I liked the first module because it separated nursing students into beginner and advanced categories and set different goals for them to demonstrate while in clinical. I know when I’m at clinical there are always a few things that I can pinpoint that something isn’t right but I can’t exactly place what when I walk into the room. I like that the modules know that the first time you go on the floor you aren’t prepared for everything and doesn’t try to act like you should know everything yet, and sets more attainable goals around getting your bearings and thinking like a nurse.
When we talk in class there’s clearly a discrepancy between what some people have seen in clinical already and what other people haven’t yet, like IV’s or catheters. I think making a point to state that we won’t have seen everything yet is helpful. Tying that into the general nursing culture, that discrepancy might change, but it’ll never go away. Nurses who chose to specialize will see things that other nurses don’t; or even nurses at different hospitals might see some types of patients more often than others. While everyone gets a basic understanding during nursing school, we’re always getting exposed to new things and need to be able to adapt.
In the second module I learned that rest and sleep are part of the first layer of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. I think it’s interesting because I think most people could easily identify eating and drinking as important for your physiological needs, I don’t think sleep is associated with in the same way. Sleep is often the first thing sacrificed when people have too much on their plates.
The module on priority setting relates to our classroom discussion about choosing which passengers would get to go on a lifeboat. Making important decisions based off of small bits of information, whether it be vital signs or whether or not they could speak English that ultimately led up to life and death outcomes exercises the same parts of your brain.
Very well done; nice lessons learned!