New 'buddy system' of nurse education gets high marks from students
Students have challenged the traditional approach to education, saying it is not a realistic representation of a nurse's actual workload.
A new "buddy system" of nursing education -- in which two students work together as one nurse to share ideas, set priorities and make clinical decisions for patient care in the "real world" of nursing -- is effective, according to a study by Baylor University Louise Herrington School of Nursing in Dallas.
Findings about the "Two Heads Are Better than One" nurse education strategy -- dubbed 2HeadsR>1 for short and piloted by Louise Herrington School of Nursing in 2017 -- are published in the Journal of Nursing Education.
IMPACT
In the traditional "divide and conquer" method of role assignment in simulation, multiple students are assigned specific nursing duties, such as medication administration, assessment, procedures or documentation.
But students had challenged that approach, saying it is not a realistic representation of a nurse's actual workload.
With that in mind, Baylor nursing school educators introduced two-person teams using a "Think Aloud" method. They are not allowed to be in two places at one time or to simultaneously engage in more than one task. They discuss differing opinions, use critical thinking and come to an agreement on the best plan of care for their simulated patients, which are high-fidelity mannequins able to "breathe," "blink" and even give birth.
In post-simulation evaluations, students reported less anxiety and more confidence because they had a peer at their side. Educators reported more robust debriefing sessions.
WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW
Louise Herrington School of Nursing introduced the 2HeadsR>1 strategy in the fall 2017 semester, with 295 undergraduates participating in 39 scenario simulations in medical-surgical nursing, pediatric nursing and mental health nursing.
Clinical faculty and simulation educators opted to continue this method during the spring 2018 semester and added community health simulation activities. At the time of the study, 950 students had taken part in 119 activities, and the numbers continue to climb.
Besides increasing confidence and lessening anxiety for students as they progress through training and begin their nursing careers, other benefits of the 2HeadsR>1 strategy include additional training for simulation facilitators that is minimal; students acclimating to the method quickly; and no additional funding required.
THE TREND
Nurses operate within a highly competitive job market, and as is the case in other high-stress fields, there's a fatigue starting to set in. Burnout is a very real danger, and much like physicians, nurses are prone to leaving when they've finally had enough -- and that turnover can have detrimental effects on everything from a hospital's financial strength to the quality of patient care.
Twitter: @JELagasse
Email the writer: jeff.lagasse@himssmedia.com
