ITSE Standard 1: Creativity and Innovation

1. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes
2. Create original works as a means of person or group expression
3. Use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues
4. Identify trends and forecast possibilities

Triggering Event: How can students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology?

Triggering Event Question: How can nursing students demonstrate creativity through educational technology when mastering a newborn physical assessment?

When I first thought of this question, I was worried about the availability of resources concerning creativity and nursing.  Sure, I’ve learned to be creative in “the field” but during school I remember there was a strong emphasis on book-reading, lecture, and some simulation done in house.  No additional educational technologies encouraging creativity occurred in my undergraduate degree.

In researching this topic using the ITSE1 as my guide, I learned that educational technologies are abundant and growing ever present in nursing schools.  I was so excited with this prospect!

My first reading that played on my future nurse educator heart strings was the article by Soh.  This article discussed several concepts used in teaching, one of which really grabbed my interest: Scientific Creativity (Soh, 2017).  Yes!!  How can I incorporate that to deliver quality education for my future students? I did some brainstorming with Coggle:

Coggle ITSE1 Map

I settled that I would incorporate simulation within my plan to meet the ITSE1.  My plan is for future students to be able to learn and master newborn physical assessment skills with learning the assessment in the skills lab, filming themselves and posting it for their instructors (me!) and fellow students to watch.  Then, as a group, we would be able to constructively critique, debrief, and make action plans for improvement in achieving competency for the newborn physical assessment.  This should take place prior to the beginning of their OB clinical so they could perform adequate physical exams during their clinical time at the hospitals.  This project could foster creativity in the nursing students, competency with educational technologies (sim and video recording and posting), as well as communication and community within their cohort. I believe that this activity would also encourage originality within individual nursing practice.  I think that as long as the critical parts of the physical exam were executed in the simulation videos (or subsequently acknowledged if not included within the video) each student could express their own personality through their practice.  Everyone has a different way of doing things in nursing!  I think this could be accepted earlier on, starting in clinical experiences.

Here’s a great video of nursing students demonstrating a newborn assessment.

References:

Soh, K. (2017). Fostering student creativity through teacher behaviors. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 23, 58–66. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2016.11.002

The University of Michigan-Flint. General (basic) infant nursing assessment – nursing students. [Video file] Retrieved July 8, 2017 from https://youtu.be/zC0pcXnrd8E.