Educator Discourse 2
The use of outcomes in curriculum development today is multifocal and multipurposed. Program outcomes give an overall view of what is expected of student nurses as they progress through the program (Billings & Halstead, 2012). Program outcomes are closely link to the mission of the institution that it lies within (Billings & Halstead, 2012). Course outcomes are a more finely tuned program outcome. Course outcomes lie within the individual courses and mirror program outcomes in their intent (Billings & Halstead, 2012). Student centered unit learning outcomes reflect both program and course outcomes (Billings & Halstead, 2012). Learning outcomes are the most specific and must be appropriate to the level of instruction and the material being examined (Billings & Halstead, 2012).
To demonstrate the use of student centered learning outcomes the cardiac system in a Med-Surg course will be explored. The cardiac system is vital to support human life. The body cannot function without it. It is often a main focus in curriculum for undergraduate nursing students. In order for teachers to gauge student learning, outcomes and objectives must be developed.
Course outcomes for a Med-Surg course should look something like this:
At the completion of the course, the student will be able to:
1. Holistically care for an adult patient with a variety of diseases or health issues and care for their family (psychomotor, cognitive)
2. Recognize the value of holistic care and the importance of family as it relates to the adult patient on a med-surg unit (affective)
3. Demonstrate writing in a professional manner (cognitive)
4. Describe disease processes as they affect the adult population (cognitive)
5. Assess an adult patient and appropriately notify or take action when needed to (psychomotor)
6. Identify the signs and symptoms of multiple disease processes (cognitive)
Unit objectives for a course of instruction should include the six levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy (University of Colorado Denver, 2007). Unit objectives with a focus on cardiac dysfunction would look something like this:
· Identify the anatomy of the cardiac system and describe how it functions. (Remembering) This matches with number 6 of the course outcomes.
· Discuss illnesses associated with dysfunction of the cardiac system. (Understanding) This matches with number 4 of the course outcomes.
· Design a plan of care for a patient with cardiac dysfunction. (Create) This matches with numbers 1, 3, 5, and 6 of the course outcomes.
· Apply the nursing process to a patient with cardiac dysfunction. (Applying) This matches with numbers 1 and 2 of the course outcomes.
· Compare and contrast the different classes of cardiac medications and in what situations they would be utilized. (Analyzing) This matches with number 5 of the course outcomes.
· Critique a single nursing research article with cardiac function as the topic. (Evaluating) This matches with number 3 of the course outcomes.
Clinical reasoning and clinical judgment involves the student or nurse encountering a clinical situation, defining it, evaluating and assessing the situation, analyzing the details, coming to a conclusion, and taking on a plan of action (Koharchik, Caputi, Robb, & Culleiton, 2015). The objectives of designing a plan of care for a patient with cardiac dysfunction and applying the nursing process to a patient with cardiac dysfunction would best reflect the development of clinical reasoning and clinical judgment in the nursing student. Both of these objectives involves the student in encountering a patient in the clinical setting, defining the situation, evaluating and assessing the situation and patient, analyszing the details of the patient’s illness, the student coming to a conclusion, and creating and taking on a plan of action.
To demonstrate the use of student centered learning outcomes the cardiac system in a Med-Surg course will be explored. The cardiac system is vital to support human life. The body cannot function without it. It is often a main focus in curriculum for undergraduate nursing students. In order for teachers to gauge student learning, outcomes and objectives must be developed.
Course outcomes for a Med-Surg course should look something like this:
At the completion of the course, the student will be able to:
1. Holistically care for an adult patient with a variety of diseases or health issues and care for their family (psychomotor, cognitive)
2. Recognize the value of holistic care and the importance of family as it relates to the adult patient on a med-surg unit (affective)
3. Demonstrate writing in a professional manner (cognitive)
4. Describe disease processes as they affect the adult population (cognitive)
5. Assess an adult patient and appropriately notify or take action when needed to (psychomotor)
6. Identify the signs and symptoms of multiple disease processes (cognitive)
Unit objectives for a course of instruction should include the six levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy (University of Colorado Denver, 2007). Unit objectives with a focus on cardiac dysfunction would look something like this:
· Identify the anatomy of the cardiac system and describe how it functions. (Remembering) This matches with number 6 of the course outcomes.
· Discuss illnesses associated with dysfunction of the cardiac system. (Understanding) This matches with number 4 of the course outcomes.
· Design a plan of care for a patient with cardiac dysfunction. (Create) This matches with numbers 1, 3, 5, and 6 of the course outcomes.
· Apply the nursing process to a patient with cardiac dysfunction. (Applying) This matches with numbers 1 and 2 of the course outcomes.
· Compare and contrast the different classes of cardiac medications and in what situations they would be utilized. (Analyzing) This matches with number 5 of the course outcomes.
· Critique a single nursing research article with cardiac function as the topic. (Evaluating) This matches with number 3 of the course outcomes.
Clinical reasoning and clinical judgment involves the student or nurse encountering a clinical situation, defining it, evaluating and assessing the situation, analyzing the details, coming to a conclusion, and taking on a plan of action (Koharchik, Caputi, Robb, & Culleiton, 2015). The objectives of designing a plan of care for a patient with cardiac dysfunction and applying the nursing process to a patient with cardiac dysfunction would best reflect the development of clinical reasoning and clinical judgment in the nursing student. Both of these objectives involves the student in encountering a patient in the clinical setting, defining the situation, evaluating and assessing the situation and patient, analyszing the details of the patient’s illness, the student coming to a conclusion, and creating and taking on a plan of action.