Maureen Wiederholt, Associate Professor and Director of Healthcare Occupations, noticed a trend in her Geriatrics class.
“It seemed that, during our discussions about patient care, there was a disconnection. Some of our Practical Nursing students were separating themselves, emotionally, from the elderly patients. I wanted them to connect with their care from an emotional standpoint.”
Wiederholt deduced that some of the barrier might have stemmed from the manner in which the Geriatrics class was taught.
“Before, we used PowerPoints and lectures. The instructor talked, the students listened and took notes, and were expected to basically recite and retain the information we fed them.”
This setup was no longer working—so she changed the learning environment.
For the next Geriatrics session, Wiederholt “flipped the classroom.” Flipping the classroom is a teaching strategy in which the students are expected to do the reading and engage in interactive discussions and activities. As part of the new structure, she gave her students a project: to staff and maintain a long-term care facility.
As a starting point, Wiederholt “gave” the students a fictional building and a three million dollar budget. She then divided the class room into departments: maintenance, dietary, security, human resources and nursing.
She also gave them one more nugget—an emotional motivator: “Remember,” she reminded them. “You’re doing this for your grandparents.”
Building from the ground up
The students decided, together, on the type of facility they wanted to run and what the rooms would require.
“We drew a picture of a nursing home and decided on the set up as a class. They determined, as a group, that our facility would support independent living,” Wiederholt said.
Figuring out the rest, like how to budget and run an effective department, was up to the individual groups. They were expected to research best practices and reported their findings in class.
The students used the Internet as a guide, but also talked to nurses and doctors in the field for insight into what it takes to run a successful, long-term care facility.
“It was fun to watch them stumble upon surprising moments. For example, everyone initially assumed that paying the nursing staff would take up the most financial resources. They were completely surprised by how much food costs. By the time the class finished the project, the budgets had to be completely reallocated.”
In the end, the students learned several valuable lessons.
“The students ran the facility properly, which made me really proud. In all the decisions they made, they were strong advocates for their patients. Along the way, they learned about the importance of making cost-effective decisions and most importantly, the true complexities that come along with taking good care of people.”
“It seemed that, during our discussions about patient care, there was a disconnection. Some of our Practical Nursing students were separating themselves, emotionally, from the elderly patients. I wanted them to connect with their care from an emotional standpoint.”
Wiederholt deduced that some of the barrier might have stemmed from the manner in which the Geriatrics class was taught.
“Before, we used PowerPoints and lectures. The instructor talked, the students listened and took notes, and were expected to basically recite and retain the information we fed them.”
This setup was no longer working—so she changed the learning environment.
For the next Geriatrics session, Wiederholt “flipped the classroom.” Flipping the classroom is a teaching strategy in which the students are expected to do the reading and engage in interactive discussions and activities. As part of the new structure, she gave her students a project: to staff and maintain a long-term care facility.
As a starting point, Wiederholt “gave” the students a fictional building and a three million dollar budget. She then divided the class room into departments: maintenance, dietary, security, human resources and nursing.
She also gave them one more nugget—an emotional motivator: “Remember,” she reminded them. “You’re doing this for your grandparents.”
Building from the ground up
The students decided, together, on the type of facility they wanted to run and what the rooms would require.
“We drew a picture of a nursing home and decided on the set up as a class. They determined, as a group, that our facility would support independent living,” Wiederholt said.
Figuring out the rest, like how to budget and run an effective department, was up to the individual groups. They were expected to research best practices and reported their findings in class.
The students used the Internet as a guide, but also talked to nurses and doctors in the field for insight into what it takes to run a successful, long-term care facility.
“It was fun to watch them stumble upon surprising moments. For example, everyone initially assumed that paying the nursing staff would take up the most financial resources. They were completely surprised by how much food costs. By the time the class finished the project, the budgets had to be completely reallocated.”
In the end, the students learned several valuable lessons.
“The students ran the facility properly, which made me really proud. In all the decisions they made, they were strong advocates for their patients. Along the way, they learned about the importance of making cost-effective decisions and most importantly, the true complexities that come along with taking good care of people.”
Maureen Wiederholt, ADN, BSN, MSTE, has spent over 30 years in nursing. Throughout her career, she has supported many institutions and facilities, such as Johnson County Community College, Penn Valley Community College, KU Medical Center, Providence Medical Center and others. Serving as the Donnelly’s Director of Health Occupations since 2011, Wiederholt oversees the College’s Practical Nursing, Pharmacy Technician, Certified Nurse Aide, Health Care Interpreter and Community Health Worker curricula. Over the years, she has also worked extensively with disadvantaged student populations and created educational programs to ensure their success.