A MORE ACTIVE WAY TO LEARN

EXAMPLES OF PEs:

• IDENTIFY a trouble area in your healthcare organization and assemble a plan to address it (example: plan to reduce the number of patient falls on a unit)
• EXPLORE “Sentinel City” by riding a virtual bus and cataloging social and environmental issues in the community
• USE your skills to assess a virtual patient and create a discharge plan for that patient from your observations
• SHADOW a nurse leader in your specialization, nursing theory in their daily work
• DEVELOP an educational session that focuses on evidence-based practice in the nursing field
• INTERVIEW someone in upper management about the stewardship activities of the organization
• REVIEW the structure at your organization and note both the formal and informal power structures and alliances that influence decision-making

“Practice experiences (PEs) are educational opportunitiesbuilt into the nursing programs to accommodateprogrammatic accreditor (CCNE and ACEN) requirements.Though it is a new type of assignment, PEs are not extrawork, instead they replace more traditional schoolwork, suchas reading and writing assignments. As interactive learningassignments, PEs encourage students to put what theylearned in the classroom to work immediately.”

ELAINE FOSTERPh.D., MSN, RN, Associate Dean, Graduate Nursing Programs