Like many schools, the clinical units can not always accommodate all of the students. To address this issue, some students will float to other units. The obstacle has been how to maintain communication with students. I currently give students my cell phone number and they can either call or text me. They also have each other's numbers for emergency situations. Our students are not allowed to use their phones in the clinical setting. They must leave the clinical area. So, how do I communicate with students when there is an interesting experience or teachable moment occurring? I usually try to physically locate students, which is somewhat difficult and many times we miss the opportunity. So my answer was to use Twitter. I could then send an instant message to all students. I developed a policy and student rules/responsibilities. As it sometimes is, the hospital has a strict policy against phone usage by students. So what was a good idea is currently on hold. If anyone has had similar experiences and has gotten it to work, I would appreciate hearing from you. I still think this is a very workable solution and believe in time we will all be tweeting in clinical. Of course, it will be done in a professional and respectful manner.
L
