Master Rotation Plan
'Overall plan of rotation of all students in a particular educational programme,
showing the placement of the students belonging to total program (4 years in [Link]. (N) and 3
and half years in GNM courses) includes both theory and practice denoting the study block,
clinical blocks, team nursing, examinations, vacation, co-curricular activities etc.
It is prepared well in advance for the whole year so that it gives a complete and clear
picture about students placement either in theory or clinical field during an academic session.
For each year, it can be prepared separately and for total program one can be prepared so that
every faculty will be aware of students' postings. Teachers should follow the respective
University or Board syllabus as a guideline for preparing either master rotation plan or
clinical rotation plan.
Purposes
• Availability of an advance plan before implementation of curricular activities during
an academic year for the entire program
• All concerned are aware of the placement of students in clinical fields
• Coordination becomes more effective when theory, practice correlates and integrity
exists
• Helps the students and teachers to prepare themselves for working in the areas
• Any modifications are required based on situations concerned, collaboration between
the faculty and service staff can be made for smooth running of organizational
activities and meeting the objectives of educational programe
• Assessment of curricular program is more effective
• The faculty members and nursing service staff are in a position to make tentative
advance plans for their leave or vacation without jeopardizing the teaching-learning
activities.
Principles to be Followed While Preparing Master Rotation Plan
Plan in accordance with the concerned curriculum plan/syllabus for the entire
course/program Plan in advance for all students in all years of program. Plan the activities by
following maxims of teaching
Post the students based on university syllabus and availability of concerned required
specialities Select areas that can provide expected learning experience Plan to build on
previous experiences
Acquaint the clinical staff/clinical supervisor with clinical objectives and rotation plan
Provide each clinical experience of same duration to all the students Rotate each student
through each learning experience or block Plan for all students to enter and leave at the same
time schedule.
Staff Involvement in Curriculum Planning
Curriculum committee consisting of members who actively participate in the
development or construction of a curriculum for their school. The members may be drawn
from various disciplines i.e., Teaching Faculty in Nursing Educational Institution. Curriculum
committee main responsibility is to organize all learning experiences planned by individual
tutors into an integrated whole. A learning experience is something in which the student
actively participates and brings change in his/her behaviour. The individual teachers analyse
their own subjects in order to help and contribute to the correlation of teaching with other
subjects. The school administrator has to explain/orient all the staff about the philosophy,
objectives of the organization; responsibilities of each staff. When there is an appreciation
and common understanding among the staff members of the school, there is bound to be a
greater appreciation by their service, staff has to plan scheduling of classes and field work
clinical experience of the students. Teachers will maintain harmonious curriculum in order to
meet the national health.
The school should keep a close connection with the clinical fields (hospital and
community) wherever possible continuity of service should be maintained by the school in
these fields, which will bring in cooperation, understanding and a sense of appreciation of the
program offered. A better organization and planning of learning experience will be the
resultant effect.
Faculties are accountable for implementing the program that enables the students to
learn. Its goal is always concerned with fostering of ability of their students in carrying out of
the necessary service to the society in the future.
The important aspects of curriculum planning are: the selection and organization of
learning experience for the students who are undergoing a program. The careful selection of
the experiences and their organization is built on the student's past knowledge and previous
experience and according to the levels of the students. Progress in complexity to higher levels
of learning and comprehension in the practice of nursing, is the aim. It should exhibit an inner
relatedness among the various subjects and also their relationship to the clinical instruction
and practice of nursing.
PLANNING AND ORGANIZATION OF CLINICAL EXPERIENCE
Introduction
Planning of clinical experience is a component of learning experience at basic level.
The syllabi formulated by University/Board will acts as a guideline for fulfilling the
minimum requirements.
To bring change in human behaviour, the learning experience must be organized as to
have cumulative effect. Clinical experience is an integral part of learning where the student
will be actively participate to obtain skills in clinical practice by applying the principle of
'learning by doing'. The time, the student spends and learns in the clinical fields is an
important and integral part of the total school program. The teacher's responsibility is to
provide conducive environment for the expected desired behaviour.
The faculty has to plan the clinical experience, keeping the objectives in view so that
it will provide the needed learning at a particular stage in the course so that the student will
be posted in right clinical area at the right time. The teacher has to orient the students why
they are posted in the particular clinical area; so the teacher has to complete the theoretical
component early, before posting the students in the clinical area. Teacher has to inform to the
students about the postings early, what are the requirements they have to fulfill in postings,
what type of desired learned behavior they have to develop, everything she/he has to explain
judicious decision making and greater efforts are need to plan the clinical experience as well
as plan for supervision and better learning. The clinical experience and rotation plan should
be well-organized and interrelated to achieve the effectiveness in the overall objectives of
nursing program. One of the objectives of school of nursing is, 'understanding of the
psychosomatic and social factors that affect the client and ability and inclination to
aid the patient in adjustment to and possibly in improvement of the health status'.
Factors to be considered while providing Clinical Facilities
• Philosophy and objectives of an organization (School Philosophy) and an educational
program
• Health care delivery system
• Nursing Philosophy—Nursing Theories and Models—Clinical Nurse practitioner—
Functions of the nurse
• Levels of prevention, Health promotion, curative and Rehabilitation activities
• Methods of delivering Nursing care
• Legislation establishing independent nursing regimens and independent practice
• Standards for practice—structural process outcome and evaluation tools
• Availability of infrastructure i.e., community—sub centers, primary health centers,
CHC, hospitals with speciality facilities/institutions-general hospitals, specialties,
number of patients in a clinical setting and student strength
• Health agencies like Rehabilitation centers, Hospitals, Nursing homes, Clinics,
subcenter and primary health center
• Equipments and supplies
• Clinical Instructors availability
• Budget
• Field visits.
