Old for an Evening: An Experiential Learning Game

Developing empathy as a foundation of client-centred practice: evaluation of a university curriculum initiative

BACKGROUND

The foundation of client-centred practice is the therapist's capacity to view the world through the client's eyes and to develop an understanding of the lived experience of disability.

PURPOSE

This paper describes the evaluation of an educational initiative promoting student empathy to the lived experience of disability.

METHODS

Pairs of first-year occupational therapy students visited adults with disabilities who shared their knowledge and experience of living with a disability. Students reflected on their visits in journals, which were later analyzed using pattern matching.

FINDINGS

Students appeared to appreciate the co-existence of health and disorder and demonstrated a holistic understanding of living with a disability. Little attention was focused on cultural and institutional environments. Students struggled to define the nature of their relationship with their tutors. Practice Implications. The evaluation confirmed our belief that this educational initiative could facilitate student empathy, consistent with critical features of client-centred practice.

Positively influencing student nurse attitudes toward caring for elders: results of a curriculum assessment study

Exposure to gerontological content has been shown to positively influence student attitudes toward elders. Our School of Nursing recently phased out one curriculum while implementing a new integrated curriculum. In the former, aging content was presented in a first-semester senior course. In the new curriculum, students were introduced to aging concepts in first-semester junior courses and additional content was integrated throughout the program. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the new integrated curriculum compared to the former in positively influencing attitudes toward caring for elders. An attitudes questionnaire was administered at 3 time points to students in each curriculum. Both groups, but particularly the integrated group, demonstrated statistically significant improvements in attitudes over time.