Nur680 Week 2 Written Assignment Page 1
Nur680 Week 2 Written Assignmentpage 1written Assignment Learning
For this assignment, you will create a course schedule that incorporates classroom and lab/simulation activities for a foundational nursing course. You will decide what topics and skills to cover each week over a 10-week course plus final exam, considering all instructional time, supervised practice, and competency check-offs. Your plan should support skill development in fundamental nursing procedures, integrating theoretical knowledge with practical application. You are expected to justify your scheduling decisions with scholarly resources and your course syllabus, ensuring that skills build sequentially and are appropriately allocated between instruction, practice, and evaluation. Additionally, you will select a specific skill from the course to design a detailed check-off process, explaining your rationale for using either low or high-fidelity simulators, the skill demonstration requirements, timing, attempt limits, formative feedback, failure consequences, grading protocol, and any critical components.
Paper For Above instruction
The development of an effective course schedule for a foundational nursing course such as NUR 300 requires careful planning to ensure students acquire and master essential clinical skills while integrating theoretical knowledge. This process begins with aligning instructional content with the progression of skills, considering the students' readiness, and ensuring sufficient practice and evaluation opportunities. The weekly schedule must balance classroom instruction, skills labs, supervised practice, and assessment check-offs, all while maintaining a logical sequence that facilitates learning retention and confidence building.
In the initial weeks, foundational skills such as infection control, sterile technique, and basic patient care procedures should be introduced. These skills set the groundwork for more complex tasks like medication administration, wound care, and vital sign assessment. For example, during Week 1, students might learn about infection prevention, requiring classroom lectures followed by practice sessions in the skills lab to don sterile gloves and perform hand hygiene. The subsequent week can build on this by introducing sterile dressing changes, emphasizing sequential skill development.
The scheduling of skills rehearsals and check-offs should reflect the need for students to practice skills multiple times before formal assessment. For instance, students might receive initial instruction on the sterile dressing change, then engage in supervised practice during lab sessions on Wednesdays, with a check-off scheduled at the end of the week. This allows adequate time for individual practice and mastery before formal evaluation. The use of simulation mannequins—both low-fidelity for basic skills and high-fidelity for critical thinking scenarios—provides opportunities for experiential learning without risking patient safety.
Lab time should be dedicated approximately 70% to traditional skills practice and 30% to high-fidelity simulation scenarios that mirror real clinical challenges. This ratio ensures students gain hands-on procedural competence while also developing critical decision-making skills. Instruction during labs can incorporate demonstrations, guided practice, and formative feedback, fostering a supportive environment where students can explore and refine skills.
For the skill check-off process, selecting wound dressing change as an example, a structured plan involves students demonstrating the procedure on a low-fidelity mannequin under timed conditions. They are allotted, for example, 15 minutes to complete the task, with two attempts allowed. Faculty can provide coaching during the second attempt if necessary, emphasizing the importance of learning rather than just assessment. A pass/fail grading system ensures clarity, with critical components such as maintaining aseptic technique and correct wound measurements constituting non-negotiable requirements. Failure to pass on the first attempt may require remedial practice before reattempting, aligning assessment with competency-based education principles.
In conclusion, the systematic scheduling and evaluation of foundational skills foster a structured learning environment that promotes competency, confidence, and readiness for clinical practice. Well-justified timing, sequencing, and assessment strategies are essential to cultivating proficient nursing graduates prepared to provide safe and effective patient care.
References
- Billings, D. M., & Halstead, J. A. (2020). Teaching in Nursing: A Guide for Faculty (6th ed.). Elsevier.
- Benner, P. (1984). From Novice to Expert: Excellence and Power in Clinical Nursing Practice. Prentice Hall.
- Jeffries, P. R. (2012). Simulation in Nursing Education: From Conceptualization to Evaluation (2nd ed.). NLN Publishing.
- Nelson-Jones, R. (2014). The Student Nurse Handbook: Your Guide to Success. Pearson Education.
- Slaughter, R. (2018). Effective Clinical Teaching Strategies. Journal of Nursing Education, 57(5), 273-278.