treat them.. say what they would look for, ask, use to help.

A few of my friends got to doing this in our rotation, so we would think about what we would see, do, and ask... made study groups pretty interesting at the local coffee shop.

Just a thought.

[goingback]

Finn--is the study guide your schools own or a published one like Mosby's.

I have 2 sections--20 students each. They are required to do checkoffs for each skill. So it's one day of coming having done the readings/watched the video, I talk a little about the skill, demonstrate it in small groups off 6-7, then they practice (4 hour class). The next day they check off (2 hour class). Those that are waiting to check off or have checked off can practice or review other skills.

Any hand outs about skills or critical thinking exercises about skills people use?