One area of this module really caused me to really stretch my thinking about students who struggle with learning disabilities when I came to the following statements: “Students may also process information more slowly and need more time than typically expected to understand the course content. This disability may also lead to a lower level of reasoning and a lack of ability to follow logical steps. However, this may also be connected to memory issues such as students having a lack of ability in remembering or recalling information.”
In nursing programs, there is a critical need for students to prioritize safety and sequential order when performing procedures. For the learning disability mentioned above, the instructor should seek to reduce the student's cognitive load and provide opportunities to experience structured repetition. Some examples follow as it relates to how I could better meet the needs of nursing students who struggle with learning disabilities:
- Chunking: Break down complex procedures (for example, insertion of the nasogastric tube) into small, manageable steps. Don’t move to Step B until Step A is mastered.
- Visual Aids: For students with reasoning struggles, create a visual "decision tree" to aid them in navigating clinical logic.
- Scaffolding: Create guided notes or outlines before lectures so they can focus on listening rather than frantic note-taking.
- Mnemonics: Teach classic nursing mnemonics (like ADPIE for the nursing process or PQRST for pain assessment) to anchor knowledge.
- Spaced Repetition: Revisit core concepts often in low-stakes settings to move them from short-term to long-term memory.
- Frequent Breaks: Brief breaks, regularly scheduled, can hinder "cognitive overload" and mental fatigue during long clinical days or exams.
