Meaningful learning actualized through a perinatal continuity of care experience.

Abstract

Leaders in nursing education embrace innovative, real-world learning environments that transform today's generation of nursing students into critical thinkers. Scheduling exclusive child-bearing practicums are challenging due to staffing, time, and maternal client presentation. Utilizing transformative learning theory a perinatal continuum of care clinical learning experience evolved. This paper will discuss the qualitative, descriptive study of Bachelor of Science in Nursing students in rural, Midwestern United States who completed maternal/infant didactic, high-fidelity simulation, and real-world experiences relative to women during the perinatal period. Participants (n = 50) consisted of third-semester baccalaureate nursing students enrolled in the maternal/infant course. Data were collected from students' reflective journal blogs at the end of the semester. The aim of this study was to identify the outcomes of students learning through this perinatal experience. Three themes emerged from this study: self-analysis, critical thinking, and self-efficacy. Students' reflection indicated that through this comprehensive clinical experience, they developed a new self-awareness. Students noted that the experience was unique to any they had encountered. The perinatal assignment provided an opportunity for professional growth in this specialty area due to the interface of theory, simulation, and clinical applications expounded in the reflective clinical blog throughout the experience.