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Strategy Submission
The Faculty Checklist Manifesto: Utilizing a QSEN based orientation checklist for the first day of a clinical rotation
Author:
Kimberly Silver Dunker
DNP, RN
Title:
Associate Professor of Nursing
Coauthors:
Karen Manning RN, MSN, CRRN, CHPN; Susan Knowles, DNP, RN, WHNP-BC
Institution:
Worcester State University
Email:
Competency Categories:
Evidence-Based Practice, Informatics, Patient-Centered Care, Quality Improvement, Safety, Teamwork and Collaboration
Learner Level(s):
Faculty Development Strategies, Graduate Students, Pre-Licensure BSN
Learner Setting(s):
Clinical Setting, Skills or Simulation Laboratories
Strategy Type:
General Strategy
Learning Objectives:
Faculty will be able to:
Increase quality and safety during guided clinical experiences using a standardized Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) competency-based clinical orientation checklist during the first day of the clinical experience.
The student will be able to:
Demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and attitudes of safe patient care through the completion of the QSEN checklist assignments.
Goal:
The goal of this project was to provide clinical adjunct faculty members with a standardized checklist for the clinical orientation. The orientation checklist was developed with support from the QSEN Academic Clinical Practice Task Force committee using the six QSEN competencies.
Strategy Overview:
Relevance
Standardized Checklists for clinical orientation are not found in the nursing journal literature. Therefore, many clinical faculty will develop their own checklist as well as, perform a scavenger hunt for the first clinical day. However, a list of items does not provide the critical thinking aspects necessary for the clinical orientation. A list will only inform the student about items to locate in the clinical agency. Alternatively, the QSEN clinical orientation checklist provides a structured guide for faculty to incorporate the QSEN competencies ,knowledge, skills, and attitudes (KSA)s for their assigned clinical students.
The checklist utilizing the QSEN competencies adapted for nurse educators includes: (a) patient-centered care, (b) teamwork and collaboration, (c) evidence-based practice, (d) patient safety, (e) quality improvement, and (f) technology and informatics. Embedded within the checklist are strategies to help guide the clinical faculty in orienting their student group to the clinical environment.
Strategy and Implementation
Clinical faculty need to provide a quality orientation for students. This adapted orientation checklist was designed for pre-licensure nursing students in all guided clinical rotations including specialty rotations. faculty utilizing this checklist are provided clear objectives for the clinical orientation, which highlights the six QSEN competencies. The new checklist contains an itemized list, a scavenger hunt, and critical thinking strategies to orient students on their first clinical day.
Goal: The ultimate goal in using this newly developed standardized orientation checklist is to ensure quality and safety is embedded into the clinical rotation from the first clinical day.
Additional Materials:
Clinical Orientation Checklist Found at:
https://onlinetraining.umassmed.edu/checklist/
Evaluation Description:
Evaluation
Faculty were given the checklist before taking their students to the clinical site.. After using the checklist on the first day, faculty reported that utilizing the checklist allowed students to have a systematic orientation as well as, an introduction to the QSEN competencies.
Faculty were queried about their experience using the QSEN adapted checklist during their orientation on the first clinical day. All faculty were asked these specific questions:
Clinical Faculty Questions
Did the checklist help organize your orientation day?
Did you add additional items to the checklist?
Were you able to integrate QSEN KAS into orientation?
Which KAS activities did you utilize?
Rationale for using the particular strategy?
Student feedback: What was their take away learning from completing the activities?
Lastly, the clinical instructor used the QSEN activities and post conference ideas throughout the remainder of the clinical rotation to enhance post conference discussions.
Implication for Nursing Practice
This newly developed orientation checklist resource is available on the Academic Clinical Practice Task Force website, which allows both academic and clinical partners an opportunity to implement this standardizing orientation strategy into any clinical rotation.
In the future, implementation of this orientation checklist strategy into all clinical rotations can provide greater quality and safety for students while attending a clinical experience.
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