Introduction
Nursing education often focuses on developing both the technical and emotional skills that future nurses need to provide quality care. Two innovative strategies that help foster empathy, communication, and clinical skills are “Imagine and Remember” and “Twosies.” These methods encourage students to engage actively with the content and with each other, building their emotional intelligence and technical expertise. This article explores these strategies and their implementation in nursing education. Twosies Strategies In Nursing Education
Imagine and Remember as a Strategy in Nursing Education
Teaching empathy to nursing students is a critical but challenging task. The “Imagine and Remember” strategy encourages students to reflect on their experiences or imagine themselves in the shoes of patients to develop deeper empathy. This method taps into personal imagery, allowing students to visualize and feel the emotions associated with the discussed scenarios. Krejci highlights the importance of using imagery to help students create mental models of the material, which they can later apply in practice.
Preparation and Equipment
The beauty of this strategy lies in its simplicity. No complex equipment is needed; instructors can create simple slides to guide the exercise and prompt students to reflect. In a pediatric nursing class, for instance, students can be asked to imagine how children feel when undergoing surgery. This encourages the students to consider developmental factors, the fears children face in clinical settings, and the role of nurses in easing those fears. Similarly, a class discussing adolescent health behaviors can use “Remember When” to evoke memories from students’ teenage years, helping them empathize with the challenges adolescents face.
For many students, witnessing illness and injury in clinical settings is a foreign experience. “Imagine” exercises help them consider how they would cope with these stressors, enhancing their ability to empathize with patients. On the other hand, “Remember When” draws on personal experiences, making it easier for students to connect with scenarios involving pain, illness, or loss.
Implementation of Imagine and Remember Strategy in Nursing Education
Many students enter the nursing profession due to personal experiences with illness or healthcare. The “Remember When” exercise allows students to share these experiences with their peers, providing a cathartic release while fostering vicarious learning. Instructors must guide these discussions to ensure they remain on track and fit within the class’s time constraints.
“Imagine” exercises can also be structured as personal role-play scenarios. For example, students may be asked to imagine providing tracheostomy care or administering an injection. This visualization can help students mentally rehearse tasks before performing them in real life, potentially improving their psychomotor skills.
One creative example of this strategy is assigning students to read the first Harry Potter novel, where Harry enters a new school. Instructors can ask students to imagine their own transition into college life and compare it to Harry’s experience. This exercise encourages students to reflect on personal challenges and develop empathy for patients facing unfamiliar or intimidating situations.
In both strategies, students should focus on the emotions they feel during the exercise. Instructors can ask students to document these emotions and reflect on how empathy plays a role in patient care.
Twosies and Pairing of Students Strategy in Nursing Education
The “Twosies” strategy is a simple but effective method for pairing students to complete tasks together. This exercise encourages collaboration and communication, making it ideal for brief activities or exercises that extend throughout the course. Twosies differ from more elaborate pair-based activities like “Think-Pair-Share,” as it focuses solely on the paired task at hand.
Preparation and Equipment
Minimal preparation is required for Twosies, but it’s essential to plan how and when to use this strategy in class. For example, Twosies can be employed to teach non-verbal communication skills. In one exercise, students are asked to say, “I like your shirt,” twice—once with positive non-verbal cues and once with negative ones. This exercise quickly demonstrates the importance of non-verbal communication and encourages students to be mindful of their own body language when interacting with patients.
Twosies can also be used in clinical assessment classes. Students pair up and observe each other’s shoes, then come up with ten descriptive words like “clean,” “worn,” or “large.” This activity illustrates the importance of observational skills in nursing, reinforcing the need to learn both assessment techniques and the associated terminology.
Implementation of Twosies Strategy in Nursing Education
Twosies work well in large classes where group activities might become unwieldy. This strategy allows students to collaborate on assignments, exercises, or case studies without the logistical challenges of managing larger groups.
Twosie exercises can be particularly useful for learning technical clinical skills. For example, pairs can work together to:
- Interpret ECG strips
- Analyze lab results
- Calculate medication dosages
- Troubleshoot medical equipment
- Answer complex clinical questions
Instructors can also use Twosies for creative problem-solving activities or brain-teasers. For example, students might work in pairs to solve puzzles, review clinical decision-making scenarios, or complete a “muddiest point” activity, where they clarify concepts they found confusing during the lecture.
Twosies are particularly effective when used for practical tasks that require precision and collaboration. In large classes where students may not know each other, this strategy also helps foster interpersonal connections, creating a more cohesive learning environment.
Benefits of Using Imagine and Twosies Strategies
Both the “Imagine and Remember” and “Twosies” strategies offer significant benefits in nursing education:
- Enhancing Empathy: By asking students to imagine themselves in challenging situations or recall personal experiences, these strategies help foster empathy—an essential quality in nursing.
- Building Critical Thinking Skills: Twosies exercises encourage students to collaborate, analyze, and problem-solve together, building their critical thinking abilities.
- Active Learning: These strategies shift students from passive learning to active participation, helping them engage with the material more deeply.
- Improving Communication: Both strategies emphasize the importance of verbal and non-verbal communication, helping students become more effective communicators in clinical settings.
- Peer Learning: Twosies allow students to learn from one another, enhancing their understanding of clinical concepts and procedures.
Conclusion
The “Imagine and Remember” and “Twosies” strategies are highly effective tools for nursing educators. They foster empathy, build problem-solving skills, and enhance communication, all of which are crucial for successful nursing practice. By implementing these strategies, instructors can create a dynamic learning environment that prepares students for the emotional and technical challenges they will face as professional nurses.
Through exercises that encourage reflection, visualization, and peer collaboration, nursing students can deepen their understanding of both the technical and human aspects of healthcare, ensuring they are well-equipped to provide compassionate, patient-centered care in the future.