TEACHING PLAN
The intensive care unit (ICU) is a demanding clinical learning environment where there is a
high pace and intensity of caring for patients with competing concerns. Nurses new to the
intensive care environment become learners all over again and are required to attain skills
including communication with an unconscious patient, prioritising care, care of the
mechanically ventilated patient, endotracheal suctioning and arterial blood sampling
(Muldowney & McKee, 2011). This paper will discuss the concepts relative to a teaching
session aimed at intensive care nurses as adult learners about chest drains and the nursing
care related to their care. Adult theory will be discussed; the teaching aims of the sessions
and an outline of the teaching session in relation to Kolb’s leaning theory will be presented.
The goal of teaching session is that the participant will be able to provide safe and effective
care to the patient with a chest drain receiving ventilatory support. The aim of the teaching
session is to discuss the use of the underwater seal drains (UWSD), discuss the principles and
components of the UWSD, identify potential complications associated with the UWSD and
discuss the collaborative interventions. Learners will be able to assess and manage a patient
with an UWSD and be able to demonstrate the procedure for changing the UWSD collection
device for a ventilated patient. Additional to the above, learners will be able to competently
document observations related to an UWSD on the new computerised information system
employed in the workplace.
Andragogy is a term used to refer to the normal process by which adult’s engage in
continuing education (Abela, 2009). The teaching session will be structured around the five
educational assumptions Knowles (1985) identified in the adult learner. Firstly, the learner is
self-directing, but conditioned by schooling to dependency on teachers for learning, so has to
be re-orientated...