A clinical instructor has the important job of bridging nursing theory into clinical practice. They must assist the nursing student to apply, synthesize and evaluate the knowledge they have learned during class into the clinical setting – in other words, the art and science of critical thinking. The goal of the student is to gain experiences so they can become competent clinicians that provide quality safe patient care. One of the first things that the instructor should do is know the learning objectives of the other classes or the focus of the semester. The course outcomes from the clinical practicum can then be developed with a matching list of competency goals and an evaluation process to monitor progress and identify concerns. Each clinical day spent with the students should have a goal for that day, which can vary from focusing on learning a set of skills or gaining more experience versus the care required for being responsible for multiple patients. Patient assignments are then made and distributed to the students so they can prepare for their shift. The instructor then works with each student and their preceptors to ensure that they are practicing safely and gaining the experience needed to meet their daily and clinical practicum goals (Billings & Halstead, 2020).
At the end of the shift, the clinical instructor and the group of students usually meet to discuss the day. This is called the post conference, and it can be just as important and powerful as the clinical experience itself. One of the most common ways to conduct a post conference is to perform a debrief on the students’ experiences. This provides an opportunity to critical think, evaluate their progress, and discuss challenges and concerns. According to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (n.d.), debriefing is defined as a dialogue to discuss the actions and thought processes involved in a patient care situation, encourage reflection on those actions and thought processes, and incorporate improvement into future performance. Preparation and strong skills are key to conducting a successful debriefing experience with those goals in mind. Questions asked of the students during the post conference should not be laced with judgment or used as a finger-pointing exercise. The clinical instructor must lead the students through self-discovery and encourage an open dialogue about their progression and identify areas of opportunity. Critical thinking skills are one of the most important aspects for a student to learn. This can be done throughout the clinical day through one-on-one dialogue with the student and during debriefing. If students need to gain more experience in critical thinking, it can also be done through case studies and simulation training.
References:
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (n.d.). Debriefing for clinical learning. Retrieved from https://psnet.ahrq.gov/primers/primer/36/Debriefing-for-Clinical-Learning
Billings, D. M. & Halstead, J. A. (2020). Teaching in nursing: A guide for faculty (6th ed.). St. Louis, MI: Elsevier.