Trauma-Informed Pedagogy to Foster Resilience in Graduate Nursing Education

Trauma-Informed Pedagogy: Instructional Strategies to Support Student Success

Over the past several years, the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has contributed to challenging working and life conditions. As a result, the midwifery and health care workforce has faced significant shortages due to burnout. Increased societal awareness of historical trauma and systemic racism embedded within US culture has also led to increased anxiety and signs of trauma among midwifery and health profession students. Now more than ever, innovative teaching strategies are needed to support students, reduce the risks of burnout, and increase diversity in the workforce. One strategy is to adopt a trauma-informed pedagogy within midwifery education. Trauma-informed pedagogy is founded on core assumptions of trauma-informed care and thus supports student success by recognizing that the student cannot be separated from their own life experiences. Faculty and preceptors can develop empathetic, flexible supports that communicate care and concern regarding students' personal and social situations, and emotions. Empathetic behavior from teachers also increases student learning motivation, making it easier for students to actively engage in learning thereby reducing their distress. The purpose of this State of the Science review, therefore, was to describe the literature surrounding trauma-informed pedagogy and to offer concrete educational strategies that faculty members and educational programs can employ to increase the success of a diverse student body. This can be accomplished through flexibility in curriculum design and outcome measurement to ensure attainment of end of program learning outcomes. Institutional and administrative support are essential to develop a faculty who realize the benefit and value of trauma-informed pedagogy underpinning student success.

A pilot resiliency course for Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students: Lessons learned

Graduate nursing students can face varied and significant stressors during their programs of study. The need for interventions to promote nursing student resiliency has been reported in the literature, by accrediting bodies, and in previous research conducted with students at the same university. Thus, the purpose of this project was to pilot a resilience course for Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students. The theoretical frameworks guiding the design and implementation of the resiliency pilot program were andragogy (the science of adult learning) and rapid cycle quality improvement. The course included eleven monthly modules addressing resiliency content with written material, original videos, and online discussions and meetings. The first module overviewed the resiliency skills (Belief, Persistence, Trust, Strength, and Adaptability), five modules were dedicated to a specific resiliency skill, two modules addressed recent and anticipated challenges, two modules concentrated on the application (clinical and academic) of the resiliency skills, and the last module focused on reflection. Results of this pilot program indicate that DNP students can benefit from receiving resiliency content during their studies, especially from faculty involvement and increased peer support; however, future resiliency content may be more accepted and effective if embedded into nursing program curriculum and activities.