Realistically meeting the educational needs of hospitalized acute and short-stay patients

Patient teaching in acute care hospital settings isn't much different from teaching in other settings. The main differences have to do with the amount of time available and the condition of the patients. Using good assessment practices, sticking to "need to know" survival content, simplifying instructions, streamlining programs, providing for practice, providing reference and resource materials, and referring patients for further education are the ingredients that will help get the job done efficiently and effectively.

Multimethod teaching modules

The information in this article is for a wide variety of nurses who find themselves in a teaching role: the critical care nurse orienting another nurse (experienced or new graduate); the critical care manager who needs to present an inservice program; and the educator or clinical specialist looking for a new way to present the same information. The author describes how self-paced modules for inservice education offer variety to learners since learners choose the teaching strategy that best suits their learning styles.

Telecourses for nursing staff development

Instructional television is a viable option for meeting staff development needs in health care agencies. Telecourses produced by the Intercollegiate Center for Nursing Education provide staff development educators with an efficient and effective alternative for meeting selected educational needs of staff within health care institutions, as well as interested nurses throughout the community. Use of this instructional methodology is described.

Developing self-learning packages

In the current health care economy, staff development educators are searching for viable, cost-effective methods of delivering instruction. Self-learning packages are one such method. A step-by-step method for developing self-learning packages is presented along with a comparative analysis of costs with the use of self-learning packages versus a traditional classroom program.

Development of a new self-help guide--Freedom From Smoking for you and your family

This article describes the development of a new smoking cessation and maintenance guide aimed at a broad spectrum of cigarette smokers. To accomplish this task the authors reviewed the research literature and conducted a series of iterative pretests with representatives of the target populations using qualitative and quantitative methods. A process is described for developing health education materials which includes the selection of the target audience, organization and presentation of content, and pretesting of the material. The utility of this user-oriented strategy and step-by-step pretesting is discussed.

Smoking cessation by mail: a comparison of standard and personalized correspondence course formats

Self-Instructional behavior-change programs for reducing risks to health are potentially widely available, acceptable and cost-effective. This paper reports outcomes of a smoking cessation program administered by mail. Two hundred and eight smokers were allocated systematically to a quit kit control condition (n = 40), to a standard correspondence course (n = 86) and to a personalized correspondence course prepared with the aid of a microcomputer (n = 82). There were significantly higher rates of abstinence after the course for correspondence course participants compared to controls, but these differences did not persist at three-month and nine-month follow-ups. There were no differences between the personalized and standard courses on abstinence rates, number of cigarettes smoked per day, or return of feedback forms on each lesson. There were associations between self-efficacy strength and reduced rates of smoking, and active participation in the course was associated with lower smoking rates.

A method of self-directed learning in continuing medical education with implications for recertification

A method of self-directed learning for physicians that can be used to satisfy a portion of specialty board recertification requirements integrates contract learning (self-formulated learning plans), information brokering (linking physicians with consultants and community resources), and collegial networking (discussion groups). The method encourages physicians to focus on educational objectives, supplies learning resources, and promotes interactions with colleagues in study groups. Fifty-nine (53%) of the 102 learning goals update physicians' knowledge. Print sources and discussions with experts were the commonest resources used. Forty-five (49%) of 91 participants completed their learning plans. Forty-nine (74%) completed projects were judged successful in achieving their goals. Twenty-five (45%) of 56 physicians responding to a questionnaire stated that the method was superior to traditional continuing medical education. Fifty-two percent of the participants found the method as effective as traditional continuing medical education. Proof of accomplishment allows the method to be used as part of a specialty board recertification process.

