Write three learning objectives By the end of the session the patient will be able to: â ã ä Be sure to use behavioral terms that you can measure.
Stuff to Lighten the Mood Here are some items that may inspire your learners to participate. Think about the sorts of things you most often teach. Look at the list and mark those that fit your frequently taught topics. If the choice feels right to you, you will be able to introduce the item without awkwardness. Choose one or two of your favorite items and bring them to work. Keep them handy for the right moments. When the moments come, test them, and see if they work for you. If not, try to figure out how you can make them work. You can always go back to the list and try something else. Art supplies Cardboard Crayons Colored chalk Colored pencils Markers Paints Paper Cassette player and headphones Audiotapes of Animal sounds (Does your patient feign sleep to avoid physical therapy? A rooster crowing might provide enough surprise to rouse a laugh.) Applause Laughter (These can be used to celebrate success.) Sound effects are readily available. Check your local music store or public library. Or make your own! Balls Rubber Sponge Bean bags (Balls and bean bags can be used to vent frustration safely.) Bells (Wake them up with a gentle tingle!)
Boxes Applause box Suggestion box Surprise box Wish box Unusual medical word box (These can be shoe boxes with reinforces inside. Pediatric nurses might put stickers in a surprise box. An applause box could contain an audiotape player that plays applause in response to success. An unusual medical word box would contain a word for the learner to define, such as "mastication." Creative nurses could festively decorate such boxes.) Bulletin boards Photographs Great quotes board Happy outcomes (One bone marrow transplant unit posts photos and letters from previous patients.) Instant camera (Catch those happy moments! Use with discretion and good taste.) Cartoons Certificates (Celebrate your learner's success with an award! Ragland (1997) suggests "The 'Keeps on Ticking' Award" and "The 'I Think I Can' Award." Costume pieces Hats Decision-making hat Reminder hat (Is your patient having difficulty deciding whether or not to have surgery? Offer a silly hat to help. Offer your patient a straw hat to wear while drinking GoLitely, so he or she can pretend it's some exotic tropical beverage. Word of caution: One nurse wore a costume to work for Halloween, then found herself needing to tell a parent her son's surgery was not going well. If you use a costume, make sure it can be removed easily.) Games
Masks Animal noses Clown nose Groucho nose and glasses (Put one on, and then go about your business as normal.) Mobiles (Hang an illustrated version of the care pathway over the bed to inspire progress.) New Year's noisemakers (This is another way to celebrate.) Oversized props Pill the size of a pillow Syringe, 50 ml. Stethoscope, clown-sized (Cut the tension by getting outrageous.) Posters Affirmations Inspiring Nature scenes, especially with water (Consider putting them on walls, ceilings, and floors.) Symbols Traffic signs International symbols Unique hospital symbols (Play with it! Draw a mouth, put a red circle and a slash through it and call it "NPO.") Flags and banners (Put your symbols on fabric. Creatively name your workspace. Use a flag or banner to announce attractively "no blood draws on left arm.")
Topics (a) What I learned. (b) What I plan to do. Prioritizing learning needs. Selecting Learning activities. Creativity and Making learning FUN. Specific objects to enhance learning. The use of gaming in patient education. The use of humor and laughter.