Speaker: Ludy Llasus, Associate Professor, Nevada State University
What new learning strategies & resources have you implemented to prepare nurses with stronger skills in leadership, well-being, & self-care?
Ludy Llasus: Here at Nevada State University, having a nursing curriculum that is grounded in the disciplinary knowledge of caring sciences, we implemented the self-reflective pedagogy through the use of clinical journaling. Our students all across our medical surgical clinical courses engage in a guided self-reflection on how they implemented the care test processes in their practice and focused on the care test process. One, which focuses on self-care, they were able to reflect on the self-care practices that they used and they engaged in to sustain their caring being, to be able to engage in that compassionate and caring and healing relationships with their patients.
What AACN Essentials competencies are you preparing nurses with these new learning strategies?
Ludy Llasus: The Essentials competencies that the strategy primarily addresses are those competencies that are listed in domain 10. And primarily that is the ability to demonstrate commitment to personal health and wellbeing. The ability to demonstrate self-care behaviors that promote wellness and resiliency and the ability to engage in guided and spontaneous reflection of one's practice.
What have been the greatest successes or surprises you have had during the implementation of these new learning strategies?
Ludy Llasus: One of the greatest success of the implementation of this strategy is actually seeing students having that intention, and that thoughtful planning on how they can implement their self-care strategies so that they can thrive in the clinical area. I think that's the biggest success of this implementation.
What partnerships or collaborations are your nursing school leveraging to extend & sustain the integration of your school’s new curriculum?
Ludy Llasus: We collaborated with our clinical practice partner to core a tranquility room in the clinical practice site. This room allowed our students to go in that room and the staff as well to engage in self-care practices to prevent work stress.
How do you envision these new skills and competencies benefiting nurses entering professional practice and the healthcare system as a whole?
Ludy Llasus: With these new competencies, the nursing profession will have self reflective practitioners who are going to be very much aware of their caring being, and how to sustain them so that it will allow them to engage in that caring, healing and compassionate relationship, not only with their patients, but also with themselves to develop that resiliency and prevent burnout.