Teaching dental materials using the personalized system of instruction

Tailoring instruction to the individual needs of students is one approach to ensuring that students with lower scholastic aptitudes obtain the skills and knowledge necessary to function successfully as professionals. This study determined the effects of the personalized system of instruction (PSI) on end-of-course achievement, aptitude-achievement relationships, long-term retention, and course attitudes. The PSI method of instruction was compared to a conventional lecture/laboratory approach for teaching a dental materials course to dental hygiene students. Although there was no significant difference between conventionally taught and PSI students on the end-of-term final examination, lower aptitude students in the PSI class scored significantly higher on the final examination than lower aptitude students in the conventional class. Of students completing a one-year retention examination, those in the PSI class scored significantly higher than students in the conventionally taught class. Student course ratings favored PSI instruction both at the end of the course and at the one-year follow-up interval.

Implementing contract learning in a senior nursing practicum

The use of learning contracts with undergraduates and graduate nursing students, as well as in staff inservice and continuing nursing education, has been promoted in North America as a teaching/learning strategy to individualize learning, promote independence, promote habits of lifelong learning and teach nurses how to cope with change. The purpose of this article is to describe the implementation of contract learning in a required clinical nursing course at the undergraduate level in a Canadian university and to describe retrospectively perceived benefits and difficulties. The process of peer consultation and student evaluation used in modifying contract learning is described. Recommendations for nurse educators considering implementing contract learning are presented.

Memory-skills training, memory complaints, and depression in older adults

This study examined the effectiveness of a self-taught program of memory-skills training for older adults complaining of memory difficulties in an immediate-treatment/waiting-list design. Analyses of covariance of measures of memory performance, memory evaluation (complaints), and a self-rating depression scale revealed a significant impact of training on memory performance but not on memory complaints or symptoms of depression. Subsequent evaluation of the waiting-list group, which was provided training after participation in the initial portion of the study, provided a partial replication of the design. The pattern of results was remarkably consistent with that obtained in the controlled evaluation of the training program. Finally, those complaining of memory problems were compared with a group of noncomplaining older adults. The two groups were comparable in memory performance and depression scores. Thus, memory complaints do not appear to reflect, systematically, memory problems or depression.

Self-directed learning and medical rehabilitation: a comparison

A comparison is made between medical rehabilitation and continuing medical education (CME). It is hypothesized that such a comparison can help physicians who have little formal training in educational methodology to become more efficient and effective in carrying out their own self-directed learning. This hypothesis is based on the premise that the decision-making processes are similar for managing the medical rehabilitation of a patient and for carrying out self-directed CME.

Self-help smoking cessation and maintenance programs: a comparative study with 12-month follow-up by the American Lung Association

One thousand two hundred thirty seven smokers responding to lung association announcements in five geographic areas were randomly assigned to one of four groups and mailed American Lung Association materials: 1) leaflets (L); 2) leaflets plus maintenance manual (L + M); 3) cessation manual (C); and 4) cessation and maintenance manuals (C + M). Five telephone interviews over one year achieved a 95 per cent follow-up completion rate. Nonrespondents as well as exclusive cigar and pipe users were classified as smokers. Twenty per cent quit initially, with 5 per cent continually abstinent in (C + M) at 12 months vs 2 per cent in (L) (p less than .05). Nonsmoking prevalence rates (no tobacco smoking in the past month), on the other hand, gradually increased after six months; at 12 months those with the maintenance component, (L + M) and (C + M), had higher rates (18 per cent) than (L) (12 per cent) or (C) (15 per cent). Leaflets and manual alone were least cost effective. Rising nonsmoking prevalence rates observed in all groups suggest that successful attempts to quit increased over time and that a contributing factor might have been the follow-up method. Although achieving lower quit rates than methods requiring attendance at a course, the self-help intervention has the advantages of greater availability, flexibility, and in some instances lower cost.

[Teaching roentgenology to students at a medical institute]

The system of teaching roentgenology at the I.M. Sechenov First Moscow Medical Institute is described. The authors point to several reasons for which some rearrangement of teaching roentgenology in medical institutes is required. This type of rearrangement seems possible at the expense of intensive and skilled teaching without adding extra lessons in the curricula. The authors provide various forms of the presentation of lectures describe organizational stages in the optimization of practical studies and consider in detail the system of teaching roentgenology with the help of special programs based on the principle of programmed teaching. They also outline the prospects of further studies in the pedagogical process and possible ways of its improvement.

