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It’s Snowing at the Picnic: Teaching the Clinical Judgment Model Without Medical Content
🎙️ It’s Snowing at the Picnic: Teaching the Clinical Judgment Model Without Medical Content
In this episode of Learning Lab RN, we talk with Victoria Deardorff, an emergency department nurse educator who developed the Prioritization Picnic, a delightfully nonclinical activity that breaks down the clinical judgment model in its simplest form. Initially created for a pre-nursing class, this activity helps students practice the core components of clinical reasoning—noticing, interpreting, and responding—without getting stuck on content they haven’t learned yet. It's a great reminder that critical thinking doesn’t require complex patient scenarios to be effective—it just takes a clever setup, and maybe a picnic blanket.
🔑 Key Takeaways
The Clinical Judgment Model Doesn’t Require Medical Knowledge
- Victoria designed the Prioritization Picnic to help students practice the foundational thinking behind clinical decision-making before they even start nursing school. Students work through silly, but meaningful, scenarios using the framework: What do you notice? What does it mean? What are you going to do?
Noticing and Interpreting Are Distinct
- By separating out these two steps, students slow down their thinking. Instead of jumping straight to action, they learn to pause and analyze, just like nurses do when assessing a rapidly changing patient.
Nonclinical Scenarios Build Confidence
- Removing medical jargon gives students the freedom to focus on process over perfection. As they encounter unexpected “weather changes” at their imaginary picnic, learners gain comfort with ambiguity and decision-making skills that transfer directly to clinical practice.
Resources Mentioned:
- Download the prioritization picnic worksheet: learninglabrn.com
- Subscribe to the show: learninglabrn.com
- Join the newsletter and explore active learning tools: breakoutrn.com
- Full transcript: Here
Please offer your feedback about the show by emailing me!
If you listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, please take a moment to rate or review the show. This goes a long way toward helping me reach other educators! 😊
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By Martha Johnson🎙️ It’s Snowing at the Picnic: Teaching the Clinical Judgment Model Without Medical Content
In this episode of Learning Lab RN, we talk with Victoria Deardorff, an emergency department nurse educator who developed the Prioritization Picnic, a delightfully nonclinical activity that breaks down the clinical judgment model in its simplest form. Initially created for a pre-nursing class, this activity helps students practice the core components of clinical reasoning—noticing, interpreting, and responding—without getting stuck on content they haven’t learned yet. It's a great reminder that critical thinking doesn’t require complex patient scenarios to be effective—it just takes a clever setup, and maybe a picnic blanket.
🔑 Key Takeaways
The Clinical Judgment Model Doesn’t Require Medical Knowledge
- Victoria designed the Prioritization Picnic to help students practice the foundational thinking behind clinical decision-making before they even start nursing school. Students work through silly, but meaningful, scenarios using the framework: What do you notice? What does it mean? What are you going to do?
Noticing and Interpreting Are Distinct
- By separating out these two steps, students slow down their thinking. Instead of jumping straight to action, they learn to pause and analyze, just like nurses do when assessing a rapidly changing patient.
Nonclinical Scenarios Build Confidence
- Removing medical jargon gives students the freedom to focus on process over perfection. As they encounter unexpected “weather changes” at their imaginary picnic, learners gain comfort with ambiguity and decision-making skills that transfer directly to clinical practice.
Resources Mentioned:
- Download the prioritization picnic worksheet: learninglabrn.com
- Subscribe to the show: learninglabrn.com
- Join the newsletter and explore active learning tools: breakoutrn.com
- Full transcript: Here
Please offer your feedback about the show by emailing me!
If you listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, please take a moment to rate or review the show. This goes a long way toward helping me reach other educators! 😊