The Morning Conference

Abstract

T HE teaching of students in a group while has been a problem to many nursing schools, especially to those connected with private hospitals. In our hospital we have what we call the morning conference. In defining a morning conference I would say it is a clinic carried on by head nurse or supervisor, including all students in particular unit, but with no patient present. It is held directly following night report and lasts from twenty minutes to one-half hour. We carry it on five days a week. The difference between night report and morning conference is that in former, condition of all patients on floor is reported to day nurses by night nurse; in conference, one particular type of case is discussed and studied thoroughly by both day and night nurses. In this discussion patients on floor are kept in mind by frequent reference. The success of morning conference depends, primarily, on a firm decision to let nothing interfere with it. By this I mean that a time should be dedicated to it, and other work should be arranged accordingly. Provision should be made for answering of signals by a nurse who is not in unit receiving instruction, leaving these students free to concentrate on subject discussed. There are several advantages in having conferences in early morning: (1) Students are more wide awake; (2) It is possible to collect necessary groups; (3) There is no interruption by classes; (4) An alert, interested, frame of mind is induced before actual work begins. Following conference, usually about 7:30 A.M., students attend to morning care and minor details, e.g., filling