Programmed leisure intervention and the interaction patterns of severely mentally retarded adolescents: a pilot study

The results of a survey of 214 severely mentally retarded young people (Cheseldine & Jeffree, 1981) showed that their main leisure activities were passive and solitary. Outside the school environment friendships were limited, in part a reflection of the effect of limited social and leisure skills. A pilot study was carried out to test the hypothesis that once basic leisure skills had been acquired by severely retarded adolescents, their level of activity would increase as would interactions among classmates. The skills were taught using programmed games, and a comparison of pre- and postintervention scores produced a statistically significant difference, p less than .05). We concluded that the intervention did have a positive effect in the direction suggested.

Self-instructed relaxation: a therapeutic alternative

A self-instructed relaxation program was compared with therapist-instructed relaxation and waiting list controls. Self-report anxiety measures ( IPAT and STAI ) and a psychophysiological stress profile (frontal EMG, GSR, heart rate, finger temperature monitored under relaxation and stressor conditions) were utilized pre- and posttreatment to determine efficacy. Self-monitored heart rate, respiration rate, and finger temperature were used to monitor home practice sessions. Subjects reported increased ability to relax and control stress; however, frontal EMG measured under stressor conditions was the only dependent measure to confirm this perception. No between-group differences on any other dependent measures were observed. Reliable changes on all self-monitored home practice measures were observed, suggesting that this procedure is a useful gauge of home practice.

A self-instruction nutrition program for pregnant women

The Prenatal Nutrition Program (PNP), a self-instruction program, consists of a videocassette and three pamphlets concerning nutrition during pregnancy. An evaluation study made PNP available to 52 white, middle-class, well-educated pregnant women in their physician's waiting room. PNP improved their knowledge but had no significant effect on their attitudes (initially very positive) or dietary behavior. On the basis of combined pre- and post-PNP program testing, significant correlations were found between the pregnant women's knowledge and attitudes and between their knowledge and dietary behavior. All subjects rated PNP very favorably. It is concluded that self-instruction programs offer a viable and less costly alternative to individual nutrition counseling.

A method for training simulated patients

The purpose of the study on which this article was based was to examine the effectiveness of training simulated patients with self-instructional materials. A six-hour program consisting of eight videotapes and 10 sets of written materials was administered to 54 trainees. Pretest and posttest score comparisons revealed an increase in knowledge about simulation. Most of the trainees (91 percent) stated that the simulation training program increased their competencies in portraying patients. Most important, simulators with the self-instructional training received higher ratings from trainers on their ability to evaluate students than did simulators in the control group.

The marketing of instructional materials to health practitioners

With the increasing costs of education, for both practitioners and academic health centers, the time for a different format for continuing education has arrived. An educational resource department is the logical center to the development and management of a project as described in this paper. The educational resource department, the academic health center, and the practitioners can all benefit from turning attention outside academic walls.

Programmed learning in the microtraining paradigm with hotline workers

Twenty-five hotline workers were randomly assigned to three skill-training conditions. Nine microtraining subjects were trained in the use of attending behavior, open inquiry, and reflection of feeling and content using the standard microtraining paradigm. Seven programmed-learning subjects were trained in the same skills using programmed manuals and role-play interviews with feedback. The remaining nine subjects acted as a no-training control group. Pretraining and post-training interviews and telephone calls with pseudoclients were audiotaped for each subject. Subjects were assessed on empathy, the Therapist Error Checklist, attending behavior, and three modes of skill interaction. For interviews the main effect of training on each measure was significant. Both microtraining and programmed learning resulted in superior interview performance over no-training, and differed little from each other. For telephone calls microtraining resulted in higher empathy ratings than progammed learning or no-training.