The Eastern Integrative Experience of an English major ...



The Eastern Integrative Experience

The College of Sciences

RN to BS in Nursing Program

|The EIU Experience |Integrative Elements |Next Steps |

|Opportunities for integrative learning experiences are provided throughout the EIU nursing program. These include: I) service learning, II) reflection, III) capstone projects, IV) several curricular threads |

|woven throughout the curriculum, and V) other. Each is described below. |

|I. |The nursing program’s mission includes a commitment to “active, applied learning experiences” |First “Brown Bag” medication review service just project completed with|

|Service Learning |designed to help students “integrate knowledge gained from general and liberal studies, the |Coles County senior citizens (at LifeSpan Center). |

| |sciences, and nursing to think critically and make ethical and reasoned clinical decisions.” This | |

| |is fulfilled largely through the three clinical courses in the nursing curriculum (Advanced |Plan: |

| |Nursing Health Assessment, Nursing Leadership and Management, and Nursing and the Community). |Expand above to other counties |

| |Students spend time in community service settings observing and working alongside preceptors and |Expand contact with other community groups |

| |other leaders. In each course, one aim is for the student to gain understanding and have the |Community assessment to explore needs |

| |opportunity to apply knowledge and skills. Another aim however is to provide service to the |Development of preceptor pool in local health care facilities |

| |community as the skills are learned. Horizontal integration. | |

|I.A. |Two hours per week are spent with a preceptor in a patient care setting. Health assessment skills | |

|Service Learning: |are observed, practiced, and evaluated. | |

|Advanced Nursing Health Assessment | | |

|I.B. |Six hours per week are spent with a preceptor who is a nurse manager. The student participates in | |

|Service Learning: |the manager’s workday. Students apply leadership theory in care of patients in a clinical setting.| |

|Nursing Leadership and Management | | |

|I.C. | Six hours per week are spent in a variety of public health / community health activities. Public | |

|Service Learning: Nursing and the |health clinics, educational programs, and other community based health agencies are part of this | |

|Community |clinical experience. A service learning project is completed. A vulnerable population such as | |

| |elderly, teen moms, or others are chosen by the class and a group project designed and | |

| |implemented. | |

|II. |Various assignments in the nursing program require students to reflect on readings, past |Plan: Evaluate the current reflective experiences and refine the focus|

|Reflection |experiences and knowledge, their current practice, and their goals for the future. Included are |as indicated to assure emphasis on quality reflection, critical |

| |reflective journals, clinical logs, and professional development plan. Horizontal integration. |thinking, and metacognition. |

|II.A. |Students complete reflective journals while enrolled in Theoretical Foundations of Professional | |

|Reflection: |Nursing Practice, the first course in the nursing curriculum. Journal entries provide opportunity | |

|Reflective Journals |for students to draw connections between the new ideas learned in class and their own current and | |

| |past work experiences. | |

|II.B. |For each of the three clinical courses, students complete a clinical log. One component of the log| |

|Reflection: |requires the student to discuss how the clinical experience and the class readings mesh. Another | |

|Clinical Logs |component of the log asks for the student’s personal reflections on the experience. | |

|II.C. | Students consider their past and current career preparation and path and then look toward the | |

|Reflection: |future. They complete a written plan that includes career and academic goals. Intentionality in | |

|Professional Development Plan |planning is emphasized. | |

|III. |Several summative projects require students to call upon knowledge and skills gained through their|First project just completed. Students developed poster for Showcase |

|Capstone Projects |general and liberal studies, nursing knowledge gained while in the program, and their workplace |EIU. |

| |experiences. These projects are part of the final semester and they are designed to demonstrate | |

| |the accomplishment of program goals. Included are professional portfolios, seminars, and an |Plan: |

| |evidence based practice project. |-Integrate students into faculty led research projects. |

| | |-Develop an independent study course for students to explore |

| | |professional goals |

| | |-Sponsor student presentations at the Midwest Nursing Research Society |

| | |annual meetings |

| | |-Develop an e-portfolio option |

| | |-Evaluate strengths and areas of opportunity for improvement within the|

| | |current projects |

|III.A. |Students create a professional portfolio that includes samples of their work from each nursing | |

|Capstone Project: |program course. During their final semester, they review the portfolio and evaluate their own | |

|Professional Portfolios |accomplishment of program goals. Program faculty then review the portfolio and comment on progress| |

| |toward goals and on the students’ self evaluation. Personal and vertical integration. | |

|III.B. |The capstone nursing course includes a student led seminar component. Each student is assigned to | |

|Capstone Project: |take the leadership role in one or more class sessions. They provide an overview of the material | |

|Seminars |to the other class members and then direct class discussion on the topic. | |

| | | |

|III.C. | The student assesses the current state of nursing practice in the chosen area and then makes | |

|Capstone Project: |recommendations based on best evidence. This assignment requires application of content from all | |

