How to Learn Basic Nursing Skills Fast
When you’re a nurse out in the field, there isn’t room for mistakes. If they do happen they can be costly, and new nurses especially want to help their patients and be 100% confident in the basic nursing skills.
But is it possible to learn basic nursing skills fast?
Think about it: the sooner students learn the basics, the more practice they’ll have before they graduate and work on real patients. By supercharging their learning curve, you can give them the greatest chance at success.
To give nursing educators some ideas, we’ve compiled a list of six tips from nursing experts and national nursing organizations. All six of these pointers are designed to teach basic nursing skills quickly and efficiently:
1. Ask Your Students What They Know
No matter who your students are, they likely aren’t starting out as a blank slate. They’ve seen nurses at work on TV, in movies, or perhaps in real life. The important thing is that students think they know about nursing and how certain procedures work. In reality they may have picked up a few nursing myths that need to be unlearned.
You can find out right at the beginning of a course what students know and which practices need to be reversed. It will save a lot of frustration and class time in the long run, and you’ll be answering many questions that would’ve come up eventually.
2. Get Your Students Involved
Nursing is a hands-on profession, so why not let the students jump up and try it? According to research, most people who go into nursing are practical or experiential learners. They’re much better off trying something for themselves than reading about it in a book, so get your students involved.
Call them up to try a procedure in class. Correct their mistakes immediately and allow them to practice as many times as possible. Use visual media like video and diagrams to bring nursing concepts to life. Help them visualize your instructions by breaking down each step during a demonstration. And definitely have them handle the equipment for themselves. If you want your students to learn the nursing basics fast, role-playing and hands-on experiences are a safe bet.
To see the other four pointers, you can read our original feature article: 6 Way to Teach Nursing Skills Faster.
This article was brought to you by GoReact, the #1 video tool for procedural and patient communication skills. Healthcare programs use GoReact for skills assessment and clinical training. GoReact allows educators to capture student procedures on video for feedback, grading, and critique. Learn more at GoReact.com.