Principles in selection of learning experiences in Clinical area
• Learning experience should provide an opportunity for students to practice the type of
behavior implied in the objective
• Students must have time and opportunity to analyse the problems of specific patients,
recognizing the emotional and social problems, which affect the physical status and
interrelationships of various aspects of health
• Provide learning situations to assist in making and carrying out plans for the present
and continued regimen of care
• The activities sought must be within the range of possibility for the students
concerned
• Students should acquire mastery of essential information and basic concepts for
effective health teaching.
Organization of Clinical Learning Experiences
Objectives can be attained only by learning experience through reinforcement and
repetition. An effectively organized educational program provides opportunity for fulfillment
of 4 important criteria.
1. Continuity: The relationship existing between the different levels of the same subject
and skills required. It refers to the vertical relation of major curriculum events.
2. Sequence: It emphasizes the importance of having each successive experience build
upon the preceding one, but go more broadly and deeply into the matters involved.
3. Integration: The horizontal relationship of curriculum experience.
4. Correlation: The theory has to be correlated to practice, e.g. to develop skill in
mechanical ventilation, the students need to have knowledge of physiology of
respiration, anatomy of the respiratory tract and in practical experience, the learner
should have the opportunity u operate a ventilator, observation of a client who is on
ventilator, documentation and reporting of the progress, etc. For example: A student is
taught Basic nursing/Nursing Foundation in the first year, but the same subject is
continued in the 2nd and 3rd years in greater depth like Medical-Surgical Nursing and
other specialities sequence is the placement of the content in a gradual progress from
simple to complex and comprehensive. Sequence goes beyond continuity.
Teacher has to provide the opportunity for the students to teach the clients in each
successive clinical experience, student has to assume an increasingly broader responsibility
for recognizing the local health problem and making contacts with other individuals or
agencies for putting efforts in the solution of the problem.
Some questions has to be answered before planning clinical experiences of
educational value:
• What is the background of the student, when he comes to the professional education?
• What experiences he should receive to meet the objectives?
• How long students can be posted (duration of clinical experience as per norms—INC
and University or Board?
• What experience does the ward can offer to the student?
• What is the student expected to gain from clinical experience?
Learning experience should be consistent with the philosophy of the school and lead
to the achievement of terminal goal of the program. The teacher should clearly understand the
philosophy of institution, program and concerned hospitals where students will be posted.
The teachers has to state behavioral objectives to get desirable knowledge, skills and attitude
and select those experiences, which are appropriate in achieving the stated objectives.
Learning experience should provide opportunity for the development of independent
thinking, good judgment, self-discipline and integrity of purpose.
Planning Clinical Assignments
The students' future competence as a Nurse Practitioner depends to a large extent
upon the quality of instruction provided during clinical practice periods. Responsibility for
planning the clinical assignments rests squarely with the clinical supervisors, e.g. assigning
clinical responsibility, planning for ward-teaching, health-talk, case presentation, bedside
clinic/ward clinic, ward conferences, etc. recognize what else must be dealt within the
situation, besides the particular experience being planned.
Orientation of Students to the Clinical Area
The clinical supervisor has to orient the students to the clinical area, staff and
objectives, expectations from the student, assignments to be completed, duration of posting,
activities to be performed and adhering to the clinical rotation plan etc.
Matching the Right Student with the Right Client
The teacher has to identify the ability of students when planning their clinical
assignments. The less able student should be helped to move toward the level of performance
expected of all students in the group i.e., posting the students in clinical
area based upon their clinical requirement, e.g. Posting III year [Link]. (N) student in
ENT ward to render nursing care for the clients with ENT disorders.
Planning for Continuity of Care
The first day of learning experience, the student has to assess the client, observe the
client clinical findings and collect the history, document the history, reviews the chart of the
client, formulate/identify the Nursing diagnosis and plan the care by utilizing the principles
and steps of Nursing Process. On the second day, he can provide complete care and meet
holistic needs. By the 3rd day, he may help the client and his relatives to gain knowledge
about client's condition and needed assistance by family (the activities which family has to
carry out in rendering care to the client to attain optimum health), which includes
implementation of Nursing care activities as per long-term goals, short-term goals.
Providing adequate Clinical Supervision
The teacher has to supervise the student's tasks in the clinical area as Nursing is
practice discipline , strict clinical supervisory practice is essential, while posting the students
in clinical areas, INC norms related to teacher student ratio has to be followed strictly to
teach effectively.
Coordinating Classroom Teaching and Clinical learning
It is facilitated by formulating units of study, which are sufficiently broad reasonably
they can find suitable clients for students' assignments.
Recording Results to Help with the Planning of Future Clinical Assignments
The teacher should maintain the records and document students' performance in
clinical area. Cumulative records has to be maintained, which has to be submitted at the time
of pre finals and final examinations, The documentation should meet the purposes of the
course and reflect the strengths and weaknesses of each student.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Neerja, K.P., Text Book of Nursing Education, First Edition (Reprint– 2008), Jaypee
Brothers, New Delhi, Page No. 176-177.2.
2. Kapoor,Bimla&Handa,Uma: Nursing Education And Research; Block2 Curriculum D
evelopment And Implementation; First Edition (Reprint 2001) IGNOU New Delhi,
Page No.62-633.
3. Parthsarathy et al. (2000) IAP Textbook of Paediatric Nsg. Jaypee bros., 2 nd ed.
New Delhi.
4. . Brunner S. B., Suddarth D.S. The Lippincott Manual of Nursing practice
[Link]. Philadelphia.
5. Gail Wiscars [Link] T. Laraia. “Principles and practice of psychiatric
nursing”, 8th edition, , Elseveir, India [Link]. New Delhi 2005