In the eight-week course N408/N498 Transitions to Practice, designed for senior-level nursing students, the College of Nursing integrated assignments and a lunch and learn workshop to support students in their transition to professional nursing roles. This course is a clinical nursing course focused on leadership, including 168 precepted clinical hours.
During the first week the students were asked to create a discussion board posting ranking their priorities for the selection of their first nursing position. Next, the students were assigned Chapter 17 of the "Healthy Work Environment: How to Choose One for Your First Job" in the "Self-care for New and Student Nurses" textbook. In week seven, the students were asked to author a second discussion board posting where they again ranked their priorities for their selection of their first nursing position and compare/contrast the rankings to the first posting.
Format: In spring term, students enrolled in Transitions to Nursing Practice completed a mandatory ATI Live Review session at the end of the course. This "lunch and learn" session provided students with lunch while they watched the presentation. Led by a faculty member from the college, the presentation is a condensed version of the 3-part mindfulness seminar developed for the Nurse Residency Program at Mount Carmel Health System. Presentation and Activties: The presentation provided information on the definition and benefits of mindfulness, emphasizing its positive impact on student and new graduate nurses. Participants were guided through breathing exercises tailored for testing situations, mindful walking, meditation, guided imagery, instructed on conducting a mindful minute, and shown how to incorporate mindfulness into hand-washing practices. They were also encouraged to brainstorm additional ways to integrate mindfulness into clinical settings.
The Director of the Residency Program reported that nearly 100% of the nurse residents found the seminars useful to their practice. She also observed a 55% increase in the number of nurse residents utilizing mindfulness within their nursing practice. Students described the content as useful and stated they planned to incorporate it into their practice at the clinical sites. The majority of students also stated they planned to utilize these techniques in their professional nursing practice post-graduation.
During course orientation, students received a wellness bag containing an essential oil spritzer and a rose quartz heart, along with a card listing the Caritas Processes from Dr. Jean Watson's Caring Science and Human Caring Theory. Faculty discussed the use of essential oils for stress reduction and wellbeing, while also explaining how the Caritas Processes can be applied and integrated into students' clinical practice. Faculty members trained in Caring Science incorporated the Caritas Processes into student clinical rounding throughout the course.
“One of our greatest surprises in the implementation of these new learning strategies was just simply the student appreciation and gratitude for the resources” – Meghan Hixenbaugh, Assistant Professor
Location: Columbus, OH
School Type: Private School
Partner: Dr. Rebecca Taulbee, Nurse Residency Program Director at Mount Carmel Health System
Faculty Contact: Meghan Hixenbaugh