NAME OF LEARNING ACTIVITY

Clinical Quick Writes

(Reflective Journaling)

Learning Activity Summary

Students use their writing skills to describe their experiences in caring for their
patient during clinical (Hermann, 2016). There are several different approaches to
the clinical quick writes, one being an approach where the student writes a letter to
their patient or their patients family (Hermann, 2016). These can be completed
during post-conference and shared as a form of reflection or they can be completed
as an independent assignment (Hermann, 2016).
Cognitive: Apply, analyze, and evaluate

Domain of Learning (Blooms Taxonomy Revised) Affective: Responding, valuing, and organizing

Student-Centered Learning Objective(s)

Psychomotor: Valuing, organizing, and characterizing

At the completion of this learning activity, the learner will:
1.

Recognize and appreciate the spiritual needs and cultural sensitivities of

patients at the end-of-life.
2. Explains the importance of assessing the needs of the patients family
members and showing empathy to the family throughout the process of
their loved ones death.
Preparation Required by Teacher/Facilitator and The clinical educator will need to determine the subject or idea that will be
Materials Needed
expressed by the student in the clinical quick write. The only materials that are
needed are either a pen and paper or a computer on which to write their response.
Time Allotted

Learning Styles Addressed by Activity

How is content connected to prior learning?

If the strategy is being used during post-conference, students will need about 20
minutes to write their response and another 15 minutes or so to engage in a
discussion with the rest of the students. If the strategy is going to be an
independent assignment, students will complete their response at home.
Intrapersonal, linguistic, and logical-mathematical
Depending on the type of writing assigned, the students will connect learning from
their classroom content on aging, death and dying, and end-of-life care.
Additionally, students will pull from their knowledge of patient family centered
care and the nurses role in providing compassionate care to family members as
well. Lastly, students will connect learning about different cultures and their role in
the patients experience of dying.

Reflective Debriefing with Learners (post-learning This strategy serves as a reflective process but students will also have the
activity) How will it be accomplished?
opportunity to share their responses with their fellow classmates during postconference as a way to debrief.
Evaluation of Learning (How will it be
The student learning will be evaluated during post-conference when they share
accomplished?)
their quick write as well as through their discussion and debriefing with their
classmates.
Teacher Reflection

Through the clinical quick writes, students are able to reflect on their experiences of
caring for a patient at the end-of-life and consider the spiritual and cultural aspects
(justify choice of learning activity and good fit for that affect the patients dying experience. By using the approach to the quick writes
of writing a letter to the patients family, they are also able to reflect on the
the identified learning objectives)
importance of providing patient family centered care and addressing the needs of
the family. They can discuss their feelings on providing care for a patient who is
actively dying and even consider their values on life and their beliefs in an afterlife.
This reflective writing exercise offers the opportunity for students to think deeper
on the meaning of life, empathize with their patients and families, and explore the
feelings regarding end-of-life care.