World Café in Nursing

Title of case study

World Café to Explore Public Health Challenges in Level 2 Nursing 

 

School/Subject: 

MVLS, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing 

Lecturer(s):

Sue Campbell

Course:

BN Year 2 Nursing and Health Studies 2 (NURSING2012 )

Student Level:

Level 2 undergraduate

Class size:

 

40 (could be used for a larger class, but if over 80 this would be challenging)

Location:

On campus/in person

 

Brief summary

While the nursing degree programme enables student nurses to develop excellent clinical skills, students have less familiarity with issues relating to public health. To address this unfamiliarity, Sue Campbell designed a world café session. Students are sent an invitation to participate in a Public Health world café led by Sue. The teaching team decorates the room with tablecloths and fruit bowls beforehand to add to the atmosphere. Students work in groups of eight to identify a current public health challenge and move between tables to consider different ways in which nurses might address this challenge and influence change.

 

Objectives

I designed this session to provide students with an opportunity to think through some of the societal challenges they could encounter and to broaden their understanding of the wider social determinants of health and current public health challenges.

 

What is done?

The teaching staff, including me, introduce this activity, explaining each stage and all of the resources available. Each group chooses a public health challenge. They then move to a new station for every subsequent step and add to what has been developed by the previous group. Teaching staff monitor the activity, listening to group discussions and looking at the flip charts in order to help to ensure that discussions are focused and productive.

Step 1 - Choose a current public health challenge. Identify three ways nurses address this public health challenge.

Step 2 - Give three examples of possible initiatives which could address the social determinants of health that contribute to this public health challenge. Consider both upstream and downstream interventions.

Step 3 - How would you go about achieving that change? What are the levers? What are the actions? What are the barriers? What further changes would you like to see happen?

Step 4 - What are the opportunities for influence? How can we, as nurses, use our power? How might you speak up and advocate for change on a professional or personal level. Identify others (e.g., individuals, organisations, businesses) within the community who may be interested in working together to address the problem

A plenary discussion follows, with the following questions: Did you learn anything new? Did anything you had heard challenge you to think about health in a new way? 

What works well?

This activity generates an intense discussion, where students work autonomously in groups with little need for teaching staff to intervene. The informal layout of the room also helps students to exchange information through active dialogue with their peers, promoting collective learning.

 

Benefits

Students

Staff
  • The relaxed atmosphere means that learning an unfamiliar topic is enjoyable.
  • Encourages reflection and leads to deeper understanding of others’ views.
  • Informal atmosphere encourages peer learning.
  • Helps to promote a wider understanding of the role of a nurse in the society.
  • Students engage well with topics that they were previously unfamiliar with.
  • Students engage well with the activity and work autonomously.
  • Would work well for interprofessional learning or any problem-solving activity.

 

Challenges            

Students

Staff
  • Students tend to default to clinical issues (what they are already familiar with).
  • This depends on being scheduled in a suitable room (a lecture theatre would not be suitable).
  • Need access to classroom in advance to set up.
  • Students need guidance to think about the role of a nurse in the society.
  • Less suitable for online delivery.

 

What did you learn?

Evaluation of the flipcharts suggest that more guidance is required for students to appreciate the wider aspects of a nurse’s role. This is a 2nd year activity, so it is unsurprising that students do not yet have a detailed appreciation about how their role as a nurse can be used to influence wider change. However, this activity is beneficial in introducing students to that discussion.

 

What advice would you give to others?

Ensure that this activity is introduced to the group at the beginning of the session so that any core concepts are clear to all participants.

Make sure that you choose a question which will generate an energetic conversation while at the same time allowing groups to focus during the activity.

Be aware that this activity might be repetitive if all groups choose the same challenge. You could provide a list of challenges and allow each group to select a different one at the beginning to avoid this.

 

References

The World Café Community Foundation. (2015). A quick reference guide for hosting world café. www.theworldcafe.com

University of Glasgow ADD. (no date.) World cafe. https://youtu.be/BJI6hLbUfLo?si=KTCszGBMhOiwTKyv

 

Author

Ms Sue Campbell

Guides