Jennifer Black, RN, BScN

Objectives

This presentation is designed to:

1. Help clinical instructors gain an appreciation for the

importance of post-conferencing as a teaching

strategy, and understand their role as a learning

facilitator; and

2. Increase awareness about the need for empirical

evidence to help sustain post-conferencing as an

integral part of nursing education.

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"Never doubt that a small group of

thoughtful, committed people can change

the world. Indeed. It is the only thing that

ever has." ~ Margaret Mead

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Presentation Outlineo Overview of the Clinical Post-Conference

• Theoretical Influences

• Debriefing and reflective learning

• Development of critical thinking skills

o Modern Applications

• Different time, different venue

• Online conferencing

• Teleconferencing

o Role of Faculty

• Facilitator

• Promoting higher-order thinking

o Lack of Empirical Evidence

o Future Directions

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Theoretical Influences

oTransformative Learning Theoryo Learners have perspectives based on learning experiences, thoughts,

values and insights

o Critical reflection is essential (Hsu, 2007)

oBehavioural-Environmental Theoryo Human behaviour is a function of the state of the person AND the

environment in which the person exists (Letizia & Jennrich, 1998)

oBloom’s Taxonomy of Learning Domainso Knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and

evaluation

o Most instructors ask questions at the first two levels – higher level

questioning is needed to develop critical thinking skills (Gaberson & Oermann,

2010a; Hsu, 2007; Oermann, 2008)

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Reflection

o Think back to when you were a student in the

clinical setting and consider a time when you

experienced something that made you feel

happy, sad, angry, apprehensive, frightened,

or anxious.

o How did you manage these feelings?

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Debriefing & Reflective

Learning

o Debriefing and reflective learning are well known

functions of the clinical post-conference.

o Discuss the clinical experience;

o Share information;

o Analyze clinical situations;

o Clarify relationships;

o Identify problems;

o Utilize group process; and

o Cultivate support systems to foster the development of

reflective learning.

(Adegbola, 2011; Hermann, 2006; Hsu, 2007; Matheney, 1969; Oermann, 2008; Stokes & Kost, 2012)

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Critical Thinking

o The development of critical

thinking skills and problem-solving

abilities are among the primary

goals of clinical post-conferencing

and there is plenty of literature to

support this notion.

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Modern Applications

Barriers

• Fatigue

• Limited availability of

physical space

• Lack of technological

resources

• Complex patient

care needs

Advantages

• Enhance active

learning

• Increase interaction

• Interactive synthesis

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Different Time, Different Venue

Modern Applications

Online Conferencing

oOnline forums are excellent environments for

supporting peer and collaborative learning (Cooper

et al., 2004; Hermann, 2006; Rentmeester, 2006).

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Modern Applications

Teleconferencing

• An appropriate alternative to post-clinical

conferencing when face-to-face communication

is impractical (Adegbola, 2011).

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Role of Faculty

o Facilitation• Faculty serve as conference facilitators by utilizing these

facilitating behaviours:

1) supporting, encouraging, and sharing information;

2) being flexible yet focused;

3) encouraging and enhancing active participation of all students;

4) posing ideas and questions;

5) providing feedback in a non-threatening way;

6) creating an environment that is conducive to discussion and sharing;

7) assisting students in identifying relationships, patterns and trends;

8) being alert to teaching and learning moments; and

9) facilitating the group process.(Stokes & Kost, 2012)

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Reflection

o Think about the type of questions you ask your

students during post-conference.

o Which cognitive domain of Bloom’s taxonomy do

they belong to?• Knowledge

• Comprehension

• Application

• Analysis

• Synthesis

• Evaluation

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Promoting Higher-Order

Thinking

o Faculty consistently ask low-level (recall) questions.

o There is a need to ask higher-level questions to

promote higher-order thinking.

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Conclusions

o Overall, the purpose and value of post-

conferencing as a clinical teaching strategy is

well articulated and well supported in the

literature, although there is a quantifiable lack of

empirical evidence and contemporary research.

o The development of critical thinking and clinical

reasoning skills continue to be the driving force

behind the endurance of this clinical teaching

strategy despite the absence of objective

measurements.

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Future Directions

o Recommendations for further study include:o Comparing the impact of post-conference learning

environments (online vs. face-to-face) on the educational

process and learning outcomes;

o Exploring faculty perceptions of higher-order questioning;

o Measuring critical thinking and clinical reasoning as

outcomes of post-conference learning; and

o Examining the post-conference with a constructivist lens.

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120-125. doi:10.1891/1078-4535.17.3.120

Cooper, C., Taft, L., & Thelen, M. (2004). Examining the role of technology in learning: An evaluation of online clinical conferencing. Journal of

Professional Nursing, 20(3), 160-166. doi: 10.1016/j.profnurs.2004.04.003

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10.1111/j.1365-2702.2006.01751.x

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http://www.healio.com/journals/jne

Matheney, R.V. (1969). Pre- and post-conferences for students. American Journal of Nursing, 69(2), 286-289. Retrieved from

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Rentmeester, M. (2006). Integrating online discussion into clinical rotations. Journal of Nursing Education, 45(12), 528. Retrieved from

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Stokes, L.G., & Kost, G.C. (2012). Teaching in the clinical setting. In D.M. Billings and J.A. Halstead (Eds.), Teaching in nursing: A guide for

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