Teachable Moments: Tips for starting off on the right foot with your students
Ray Howald, registered nurse and clinical educator in Sunnybrook's Emergency Department, has some tips for teachers.
1. Start off on the right foot.
Ensure new students are familiar with the learning environment, equipment that will be used and its location. I also find it helpful to communicate to current staff that there will be new learners in the workplace, which fosters a healthier learning environment. Providing students with learning goals and milestones is especially important with adult learners.
2. Let them try.
It's important to allow students to attempt to find the answers themselves. The process of researching the answer is a valuable activity in the learning process and assists with comprehension. This encourages the student to utilize available resources and helps to reinforce learning. When similar situations or challenges occur in the future, they will know where to find the answers. They can also rely on colleagues to obtain answers, which will assist with building working relationships. When such strategies fail to provide the appropriate answers, it may be time for the educator to step in to assist.
3. Feedback, feedback, feedback...
Regular feedback regarding their performance is something that is valuable to myself as the educator and valuable to the student. This feedback offers an opportunity provide constructive feedback to the student and helps to identify potential barriers to success for the student.
4. Things are amiss? Observe and discuss - in private.
The first step is to personally observe a reported inappropriate behaviour. It may have been reported by an individual staff member or via a patient, but it will be valuable to observe the behaviour first hand in order to be able to provide constructive feedback. Observe the student in clinical encounters with patients while working in the department. If you confirm there is an issue, address it in a non-confrontational manner and in a private setting. Make it clear that the behaviour is unacceptable, and that the cause for the behaviour needs be investigated. Unusual or inappropriate behavior may have a deeper cause that may be able to be addressed.
5. ...and more feedback.
Offering students ongoing feedback - positive or negative - is really a valuable tool. Simply telling a student they did a good job or offering feedback that has been shared to you by other staff, students or patients about their performance will help to keep them on track and motivated to succeed and do a good job. Other simple strategies include certificates for attending workshops, stickers/buttons that staff can wear indicating an achievement, and appreciation events such as dinners or outings (if fiscally possible) to say that the work that they are doing is appreciated.
