Narrative pedagogy with evolving case study--A transformative approach to gerontic nursing practice for undergraduate...

Area of Science:

• Gerontic Nursing Education
• Undergraduate Nursing Curriculum
• Clinical Practice Integration

Background:

• Teaching complex care across diverse settings (community, acute, rehab, aged care) is challenging.
• Developing comprehensive health assessments that bridge theory and practice requires innovative methods.
• Traditional approaches often struggle to reflect clinical realities and inform decision-making effectively.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the use of a narrative and evolving case study as a teaching-learning tool for undergraduate gerontic nursing students.
• To promote understanding of lived experiences of older adults within their community.
• To foster critical analysis and creative problem-solving skills in nursing students.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a third-year undergraduate gerontic nursing subject at a rural university.
• Employed principles of transformative learning and strengths-based nursing in case study development.
• Integrated social learning strategies to encourage critical and creative analysis of presented situations.

Main Results:

• Students engaged with the complexities of care across various settings.
• The case study facilitated understanding of the lived experiences of an older community-dwelling couple.
• Students identified client-acceptable solutions by analyzing situations and leveraging the couple's strengths.

Conclusions:

• The narrative and evolving case study approach effectively enhanced gerontic nursing education.
• This method fosters a positive paradigm for viewing older adults and their health.
• It successfully integrated student and academic experiences to bridge theory and practice.