Dot Board Idea!
I believe the dot board should be used more and can be used in alot of settings. The board allows you to keep track of what everyone is doing so even if you forgot what a person was doing you will always know. This also gives you a steady pace to go by in a medical setting to check on everyone.
Matthew, I'm glad you like this dot idea.
I'm a little foggy on this technique. Dots on the watch don't make sense. I do see the need to have a quick visual of your clinical students and know if they have accomplished a task. So please explain this in more detail. Thanks
Office supplies stores sell see through dots that are less than 1 cm in diameter. If you were to place 3 different colored dots on the face of your watch, every time you went to take a pulse, or do patient care you would look at your watch. Seeing those 3 dots would remind you of the 3 goals you had set with your instructor before your clinical day began. Some goals you could do independently (blue and green dots), some goals with the instructor watching (red dot). Once the task or goal was accomplish, you would move the dot from your watch to your name tag. Hope this helps?
I absolutely love this idea. It is an easy way to instantly know what each of your students is capable of doing by themselves. On a busy day when your brain is in 100 different directions this will help to focus your attention on the tasks the students still need to master.
It is also an inexpensive method, too!
I would like to give this method a try. I find it hard for my clinical students to even make rounds first thing in the morning. They are so focused on the charts, MARS, and TARS that they often forget that there are individuals in the rooms and need to be taken care of.
Focusing the students on the patients and their care is a challenge sometimes. I hope the dots help you with this.
Cannot wait to use this. When students are not passing meds, do you individualize the "red dot", meaning perhaps the patient needs a foley, ng, sterile drsg change etc. I am just trying to figure out that piece. Most the time you can't plan for any of these events too much ahead of time. Any suggestions -- or am I making this too confusing.
I agree with using a dot "board" more consistently. This would be extremely beneficial for me and the students while in the classroom even to help develop and track "proficiency" without continually having to "ask" for progress in a particular area. I am going to use this with my next clinical classes. Thanks
Yes, please individualize what each dot means. I like to use the red for one activity I must be present for.
Lori I'm glad this will work for you
I really like this idea! I haven't been in the lab in awhile but I'm going to use this exercise for future activities with Organizational skills, Habits,Time management,Setting goals,Prioritizing etc. I'm excited because this really sets the tone for when you don't like something in most casses we do nothing about it(procrastination, being stuck...). Thus nothing gets done or not done right. This puts the obvious task back of what's needed to be done in rotation. Good Job!!
I use to teach nursing clinicals and it was very difficult to be with each student for each procedure. This is an excellent way of keeping track of the students and it can be changed for any procedures that require the instructor to be with them. Great idea!
I do like this idea.I will use when I'm teaching hands on patient positioning
Angelina, this is really a hands on approach.
Michele Deck
I like this idea because it makes students complete specific tasks each day and allows instructors to monitor which ones are getting those tasks done each day. I teach clinical dental hygiene and students are supposed to complete a specific number of competencies on patients. Some are very efficient but some tend to procrastinate and this dot method would make them accountable for completing a certain number of competencies each day!
I surely will try this...I do have a hard time tracking things down with my students,things done and not done in the clinical set-up especially time constrained.I think it will give me more outlined and on track route.Thanks.
