PRINCIPLE OF ADULT LEARNING:Adult learners are experienced. They want to use what they know.
COURSE PREPARATION: Use the NRP Experience Record to assess participants level of familiarity with the material.
Offer a pre-evaluation to instill confidence in the material already mastered and point out areas for study and questions.
Poll instructor course registrants to determine issues specific to geographic areas or institutions.
PREPARATION OF LESSONS: Tailor the course to the experience level of the attendees.
Have participants introduce themselves and share their level of experience.
Draw from the experience of attendees to share cases they have encountered.
PERFORMANCE AND WRITTEN EVALUATION: Tailor the case scenarios to the experience level of the attendees.
When conducting an instructor course, have learners practice the instructor role; ask attendees observing the provider component to comment as well.
REINFORCEMENT/RETENTION/COMPETENCY: Encourage skilled, enthusiastic providers to organize mock codes, resuscitation reviews, or become NRP instructors.
Discuss the means by which newly acquired knowledge can be applied to solve problems.
PRINCIPLE OF ADULT LEARNING:Adult learners want to understand the new by seeing it as an extension of what they know and the work they are currently doing.
COURSE PREPARATION: Learn the work roles and job responsibilities of course registrants.
PREPARATION OF LESSONS: Frame information in a scenario. Ask attendees to share cases they have encountered.
PERFORMANCE AND WRITTEN EVALUATION: Utilize specific resuscitation efforts as examples. Ask colleagues to contribute cases or utilize chart reviews.
REINFORCEMENT/RETENTION/COMPETENCY: Discuss the circumstances surrounding specific resuscitative efforts and how they impacted outcome.
Ask attendees to share institution protocols to appreciate the range of approaches.
PRINCIPLE OF ADULT LEARNING:Adult learners value themselves as a resource for others.
COURSE PREPARATION: Prior to a class, ask several participants to take ownership of a specific lesson. Utilize participants who are comfortable sharing knowledge in such a format.
PREPARATION OF LESSONS: Use "expert" attendees as resources. Call on them for their input.
Encourage discussion and interaction by circulating through the room and soliciting input from attendees of different disciplines.
PERFORMANCE AND WRITTEN EVALUATION: Use "expert" attendees as resources. Ask them to help demonstrate skills.
Encourage "role reversal" (eg, nurse and neonatologist).
REINFORCEMENT/RETENTION/COMPETENCY: Encourage attendees to learn by teaching.
PRINCIPLE OF ADULT LEARNING:Adult learners are aware of the knowledge, skills and strategies they need. They know their limitations.
COURSE PREPARATION: When participants are registering for a course, ask them what topics and skills they want emphasized.
PREPARATION OF LESSONS: When students introduce themselves, have them share their objectives for attending (eg, what information they want to obtain).
PERFORMANCE AND WRITTEN EVALUATION: Encourage students to practice the checklists as the performer and the assistant.
REINFORCEMENT/RETENTION/COMPETENCY: End each course with a megacode allowing students to integrate all their knowledge and skills.
Make equipment available for practice on a regular basis.
PRINCIPLE OF ADULT LEARNING:Adult learners are more concerned about meeting their own standards of achievement in the course than satisfying expectations of others.
COURSE PREPARATION: Select the appropriate course format to meet the needs of learners (eg, self-study/small groups).
For first-time participants give a brief general information session before distributing the textbook. Describe the course format and the two types of evaluation in which they will participate.
PREPARATION OF LESSONS: Participants who are required to attend may have minimal standards. Ask these attendees what would make the course more helpful and useful.
Conduct the course as informally as possible and encourage teamwork among participants.
PERFORMANCE AND WRITTEN EVALUATION: Adapt scenarios to meet the needs of attendees. For instance, to an audience of emergency room nurses, present a scenario of premature delivery due to maternal abdominal trauma.
Motivate attendees by encouraging them to articulate their standards for personal performance.
REINFORCEMENT/RETENTION/COMPETENCY: Recognize the anxiety of attendees who fear they will not retain information.
Encourage frequent practice.
Arrange for personnel who do not regularly work in labor and delivery to observe deliveries and resuscitations.
Recommend posting the NRP Reference Chart in delivery rooms and on code carts for quick reference.
PRINCIPLE OF ADULT LEARNING:Adult learners have different learning and thinking styles.
Consider the use of participatory learning methods such as word scramble, flash cards, Jeopardy-type games, etc.
PREPARATION OF LESSONS: Emphasize collaboration and downplay the instructors role by actually sitting down with participants.
To reduce stress in the medications lesson, practice with actual medications during the course. Include a chalkboard math segment or bring in an expert (eg, pharmacist) to answer questions.
PERFORMANCE AND WRITTEN EVALUATION: For learners who are very reserved, make available the option to perform skill evaluations or megacodes one-on-one.
Use the various formats of the course to reach students with different learning styles (e g, self-study program, small group meeting, 1- or 2-day course).
REINFORCEMENT/RETENTION/COMPETENCY: Use the participatory learning methods (word scramble, flash cards, Jeopardy-type games) to reinforce information periodically.
PRINCIPLE OF ADULT LEARNING:Adult learners expect to find interactive experiences in group learning settings.
COURSE PREPARATION: Carefully choose the room set up to foster interaction (avoid theater or classroom style). Rearrange the room when necessary or have one room in classroom style for the written evaluation and another in a flexible format for learning and practicing.
PREPARATION OF LESSONS: Especially during instructor courses, schedule breaks and mealtimes to promote interaction among attendees.
PERFORMANCE AND WRITTEN EVALUATION: Encourage role play or role reversal when practicing performance checklists.
REINFORCEMENT/RETENTION/COMPETENCY: Encourage instructor course participants to share institutional protocols and discuss regional differences.
PRINCIPLE OF ADULT LEARNING:Adult learners need to receive feedback, preferably immediate.
COURSE PREPARATION: Schedule enough assisting instructors to make results of the written evaluations available immediately.
PREPARATION OF LESSONS: Provide feedback affirming the importance of questions from the participants and draw parallels and connections with other points.
PERFORMANCE AND WRITTEN EVALUATION: Begin all comments with positive feedback before addressing specific points that need correction.
Encourage students to perform peer-evaluation and self-evaluation.
REINFORCEMENT/RETENTION/COMPETENCY: Encourage the use of resuscitation reviews.
PRINCIPLE OF ADULT LEARNING:Adult learners like to talk about their learning, negotiate changes in teaching methods, and challenge ideas of teachers.
COURSE PREPARATION: Consider scheduling the medication written evaluation first to reduce stress. Be sure that all participants are prepared to succeed at the beginning of the course.
PREPARATION OF LESSONS: Acknowledge differences in opinion and protocols, but limit confusion by emphasizing the NRP algorithm.
PERFORMANCE AND WRITTEN EVALUATION: During performance checklists, "sabotage" equipment for participants to determine what is wrong.
REINFORCEMENT/RETENTION/COMPETENCY: Encourage participants to pursue questions or alternative procedures through literature research, quality improvement monitors, or research protocols.
