Marco jurídico del programa de reparaciones y grado de participación de las

The sixth theme that emerged from the data was the “importance of learning.” In addition to learning the required information, it is critical that students understand why the information is important. All participants agreed on this point. Lindsey utilized a Red Cross recruitment video at the beginning of her blood bank course to reinforce this idea. The video is about a man that was in a snowmobile accident; he severed both femoral arteries. The video describes the care and recovery of the patient. Lindsey explained, “[This video] gives them the impact of ‘Whoa, I have a lot to learn.’” Lindsey asserted, “It’s really important because there is a real person on the other side of what we are doing.”

Melanie stated,

“It is hugely important to prepare the students with strong study skills from early on. The students that we have seen recently are not prepared for the academic rigor of the program. So, we try to help them learn strong study skills from the beginning. The students think, ‘Oh, she is so nasty. She is not supporting us.’ They want to know exactly what to study instead of realizing that everything is

important. My philosophy is, you don’t walk into the lab and they say, ‘Ok, today you are going to have a sickle cell anemia and somebody who needs a

transfusion.’ That is not how it works in the real world. You have to be able to adapt to whatever is coming. This is why we promote strong study skills from the beginning. I want them to understand that it is all important.”

Anecdotes, real life examples, and case studies assist MLS and MLT educators to help students understand the importance of what they are learning. Lisa stated, “The more an instructor can come up with real life case studies and anecdotes, the higher the probability the students will actually realize how important this knowledge is to their future.” Lisa continued, “It is helping them understand with examples from a real job situation. I think it will strengthen their grasp of why it is important to their future career.”

Lisa described the benefit of having a student in her MLS program who already obtained a MLT degree. She said, “When [MLS] students interact with the people who are moving from MLT to MLS, they see the importance of that knowledge.” In

agreement, Karla stated, “I try to say that it is not about you learning for the test. It is important to know how to apply it when you get into the workforce.” Tracy also agreed and stated, “I think it is easier to learn when you can relate it to real life.”

It is important to get students to recognize the big picture of healthcare. Abby stated, “Of course we always give them the statistics. As far as, 70% to 80% of the results generated by you are what the doctors use to base their diagnosis for patients.” Kristie creates connections across the various courses in her MLS program. Kristie stated, “They have those lightbulb moments come on when they understand how

information connects across the different disciplines and creates a whole picture of the patient.” Kristie continued, “We really approach our education as we are trying to prepare scientists. They are going to many different diverse things in their career.” Kristie stated, “We have to prepare scientists that can adapt that are capable of learning on their own and embracing continuing education.” Roland agreed and said,

“Students want to feel like they will make a difference in the world when they graduate and enter their careers. We want them to understand how this education and training will be applied, and useful, and beneficial to both them and the community around them.”

Elizabeth works to incorporate difficult scenarios into the laboratory practice to help the students think critically about how they approach topics and relate things back to the real world. Elizabeth stated,

“I have them take information and apply it to a situation that is when they think like professionals. For example, one time I had an oval fat body thing happening on one of the scopes. A student accidently got immersion oil on the scope and it was all over the slide. So, I took this and turned it into an opportunity. I asked the students, ‘what is going on here?’ They had concluded that there was oil contamination and that is not a straight forward conclusion to reach. You really have to think about it.”

Many of the participants correlated the importance of the curriculum to real life experiences. They noted that real-life connections bring the big picture into focus. It is not just about passing the next test or obtaining national certification; it is about really learning and understanding the MLS and MLT body of knowledge to provide the best

patient care possible. Their descriptions show how they help students understand the importance of what they are learning and enhance meaning. In addition, sharing their experiences and anecdotes helps students develop a positive attitude towards their learning as it helps them truly understand why what their learning is important and how the outcomes that they produce in the workforce can have both positive and negative effects on patients.