Overview: The Wellness Wheel is a visual tool that helps understand the 7 factors affecting mental health (emotional, intellectual, physical, social environmental, financial, and spiritual). This approach to wellness and self-care prompts introspection, self-reflection, and leads to goal setting.
Implementation: Faculty presented the Wellness Wheel to students at the beginning of the course to assist them in making healthy decisions contributing to a balanced life. Students were encouraged to reflect on the wheel, check-in with themselves, evaluate how they were doing, and highlight any imbalances negatively impacting their wellness and self-care. In addition, students were asked to make at least one positive change in at least one wheel category.
Reflection: At the end of the course, students wrote a reflection including the changes implemented and their overall satisfaction with the activity.
Faculty found the tool very easy to use and cost-effective, with students being extremely engaged in the activity. Students found the activity “fun” and stated that “coloring was a good way to relieve some stress”.
Download Wellness Wheel
Overview: Cheri Clancy, RN, an expert on leadership development initiatives in healthcare, presented on self-care, wellness, resilience, and leadership.
Implementation: The presentation was followed by a Q&A.
Reflection: Students submitted structured reflections on the presentation.
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Overview: Students interacted with therapy dogs before final exams. This event was co-sponsored by the Rutgers University-Camden Student Nurses Association, and all nursing students were invited. “Although a little difficult to implement students loved this activity and ranked it highly for enhancing their well-being and self-care competencies.”
Overview: Five new-to practice graduates shared advice on leadership, resilience, self-care, and wellness.
Implementation: The panel presentation was followed by a Q&A was done during a Nursing Management and Leadership course.
Overview: The IHI "4Ms" Framework was integrated into the Community Health Nursing- Clinical course in a low-income housing development for older adults during the final semester of senior year with our student cohort. The "4Ms" Framework is useful to develop cultural competencies and person-centered care in older adults, especially those from underrepresented minority populations.
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Overview: The "Gratitude Jar" and "The Leader within" leadership styles were developed from Nursing Leadership and Management for Patient Safety and Quality Care.
Implementation: Students kept a daily gratitude jar as an "at home" assignment to reflect on positive aspects of their lives. One strategy for promoting individual nurse resilience is promoting expression of gratitude. Students were asked to write down one thing they were grateful for each day and put into the jar. When they were feeling down or stressed they were encouraged to pull a note from the jar. One strategy for promoting individual nurse resilience is promoting. expression of gratitude.
Reflection: Students also submitted reflections based on "The Leader within”.
Overview: During the clinical component of the Capstone Course, students shadowed the Charge Nurse on their specific clinical unit for an entire shift. Clinical learning and demonstration of leadership skills were the learning strategies developed from this resource.
Assessment: Students complete a charge report checklist.
Reflection: Students submit structured reflection on the experience.
See Charge Report Reflection
Overview: During the clinical component of the Capstone Course, students completed "Stress First Aid" on their specific clinical unit. Experiential learning and reflection were the learning strategies developed from this resource.
Implementation: Students reviewed the 20-minute PowerPoint video. Then, clinical faculty facilitated a discussion with students,
Reflection: Students submitted a reflective assignment for evaluation purposes.
See Stress First Aid Reflection
Location: Camden, New Jersey
School Type: Public School
Partners: Atlanticare Regional Medical Center, Pomona New Jersey; Fair Share Housing Development, Camden, New Jersey
Faculty Contact: Catherine Stubin