PEP TALK: Supporting first year nursing students into their first professional experience placement (PEP)

Title

PEP TALK: Supporting first year nursing students into their first professional experience placement (PEP)

Author(s)

Dr Danielle Williams, Mr John Cooper

Presentation Goals

Understand the importance of providing support and facilitating High Quality Interactions to ensure that situated learning can be of highest impact.

Subtheme

UTAS Blended Learning Model

Presentation Type

Poster

Keywords

situated learning, high impact learning experience, support, facilitated discussions, nursing, placement

Room

Stanley Burbury Lecture Theatre

Time

11.00-11.25

Abstract

Professional Experience Placements (PEP) are regarded as an important component of a student nurse's professional preparation. During PEP, students encounter multiple clinical episodes that challenge learning and influence both personal and professional development, which alter students' perceptions of nursing, including challenging their choice of nursing as a career. This makes pre-PEP activities that assist students to understand learning within the PEP environment, and which align with the conference sub-theme of the UTAS Blended Learning Model, vital to facilitate high quality placement experiences.

'PEP Talk' was developed to provide a voluntary forum for first-year students to engage in facilitated discussion regarding PEP. The aim was to increase the quality of the student experience during their first placement through a supported discussion around student fears, expectations and aspirations. Students were asked to list what they were 'most' and 'least' looking forward to regarding their first PEP which the facilitators used as a platform for group discussion, before leading into arrange of clinical scenarios which presented common challenges experienced by students in PEP. Students were then asked to complete a survey at the conclusion of the session. This poster presents findings from the thematic analysis of student surveys, as well as key discussion areas gathered from the student forums. Themes included apprehension relating to relationships, belongingness, and uncertainty around their scope of practice.  Analysis of student data identified a need to provide a means for students to express their expectations and uncertainties, and the student uptake of  a voluntary session such as PEP TALK indicate that this is lacking with the current course.  These findings have relevance for curriculum design, highlighting the necessity to integrate a model like PEP TALK into the formal curriculum as a means for students to learn and make meaning through dynamic interaction with other peers and teachers.