Evaluation of teaching and learning Leadership, Management and Teamwork skills through use of class debate

In order to apply for entry to the NMC register, all student nurses are required to meet Leadership, Management and Team-working (LMT) competency requirements of the Standards for pre-registration nursing education, (NMC, 2010). Increasing size of student cohorts numbers presents challenges for both teachers and students, particularly in the field of LMT where development of self-awareness, questioning attitude and confidence to challenge the status quo are particularly requisite. Classroom debates are recognised as an effective method to encourage development of skills such as critical thinking and communication in other disciplines, but there is limited evidence in support of debates in healthcare education. The aim of this preliminary study was to gain insight into 3rd year nursing students‘ perceptions of the effectiveness of class debates as a learning opportunity for development of their LMT competencies. Information derived from systematic data analysis using a framework approach was used to gain understanding of the factors contributing to the effectiveness of class debates as a teaching strategy in LMT nursing education and to inform the design of future teaching interventions. Presentation of findings is followed by a discussion of lessons learned and the author‘s reflections about the sustainability of the intervention.