Students frequently comment on Dr. Wunnenberg’s use of diverse instructional methodologies and technologies such as polling, voice thread, efolio, collaborative testing, screencasting, evolving video case studies, and collaborative learning activities in the classroom to enhance students’ critical thinking skills
This innovative learning activity involves students in a Psychiatric Mental Health course participating in a simulation with a standardized patient who is suicidal. I designed and developed this activity that requires each student to utilize therapeutic communication and conduct a suicide assessment using the Colombia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS). Students then are required to write a nurse’s note on their patient encounter.
- Rutgers University-Camden trains nurses to identify people at risk of suicide
- Rutgers University – Standardized Patient Encounter Camden Suicide Risk Assessment
- Psychiatric mental health simulation experience
The Analyzing Potential Safety Issues in the Psychiatric Milieu activity is another example of a learning experience I designed and developed as part of the Psychiatric Mental Health nursing students’ lab experience. Working with a group of standardized patients, we created a video of a psychiatric group therapy session, For this activity, students view the video simulation to analyze potential safety issues in the psychiatric milieu and evaluate patients for psychiatric symptomatology. Students have consistently reported high to extremely high levels of satisfaction regarding their participation in the Psychiatric Mental Health Simulation experiences.
The “Think like a Nurse: Planning Care for Patients with Psychiatric Disorders” interactive, in-class activities are another example of an instructional methodology that I created to promote higher levels of cognition for students. After watching a video case study, students work collaboratively during these activities, using clinical reasoning to apply theoretical content to clinical presentations.