|Evidence Based Practice Project |nursing courses. Findings and recommendations are communicated through an academic paper, a | |

| |poster, and a presentation. | |

|IV. |Each of the following concepts is introduced during the first nursing program course and then used|Plan: |

|Curricular Threads |as a foundation for material in other courses. They provide opportunities for applying knowledge |-Continue to develop each of the curricular threads |

| |and skills acquired in one context to be used in another. Curricular threads include systems |-Remove one component (IV.B.2. – Communication – Information Literacy) |

| |theory, communication, and ethics. Horizontal integration. |from this part of the plan and develop a new “Nursing Informatics” |

| | |section of the Integrative Learning Plan. This will include information|

| | |literacy but also technology competencies and application of each to |

| | |professional nursing practice. Nursing Informatics is a newly |

| | |emphasized essential for nursing programs by the CCNE, our accrediting |

| | |association |

|IV.A. |Several nursing and related theories are introduced. Systems theory is emphasized and then | |

|Curricular Threads: |utilized as the conceptual framework in each of the other nursing program courses. Students begin | |

|Systems Theory |by acquiring general knowledge about the theory and then progress to application of the theory to | |

| |the content of other courses. | |

|IV.B. |The nursing program places a strong emphasis on communication. Foundational concepts are | |

|Curricular Threads: |introduced in the first program course. Increasing complexity in the application of these skills | |

|Communication |and concepts is then required as students progress through the curriculum. Areas of communication | |

| |that are emphasized include academic writing, information literacy, poster presentations, and | |

| |verbal communication. | |

|IV.B.1. |Students receive specific guidance and feedback at each stage of the writing process as they | |

|Curricular Threads: |complete the required academic paper in the first program course. In subsequent courses, | |

|Communication: |increasing length and synthesis of materials is required. Students are provided summative feedback| |

|Academic Writing |on their academic writing assignments but are expected to initiate request for formative guidance | |

| |if needed. The process is designed to ensure high quality writing skills by the end of the | |

| |program. | |

|IV.B.2. |Information literacy: A thorough orientation to the library, use of databases, and technology is | |

|Curricular Threads: |provided at the start of the program. Students are guided through the steps of conducting a | |

|Communication: |literature search including the evaluation of material quality during their first nursing program | |

|Information Literacy |course. As with writing skills, they are then expected to gradually accept more of the | |

| |responsibility for ensuring quality and acquiring needed skills. Problem solving and | |

| |resourcefulness is encouraged while faculty continue to remain available for extra assistance as | |

| |needed. | |

|IV.B.3. |One assignment in the pathophysiology / pharmacology class is to select a pathophysiological | |

|Curricular Threads: |process that is of interest to the student and then to create a poster that illustrates the | |

|Communication: |pathology as well as pharmacologic treatment for that disease. These are presented in class and in| |

|Poster Presentations |a public forum. Another poster presentation is assigned during the final semester. Synthesis of | |

| |previously acquired knowledge of research, theory, and practice are required for this assignment. | |

| |Students choose an area of nursing practice and utilize peer-reviewed research to make best | |

| |practice recommendations. The process and conclusions are communicated through the poster | |

| |presentation. | |

|IV.B.4. |Several opportunities are provided throughout the program for students to present orally. The two | |

|Curricular Threads: |poster presentations mentioned above also include an oral presentation component. Additionally, a | |

|Communication: |political action briefing, a nursing theorist presentation, and others are part of the curriculum.| |

|Verbal Communication |Focused class discussions are part of each nursing program course. Participation is expected and | |

| |part of the student’s class grade. In addition to verbal participation during class time, online | |

| |discussion boards are utilized. | |

|IV.C. |Ethical theory is introduced in the first nursing program course. Students then apply that theory | |

|Curricular Threads: |in various settings. Case studies are utilized to give opportunity for application of ethical | |

|Ethics |principles in various practice and content areas. An example is the ethical case study completed | |

| |in the patho/pharm course. A clinical case involving something such as organ donation or | |

| |end-of-life decision making is selected. Students identify the various ethical principles that | |

| |apply to the case, explain each, then support a position on the issue using sound reasoning and | |

| |application of principles. | |

|V. Other |Other integrative learning in the nursing program: appreciative advising and study abroad. | |

|Appreciative |A holistic approach that considers career goals. Students each complete a professional development|Continue to approach each student with an individually tailored |

|Advising |plan in the first nursing course. The plan guides student advisement especially in terms of |advising plan. Provide even more options that help meet professional |

| |electives to consider, and assignments for each class. |development plan goals including an independent study course. |

|Study Abroad |Nursing program faculty have developed a study abroad program designed to explore epidemiology and|Further development of the proposal and implementation as soon as |

| |other public health concepts in the context of a trip to London and a look at the cholera outbreak|feasible. |

| |of the 1850’s. Additionally, health care reform, financing, and policy in the U.S. and the U.K. | |

| |will be studied. | |

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download