A model for areawide coordination of pediatric clinical experiences

In the opinion of the project committee, clinical experience should be a primary consideration in the curriculum design process, not merely a stepsister to the cognitive aspects. Further, clinical experiences enable practitioners to develop the competencies required for meeting the needs of people they serve; thus, educational objectives should be based on the present and future health care needs of the consumers. In this project, the nursing needs of the child/family have been carefully delineated, and the available learning environments have been identified and assessed. One educational constraint unique to clinical practice is that the immediate welfare of the client must supersede the educational objectives of the learner. In this model, we have taken great pains to safeguard the client requirements. The person who is ill--especially the child--is vulnerable to fatigue, fright, insecurity, and sensory overload. The quotas developed for this study provide essential learning for the student but at the same time protect the integrity of the patient. Intensive study of clinical learning experiences by nursing is long overdue. We believe we have described one approach toward facilitating educationally sound curriculum and clinical decisions. The model as it stands provides variables, parameters, conditions, and assumptions which can now be manipulated and tested by those seeking answers to clinical resource allocation. Only by careful allocation and cooperative use of clinical facilities is it possible to provide appropriate learning experiences while maintaining the integrity of the care process.