Role-Playing Line up

Your name: Tina Jenkins

Field or discipline: Nursing
Program: Australian Registered Nurse Training Program
Course: RN: Acute Care
Year level: Non-award Professional Certificate
Class size: 24
Activity type: Tutorial

Description: The ARNTP it's a non-award professional certificate for overseas-educated registered nurses who wish to work in Australia. The activity was a role-play that commenced between two students and resulted in students being added to the activity to role-play the characters as they were integrated into the scenario. The result was a line of students in one row. The role play commenced at the beginning of this line with each role character in acting a part in this scenario. Once at the end of the line characters were swapped and the role-playing commenced in the opposite direction with the participants being gradually replaced as each new person is added to the end of the line.

The roles included;
1. Handover between the angiography RN and receiving ward RN;
2. Handover between early and late shifts;
3. Patient education- cardiac risk factors/ post-operative care/discharge information;
4. Dissemination of patient data between doctor and bedside RN;
5. Physiotherapist - patient education of chest therapy;
6. Dietician - patient education of lifestyle modifications;
7. Doctor educating patients family and significant others.

The students had a great time and were laughing and having fun while learning. We detected in an increase in English language proficiency. The activity also increased confidence in the students. It was important for the teacher to reinforce the tutorial environment as a safe environment; to develop and establish group norms; tomorrow appropriate cultural sensitivity; to set clear expectations that dissipation; and to get to know your students and assist them to get to know each other.

Application: This approach would suit disciplines where communication with the public is an expectation of the position.