Small Class Size and Six Thinking Hats Strategy In Nursing Education

Teaching Strategy In Nursing Education for Small Class

What Is Strategy for Small Classes In Nursing Education, Implementation of Six Hats Exercise In Nursing Education, Outcomes of Six Hat Strategy In Nursing Education.

What Is Strategy for Small Classes In Nursing Education

    When all classes offer a great environment for cooperative learning, problem based formats, and group learning strategies. Creative teaching strategies can enhance an already fertile ground for learning, Innovative teaching gives the instructor a chance to assess group attitudes and needs and improve group functioning. 

    If you’re teaching a small class, you can use creative strategies to provide one of the most pleasurable learning experiences for yourself and your students. 

Implementation of Six Hats Exercise In Nursing Education

    General Description the Six Thinking Hats activity was originally developed by Del Bono as a way to encourage team building and conflict resolution. Goss has med this tool with nurses and health care workers to cultivate decision-making, teamwork, and empathy.

    In this exercise, hats of different colors represent different ways of looking at an issue. Participants are given hats, each representing a different perspective on an issue. Each student is asked to view a situation through the assigned color. 

    Gross uses the colored hats no represent different perspectives including red (emotional), grem (creative), black (pessimistic), white (logical), yellow (optimistic), and blue (overarching values). 

    Preparation and Equipment If you wish to use this technique, you’ll need a situation that lends itself to debate and different perspectives. Look for color-appropriate party hats or other toy hats to pass out to each mem bet of the team. If class size permits, each group should have six members.

    I’ve used this strategy to work on problem solving skills in two different situations. In the first, a nursing clinical group had just met each other several days before. They encountered a client in circumstances similar to those described. 

    The students, seeing an ethical issue firsthand, were having a difficult time resolving it both within and among themselves. I used the Six Hats Exercise to get them thinking about their own personal views, the perspectives of others, and how to use problem-solving skills in a true dilemma.

    In post-conference I passed out six sheets of colored paper, corresponding to the colon of the hats. My group had seven people, so I gave two people a blue sheet. One person acted as recorder and another as moder atot. I set the ground rules for the discussion and the exercise began. 

    The “blue Hat” started the conversation and asked each “hat” to address the situation from in perspective. After each member contributed so the conversation, the entire group discussed the ethical problem. The dents analyzed the issue using their new understanding and perspectives.

    During an in service training for faculty members, I used the exercise. In this setting, the point of the exercise was to demonstrate its versatility and its possible use in many conflict situations. It’s a great decision making guide and an effective ice breaker. You can use it in leadership training as a strategy for dealing with difficult situations and understanding other perspectives. 

Outcomes of Six Hat Strategy In Nursing Education

    Faculty may find Six Hats a great strategy to use in legal and ethical discussions, with clinical groups, or any time a sensitive issue needs to be addressed. In aid of hats, you can give students color coded name tags Use the Six Hats Exercise when conflicts exist or when team work is otherwise a challenge. 

    This exercise builds rapport and collegiality. It also develops empathy skills by challenging participants to understand points of view different from their own. If time permits, have participants wear more than one hat so they can view a situation from multiple perspectives.

    If you know the group well, assign colors that don’t fit the participants characteristic personalities. For example, give the eternal pessimist a yellow hat and the unemotional person a rod one. Arguing from an unaccustomed position fosters critical thinking skills.

    After all the participants have expressed their views, use the discussion time for debriefing, Analyze not only the situation, but also the group process. Talk about the emotions and the knowledge participants glean from “walking in Zach others’ moccasins.”

    Combine In-Class Debate with Six Hats. Your students will combine research with the perspectives of other to address common issues and arrive at workable conclusions.