Speaker: Meghan Hixenbaugh, Assistant Professor, Mount Carmel College of Nursing
What new learning strategies & resources have you implemented to prepare nurses with stronger skills in leadership, well-being, & self-care?
Meghan Hixenbaugh: At Mount Carmel College of Nursing, we implemented several new learning strategies and resources to help prepare our nursing students with stronger skills and leadership, well-being, and self-care. The first resource was a text called Self-Care for New and Student Nurses from Sigma Theta Tau International Honors Society. The next resource was a mindfulness workshop that was put on by one of our faculty and adapted from the workshop that is given to the nurse residents in our practice partner, Mount Carmel Health System. And then the third resource that we used was the implementation of the care test processes from Doctor Jean Watson and the Watson Caring Science Institute. And those were incorporated into our clinical instructors clinical rounding in the course.
What AACN Essentials competencies are you preparing nurses with these new learning strategies?
Meghan Hixenbaugh: The learning strategies that we utilize prepare nurses in the AACN Essentials competency of demonstrating a commitment to personal health and well-being by evaluating and integrating self-care behaviors that promote wellness and resilience and evaluating the workplace environment to determine the level of health and well-being and contribute to a workplace environment that promotes self-care, personal health, and well-being.
What have been the greatest successes or surprises you have had during the implementation of these new learning strategies?
Meghan Hixenbaugh: I think one of our greatest surprises in the implementation of these new learning strategies was just simply the student appreciation and gratitude for the resources. I had prepared myself for more student hesitancy in adopting something like a mindfulness workshop, but we had multiple students approach us and thank us for the self-care tech saying how much they were going to use it and how much they needed it, and thanking us for the mindfulness strategies and where could they find more resources? And so, I think this was not only a surprise, but also evidence of the success of this project and how much these students need this and how much we're able to help these student nurses and new graduate nurses with these resources.
What partnerships or collaborations are your nursing school leveraging to extend & sustain the integration of your school’s new curriculum?
Meghan Hixenbaugh: Mount Carmel College of Nursing has a very strong practice partnership with Mount Carmel Health System, and as our students graduate and transition from the role of student nurse to new graduate nurse, they have the opportunity to participate in the Mount Carmel Health System's new graduate nurse residency program. And it's very much an extension of this new curriculum. They have the opportunity to participate in an extended version of the mindfulness workshop and to become leaders in maintaining and sustaining healthy work environments for nurses within the health system.
How do you envision these new skills and competencies benefiting nurses entering professional practice and the healthcare system as a whole?
Meghan Hixenbaugh: Preparing new graduate nurses to be able to demonstrate a commitment to personal health and well-being through techniques like mindfulness and clinical practice will produce a more resilient nursing workforce. This will also prepare these new graduate nurses to be leaders in evaluating the workplace environment and contributing to a truly healthy workplace environment that promotes self-care, promotes personal health, and promotes the well-being of the nurses.
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