Title : Facilitating Students’ Confidence in Dealing With Challenging Situations in Practice
Abstract:
Facilitating students’ skills and confidence in dealing with challenging situations in practice is a key element in professional development. Dopson, Colliety, Andrew, Hughes and Markless (2017) evaluated the impact of a joint project across disciplines using immersive theatre to explore difficult ethical scenarios in a safe environment. This presentation builds on this work and discusses how this approach differs from the use of actors in simulation, which is well documented. The findings from the evaluative study of this work are discussed and the presentation draws out the mutual benefits to theatre studies students and the nursing students and the synergy that arose from this. It also discusses how the benefits were maintained and the ethical competence maintained and enhanced over time.
The presentation then discusses other approaches to facilitating skills and confidence in areas such as safeguarding practice, where students often express feelings of anxiety about their role in safeguarding practice. Many continuing professional development students are preparing to move in to new roles, often with increased responsibility and accountability. The benefit of exploring and practicing their roles in a safe environment is discussed and ways in which practitioners with safeguarding experience can be used to facilitate confidence.
The concept of cultural competence in a multi-cultural society is also discussed and the challenges that may arise in facilitating its development are considered. Students have varying levels of understanding of this concept and varying experience of working in multi-cultural communities. However, cultural competence is an essential skill in healthcare practice and ways in which the development of this skill can be developed is explored.
