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Department

Inpatient Floor B3; Acute Care Surgery

Position/Job Title

Clinical Nurse Specialist; Nurse Practitioner

Description

Introduction: Healthcare is dynamic. Nurses, like other healthcare professionals, need to stay up to date on evidence based care and healthcare system changes.

Education must meet:

• Varied learner types

• Generational learner differences

• Be engaging to the learner

• Meet known learner needs/educational gap

• Convenient during a 12 hour shift

• Microlearning, also known as, Just-in-time learning, has gradually integrating into healthcare education delivery with increased implementation seen during the COVID 19 pandemic.

Background: Unit nursing leadership noted gaps in knowledge amongst the nursing staff regarding the specifics of the med-surg patient population. Previous in-services were not well attended and “read and signs” were noted to not be an effective education strategy.

Methods: A literature review was completed on micro-learning as well as new methods of education delivery for bedside nursing; Education methodologies used by professional nursing societies were reviewed. A collaborative team of unit nursing leadership & advanced practice nurses on the unit met to discuss options for providing education to meet the noted gaps.

Program Aim: Collaboratively, the group set the goal to implement weekly, fifteen minutes or less, targeted education sessions to the nursing staff at morning huddle. The educational session topics would aim to meet identified educational gaps; to review key concepts; to review common skills & procedures.

Program Design and Implementation: A consistent day and time was chosen that would make the sessions available for day & night shift. An initial list of topics was generated through: Discussion of topics with Unit Governance Council (UGC); Feedback from APPs; Unit-Based Survey; Noted practice issues.

A list of content experts was generated for each topic. The CNS follows a process to add new topics for each week, coordinate dates with speakers, and process the CE application. Sessions were marked on the daily staffing plan and advertised on the huddle board.

Results: Since May 2022 a total of 55 trauma talks have been presented with 32 sessions offering CE (CE was added in late 2022). Since implementation there has been a decrease, of approximately 50%, in reported issues related to provision in care on the unit. Anecdotally, there has been increased nursing engagement in patient care, including suggesting topics for their learning.

Next Steps: Based on results and staff feedback, weekly Trauma Talks will continue on the unit; Data collection related knowledge retention; Dissemination of the program; Additional units in the hospital have come to observe trauma talks & are interested implementing similar programs.

Implications for Practice: This project highlights the positive impact of collaboration amongst healthcare providers to positively impact staff knowledge and care delivery. Education delivery should be evaluated and adapted to meet the changing needs of nursing and other healthcare professionals.

Publication Date

9-26-2023

Trauma Talks: Implementation of Microlearning on a Medical Surgical Unit

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