Title : Nursing education: Back to business as usual or moving towards the new normal
Abstract:
Education was very important in successfully managing acutely ill patients with COVD 19. Educators spent all their time in clinical areas teaching skills one to one to nursing staff. This was labour intensive but skills were acquired and patients were safe. After significant lockdowns and a suspension of face to face education in groups work had to be done on how education would be delivered at Western Health in the future. Many early career nurses had missed out on vital education and this needed to be addressed. Group sessions were held to gain educator input and a committee was formed with clinical and educational staff input on everyone’s role in the delivery of best care at the bedside. There was also a need for education to play a role in recruitment and retention as Western Health is a rapidly expanding organisation in an environment of a shortage of nurses and midwives. A new model of education was planned, which was collaborative, based at the bedside and had components of eLearning and simulation. There was a significant reduction in didactic teaching and all face to face sessions were interactive and engaging. The model is now in place and working well and feedback has been positive.
Audience Take Away Notes:
• The importance of collaboration to ensure staff are enthusiastic about education
• Using eLearning for theory components and teaching the practical at the bedside or face to face in group sessions
• How to create an effective educational model that serves everyone’s needs and helps in the delivery of best care to all patients
• Looking at innovative career pathways and workforce pipelines to maintain and increase the nursing and midwifery workforce at a rapidly expanding health service in an environment of significant staff shortage
