Teaching Pediatric nursing and time to change it up!

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Specializes in Education, NICU, Pediatrics, OB, Leaders.

Good evening! I have been teaching pediatric nursing to BSN students for a couple of years now. At our school we do ATI exams with the majority of the core courses, ped's being one of them. My students took their exam today and mainly earning 1's and 2's but no 3's! This seems to be the pattern and I am not happy about this. I have been basing my lecture on the text book and supplementing with ATI book but I think it's time for a change! I am wanting to base my lecture on ATI and supplement with the text!

What are your thoughts on this? Is this already what you do? Any extra advise is appreciated! I just really want to see higher test scores on their ATI exam's!

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

It sounds like you are planning to become one of those teachers that "teaches to the test. That's generally not considered very good teaching.

I recommend analyzing the strengths and weaknesses of your students, using the ATI scores as one (among many) sources of diagnostic information. Identyify their problems ... the causes for those problems ... and then address the underlying causes of the problems. Don't just "teach to the test."

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Specializes in ER, ICU, Education.

I would ask your chair if he/she has the breakdown of NCLEX scores, so you can also identify further strengths and opportunities for improvement. ATI is a review book, and not suitable for a sole text for a course. ATI reps even note this, that it is intended as a topical review.

As llg noted, you might be better served by enhancing weak areas. ATI will also provide a list of what they consider to be essential topics; it would be interesting to see how this list compares to your current course materials.

When you mention that this seems to be a pattern, are you referring to a recent downward trend in peds ATI scores over recent years, or that this type of score is typical for this group of students? I would look at this cohort's scores in past classes.

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Specializes in OB, Midwifery, GYN, Mgmt, Military.

I am so glad to hear some one voice this opinion. fighting this whole idea in my program. I teach OB/PEDs in an ADN program where we have adopted ATI and I belive it is give too much weight. i am glad other share my' not to teach to the test' philosophy

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