905 - Integrating Unfolding Case Studies and Lab Curriculum

This presentation will describe the authors’ development of unfolding case studies that incorporate the knowledge students gain from theory courses into their application-based lab curriculum.

Literature supports unfolding case studies in the development of nursing students’ clinical judgement. Previous studies have shown active learning, through unfolding case studies, to improve prioritization skills, communication skills, student engagement, have a better understanding of content to apply learning and improve clinical reasoning. Studies have shown simulations with multiple patient scenarios lead to enhanced learning outcomes through better management of patients. Students need more experience in caring for multiple patients, which helps with prioritization, planning care, and communication skills. Multi-patient simulations have been shown to increase student nurse confidence in decision making and their perceived readiness to enter the nursing profession.

A multi patient prioritization assignment originally included a recorded verbal report, simulated patient electronic health record, and a discussion board assignment of how the patients should be prioritized. A video recording of bedside SBAR report, using four standardized patients, was added in place of the verbal report. This multi-patient unfolding case study was created using static case study patients from existing lab assignments. Nursing students in the associates degree and practical nursing programs continue to use these same four patients throughout the lab curriculum, administering medications and critically thinking about changes in the patient conditions as they document in the electronic health records, participate in discussion boards, and provide care to these patients in the nursing skills lab. Transitioning from static to unfolding case studies can help nursing students apply their learning and improve their clinical judgment.