Implementing a Pediatric Camp Clinical for Pre-Licensure Education

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Nursing Education
• Special Needs Care
• Clinical Immersion Learning

Background:

• Traditional pediatric clinical rotations may not fully prepare nursing students for diverse patient needs.
• There is a need for innovative clinical experiences to enhance student learning in pediatric care.
• Weekend overnight camps offer unique environments for specialized pediatric clinical education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate a pediatric clinical education pilot project at a special needs camp.
• To assess the psychomotor skills and patient-centered attitudes gained by nursing students.
• To explore the feasibility and benefits of camp-based clinical experiences for nursing students.

Main Methods:

• Nine junior-level baccalaureate nursing students participated in an overnight camp immersion.
• Evaluation methods included a course skill inventory, instructor-led postconference, focus group, and online forum entries.
• Data were collected to assess skill acquisition and attitudinal changes.

Main Results:

• Students demonstrated significant gains in a wide variety of psychomotor skills.
• Evidence suggests an enhancement in patient-centered care attitudes among participating students.
• The camp setting provided learning opportunities distinct from typical hospital environments.

Conclusions:

• The pediatric clinical camp was an enlightening and positive educational experience.
• Despite scheduling challenges, the pilot project successfully offered unique learning opportunities.
• Camp-based clinical education can be a valuable supplement to traditional pediatric nursing training.