Strategy Submission

Strategy Overview TouchPoint is an innovative approach to the face-to-face clinical post-conference for pre-licensure BSN nursing students in an immersion experience. The design and purpose of these faculty-moderated sessions are to engage students in an elevated, deep, and meaningful reflection. Unlike a traditional faculty-student clinical conference, which is the typical standard for faculty and students to meet and engage at the end of a clinical day or experience, TouchPoint elevates the experience to deep reflection. TouchPoint builds relationships between faculty and students by connecting and exploring feelings, emotions, fears, and anxieties in this unscripted method of deep reflective sharing. By aligning the QSEN competencies of Patient-Centered Care and Teamwork and Collaboration, the sessions build a sense of safety in reflective sharing and transparency, with the outcome of building resilience and strengthening resiliency practices. Touchpoint’s aim is to explore the deep levels of students' experiences in relation to clinical reasoning and critical thinking thought processes. TouchPoint creates a safe and enriching environment where the sharing of student experiences builds on a community reflection technique to support students during intense immersion experiences. Macera-DiClemente and Smith’s (2018) work on mentoring noted a supportive environment is crucial to deep reflections that produce deep thought. It is imperative to contend that with an intense degree of deep thought and disclosure, vulnerability exists. Ursuy(2015) demonstrated the dimensions of trust, support, and respect were the most important factors in understanding progress toward independent nursing practice. Hudson (2016) further supports the trust relationship as the center of any supportive and close relationship. Koole, Christiaens, Cosyn, and Bruyn (2016) identify deep reflection in terms of single-loop, double-loop, and triple-loop learning by the use of mentor groups, to explore deep reflection for dental students. TouchPoint digs deeper into reflection by using triple loop learning which includes the practice of how the structure relates to the problem, in that students connect experiences to clinical reasoning practices through examples and experiences. In this deep reflective state, students recognize the patient as the center point in the delivery of care, and that effective delivery and coordination of care happen through teamwork and collaboration. Using the QSEN competencies of Patient Centered Care and Teamwork and Collaboration, Touchpoint’s reflective learning practices and deep exploration of student experiences frames discussion on the importance of formulating a holistic approach to healing and a building a trust relationship for patients and families. This deep reflective state aligns with Patient Centered Care as students relate examples of sensitivity, diversity, and respect for the human experience as it relates to the particular unit experience. Emphasizing the importance of Teamwork and Collaboration, students begin to realize the importance of quality patient care as role transition takes place from the perspective of a student individual to a functioning member of the inter- and intra-professional healthcare team member. Strategy Method TouchPoint is a two-part experience: (1) The focus of Session One is Patient Centered Care and the immediate and professional relationship between patient, nurse, and family; and (2) Session Two addresses Teamwork and Collaboration, the importance of inter- and intra-professional relationships for the institution of quality care. The method for both sessions includes a faculty moderator meeting with a small group of students, 10-12 students maximum. The sessions last 1-1/2 hours to 2-hours, depending on the number of students, in either a face-to-face format or synchronous online format. Session One content on Patient Centered Care is a reflective question card clinical game (TouchPoint Session One: Clinical Game, see attachment). There is no preparation necessary for students or faculty, as the initial first response generates deep reflective thought. A randomly selected student begins by drawing a card. The student shares a response aloud to the group related to the clinical experience. After the sharing, all students can reflect on the experience or discuss their own experience elicited by the discussion. After this deep dialogue, the next student draws a card and the same process occurs. This can continue until all students have the opportunity to participate in the game with an original question drawn by a card. Be prepared for deep reflective thought about death, dying, the good and bad of a clinical experience, fears, struggles, shared tough moments, and the support and comfort in knowing that others have the same feeling and emotions. TouchPoint Session Two content on Teamwork and Collaboration occurs approximately four-to-six weeks after the TouchPoint Session One. The focus of Session Two is the professional socialization and role identity transition of senior students nearing graduation. The preparation necessary for this TouchPoint is that the students receive and complete, after reflective thought, the TouchPoint Behavioral Questions (TouchPoint Session Two: Behavioral Questions, see attachment) prior to the face-to-face meeting. The behavioral questions include the following topics: a) teamwork/collaboration, b) leadership, c) problem solving, d) communication/handling conflict, and e) initiative “self-starter” (https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/most-common-behavioral-interview-questions-and-answers). Each of these topics have four-to-six sub-statements or questions for follow-up. The sub-statements are randomly distributed and assigned to an initial student, and then moving in a round-robin fashion as students reflect on one to two questions in each group, in a simulated interview panel experience. At the end of each student share, the moderator summarizes the share by an affirming statement for the student that states, “Your story is inspiring and you inspire me by the way you....” The TouchPoint senior immersion activity is a synthesis of moving stories presented by nursing students following a reflective question prompt. TouchPoint sessions are valuable for students as they share about witnessing death, experiencing independence and autonomy, practicing anticipation, and applying new knowledge acquisition with critical thinking at the bedside.