"Learning, Thinking & Conveying" training with experiential learning in the emergency department for undergraduate nursing students: A quasi-experimental study.

BACKGROUND

"Learning, Thinking & Conveying" training with experiential learning was evaluated for its impact on the theoretical knowledge and clinical operation skills of undergraduate nursing students in the Emergency Department. This was a quasi-experimental study.

METHODS

A total of 90 undergraduate nursing students in the emergency department of a tertiary care hospital in Wuhan were assigned to experimental and control groups between July and December 2023. The experimental group received "Learning, Thinking & Conveying'' training and controls were taught using standard cases. Students completed a questionnaire based on The Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory-Chinese Version (CTDI-CV) and The Self-Rating Scale for Self-Directed Learning (SRSSDL) before and after the experimental period. Theoretical and clinical skills were assessed at the internship end for all participants.

RESULTS

Students in the experimental group showed significant improvement in theoretical performance compared with controls (P < .001) but no differences were found in clinical operation skills. Similar CTDI-CV and SRSSDL scores for self-directed learning and critical thinking were found for both groups at the outset and the experimental group showed greater improvement in 5 out of the 7 dimensions of CTDI-CV and every dimension of SRSSDL after 4 weeks.

CONCLUSIONS

"Learning, Thinking & Conveying" training in combination with experiential learning during the rotation period improves theoretical performance, self-directed learning and critical thinking in undergraduate nursing students.