Unfolding case development to integrate gerontology

Purpose: As part of the transition of the Adult Nurse Practitioner (ANP) pathway to an Adult/Gerontology Nurse Practitioner pathway (AGNP), we developed several unfolding cases. The purpose of this poster is to describe the case development process and student experience for two interactive hybrid cases.

Method: Faculty evaluated the ANP curriculum based on the AGNP Primary Care (PC) competencies and identified needed areas of content. One method of integration chosen was through addition to or redevelopment of clinical seminar cases. Additional goals were to engage the learner and stimulate and evaluate critical thinking. The two online unfolding cases described were developed using cases developed by faculty for classroom discussion or lecture presentation. The cases were converted to online unfolding learner-paced cases by graduate nursing students in consultation with faculty and a technology support team. Integrated into the cases were supporting resources from The Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing Try This and How to Try This series, animations, videos and audio recordings.  Decisions during development included the student outcome objectives, delivery technology (cost, availability, ability to create interactive experience, sustainability and upgrade ease), timing in curriculum, method of evaluating student learning, and feedback mechanism to faculty. Two different platforms were used in order to compare and contrast ease of development/upgrade and student experience. Content in the cases includes confusion, delirium, hyponatremia, SIADH, elder mistreatment, competency assessment, mandatory reporting, and legal and ethical considerations.

Result: These two cases are in various stages of deployment. The confusion case is being piloted Autumn 2012 in two clinical seminars. The elder mistreatment case will be piloted in Winter 2013.  Anonymous feedback will be collected from students using a catalyst survey and collated to inform revisions in case content and methods. Initial informal feedback indicates that students liked working through a case independently as opposed to completing in seminar, and felt challenged by the content.

Conclusion: Unfolding online cases can engage students in learning new content and applying content from didactic coursework. Building evaluation of student learning into the available technology presented a challenge.

Funding: Division of Nursing, Bureau of Health Professions, U.S. DHHS #D09HP18798