Interviewee, Enhancing Student Nurses Communication Skills, BC Institute of Technology

Are you an older adult with a history of chronic disease(s) who would like to help student nurses practice their basic communication skills, therapeutic relationships and health assessments? Participate in this opportunity to be interviewed over Zoom and provide feedback to students on their interpersonal and communication skills!

Open to: Patient partners from  Fraser & Vancouver Coastal Health communities

Lead Organization or Department

BC Institute of Technology (BCIT), School of Health Sciences BSN Program

Aim

• The goal of this initiative is to give student nurses the opportunity to practice their communication and health history taking skills with real clients. • The patient partner will be asked health-related questions by a pair of student nurses who will be completing a health assessment tool. Patient partners then complete a feedback tool that is submitted to the instructor.

Level of Engagement

This opportunity is at the level of involve on the spectrum of engagement. The promise to you is that the health care partner will involve patients in planning and design phases to ensure ideas or concerns are considered and reflected in alternatives and recommendations.

Eligibility

• Open to patient partners from Fraser & Vancouver Coastal Health communities • Comfort in telling their story and answering health assessment questions with student nurses • Comfort in providing feedback on student nurses’ interviewing and communication skills that is submitting directly to the instructor • Older adult (>65 years) with one or more chronic disease(s) • Access to and comfort using a computer to participate in the interview via Zoom • Please note: Applicants must have previously attended a PVN orientation session and completed the Volunteer Agreement. If you have not attended an orientation session but you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Jami Brown directly to see if accommodations may be possible.

Logistics

• Number of vacancies: 16-32 • Date/Time: Interviews will be 30-45 minutes once a week for 4 weeks, taking place roughly from mid October to the first week of December Note: there is opportunity for patient partners to complete more interviews with different student nurses (more than once per week) if they are interested and available • Location: Zoom • Commitment: One week to six months

Reimbursement

There are no anticipated costs associated with this opportunity.

Background

At BCIT, student nurses start their first term in a community rotation. During this rotation, student nurses meet older clients with chronic disease(s) and who live in residential care homes, assisted living, or visit adult day cares. Due to COVID-19, nursing students are unable to attend their clinical sites in the community. We are hoping that interviewing patient partners will give them a great opportunity to practice their skills and get an idea of how to communicate with real clients. Nursing students and instructors will be involved in this initiative and confidentiality is of utmost importance. These are beginner student nurses. If any health concerns are brought forward, the students may or may not pick up on these and discuss with their instructor. Students are not able to provide instructions on what to do if any health concerns arise. This exercise is not to address actual or potential health issues, rather, this is simply a learning exercise for student nurses. None of these sessions will be recorded and information will not be shared with any other peers/colleagues. Information will only be shared with the instructor.

Health Care Partner Contact Information

Jami Brown
Engagement Leader, Patient and Public Engagement | Fraser Valley & Lower Mainland Region
604.510.0449
jbrown@bcpsqc.ca