Flipping the Classroom to Optimize Clinical Decision-Making in the Didactic Setting.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Pedagogy
• Clinical Decision-Making

Background:

• Integrating clinical decision-making skills into nursing education is crucial for enhancing patient care.
• The flipped learning model offers a promising pedagogical approach to optimize nursing education by fostering active learning and collaboration.
• Flipped learning shifts direct content instruction to students, enabling interactive classroom environments for skill development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of flipped versus non-flipped teaching approaches on nursing students' clinical decision-making abilities.
• To assess the effect of these teaching methods on student participation in the didactic setting.

Main Methods:

• A cohort pilot study comparing a flipped classroom group (n=24) with a non-flipped classroom group (n=23).
• The Clinical Decision-Making in Nursing Scale (CDMNS) was administered pre- and post-instruction.
• Student participation was observed using a checklist at baseline, mid-semester, and end-semester.

Main Results:

• The flipped group demonstrated a significant increase in CDMNS scores (p < .001), indicating improved clinical decision-making.
• The non-flipped group showed no significant change in CDMNS scores (p = .40).
• The flipped classroom achieved 100% student participation across all observation points, while the non-flipped group had significantly lower participation rates (42%-39%).

Conclusions:

• The flipped learning strategy effectively enhanced nursing students' clinical decision-making skills and engagement.
• Students in the flipped group successfully applied learned concepts in case studies and simulations, evidenced by improved CDMNS scores and participation.
• Flipped instruction promotes teamwork and collaboration, essential for developing practical clinical decision-making abilities in nursing students.