With the reform of the nursing professions in 2020, greater importance was attributed to practical nursing training in particular. Above all, so-called practical instructors play a central role in this context. They are expected to familiarize trainees with professional practice and equip them with the necessary skills for the job. This involves great challenges.

"We would like to support the practical instructors in this process and have explored various formats as part of our research," explains Dr. Jonas Hänel, head of the model project "Beratungsstelle Pflegeausbildung Sachsen" (Information center for nursing training in Saxony) at the Chair of Health and Nursing / Vocational Didactics of TU Dresden.

One of the formats is the "Fachtag Praxisanleitung” (Symposium on Practical Instruction). "Our aim is to stimulate an exchange of ideas among the practice instructors in the respective areas of Saxony across all institutions and regions," explains Claudia Küttner, a member of the project team. In addition to lectures and workshops on topics of practical instruction, this type of event supports the participants in building a their own network. First experiences were gathered at the symposium in Leipzig on May 5, 2023. The next symposium will take place at TU Dresden on June 9. Petra Köpping, Saxon State Minister for Social Affairs and Social Cohesion, will personally kick off this event. Another symposium is planned in Chemnitz on June 26.

The event at TU Dresden is entitled "Rethinking practical nursing training - shaping challenges". Participants will address the new requirements for practical nursing training in lectures and discussions, in workshops and in the ideas café . Topics include the development of a competence-oriented assessment in the practical examination, an active design of learning site cooperation to share expertise and experience and to learn from each other, but also methods for a varied instruction practice.

"At the symposium in Leipzig, we were already able to experience that the conditions, backgrounds and challenges of practical instructors in Saxony are very heterogeneous," explains Lucie Strauß, who is also a member of the project team.
 There is a high demand for exchange in application-related and low-threshold problem solutions. Therefore, open forms or open workspaces for finding solutions together are being tested. In addition to the "Symposium on Practical Instruction", other support services for practical instructors have already been tested as part of the model project, such as in-house training courses on the revision of didactic examination concepts or online training for lecturers in the further training of practical instructors.

The information center for practical nursing training at TU Dresden has been in operation since the fall of 2022. It will run until the end of August 2023. The aim of the model project is to provide advice to all parties involved in practical nursing training in Saxony.

The Saxon State Ministry for Social Affairs and Social Cohesion is supporting the project financially with 173,000 EUR. This measure is partly financed by public tax funds based on the budget adopted by the Saxon State Parliament.

Contacts:
Dr. Jonas Hänel
Research Associate
Chair of Health and Nursing / Vocational Didactics
Tel.: +49 351 463-35020

https://www.beratung-pflegeausbildung-sachsen.de/