Question 1

Structured assignments that guide students' preparation for the clinical experience create an "anticipatory set," or readiness to learn by

Accepted Answer

guiding students to identify the relevant factors in the patient care situation. Structured assignments help students to access prior knowledge and fill in gaps in understanding prior to embarking on patient care, establishing the "anticipatory set" necessary to learning.

Question 2

Teacher-created data collection forms guide the student to the collection of data concerning her patient care assignment for a given clinical experience. These forms also

Accepted Answer

serve as a reference for the student as she provides nursing care during the day. The data collection form provides a synopsis of the patient's condition and treatment plan prior to the start of the student's clinical activities. However, such forms do not help the student to sort out the salient elements of the situation, nor do they link theoretical concepts to the plan of patient care. While students should validate data they collect with their own assessment of a patient's current condition, the form does not prompt such action.

Question 3

A major problem with using daily nursing care plans as a means to help students prepare for the clinical experiences is that

Accepted Answer

each of these. When used to prepare for the clinical learning experience, daily nursing care plans provide no mechanism to prompt the student to evaluate the plan following the day's activities, an important element of the nursing process, unless prompted to do so in a follow-up discussion or assignment.

Question 4

Student preparation for clinical learning experiences usually involves some combination of the following elements:

Accepted Answer

all of these. Regardless of the format used, student preparation for clinical involves identifying patient-related data; the treatment plan, including medications; the theory and concepts applicable to the patient's condition; and a tentative plan for activities to be accomplished in the day.

Question 5

Clinical concept mapping

Accepted Answer

makes evident the student's understanding of the concepts underlying the patient's treatment plan. Working with concepts is the primary goal of clinical concept mapping, enabling the instructor to assess the student's understanding of the theory behind the care she will be providing.

Question 6

As an alternative to traditional approaches to student preparation for a clinical experience, the "verbal connection" described by Emerson & Groth (1996)

Accepted Answer

frees students from the constraints of formal guidelines for preparation for the clinical assignment. The "verbal connection" occurs between the student and the instructor as they discuss the student's plans for the day as well as her understanding of the theory and concepts related to the patient.

Question 7

Nursing process mapping differs from clinical concept mapping in which of the following ways?

Accepted Answer

None of these. The nursing process map and the clinical concept map are similar in structure. Both are conceptual in nature. The nursing process map incorporates both the student's and the patient's goals regarding optimal functioning; the clinical concept map does not. Both the nursing process map and the clinical concept map encourage critical thinking.

Question 8

Assignments intended to enable students to make the necessary theoretical connections prior to engaging in a clinical assignment

Accepted Answer

initiate students into the intellectual work of nursing. As opposed to a task list, the goal of assignments to prepare students for clinical underline the "brain work" that is an inherent component of professional nursing.

Question 9

Clinical focus guidelines, described by Blainey (1991), are intended to focus students' preparation for clinical assignments around course and clinical objectives. An advantage to this approach is that

Accepted Answer

the use of the guidelines helps to develop students' skills of lifelong learning, including self-evaluation. Clinical focus guidelines are provided to students at the start of the clinical experience. Each student then completes the guideline most pertinent to the day's assignment. This relative independence in matching learning activities to the goals for learning is a critical skill of life-long learning, as is the ability to evaluate one's achievement of the learning goal.

Question 10

The use of structured assignments to prepare students for clinical learning experiences help students to

Accepted Answer

all of these. Each of the options is a goal of structured assignments to help students to prepare for the clinical experience.

Quiz 9: Helping Students to Prepare for Clinical Learning Experiences