“Nurses are a unique kind. They have this insatiable need to care for others, which is both their greatest strength and fatal flaw.” – Dr. Jean Watson

It is important to remember as an instructor that trauma can affect learning, memory, and concentration, and cause disorganization. Ultimately, it interferes with the learning process, leaving students unable to retain new information, or apply concepts they have previously learned. It should be emphasized that educators should not change curriculum or leave out important topics, but rather focus on making the classroom a safe and conducive environment for students to learn.

The five principles of trauma-informed pedagogy are:
1. Ensure safety
2. Understand and acknowledge trauma
3. Maximize choice
4. Maximize collaboration
5. Prioritize collaboration
(CTRL n.d.).

When considered together, trauma, secondary trauma, burnout, and lack of resilience lead to decreased retention rates, nurses leaving the profession entirely, financial burdens for employers, decreased patient care and decreased patient satisfaction. All of these factors underscore the considerable need for trauma-informed pedagogy to be implemented in nursing education as a priority.

The effects and experiences of trauma can ultimately affect an individual’s performance in an academic setting. Students with a history of trauma may show difficulty understanding directions, prioritizing assignments, balancing their life, learning material, and retaining content. Trauma-informed pedagogy includes a classroom approach intended to decrease attrition and help ensure that students are meeting the intended learning outcomes. Ensuring students meet intended learning outcomes can facilitate learning, and this investment in the successful education of students can ultimately lead to more well-trained healthcare professionals (Arbour, 2024).

Strategies for implementing trauma-informed pedagogy:
1. Assuming everyone you interact with has a trauma in their history
2. Clearly stating objectives at the beginning of the class so students have an idea of the topics that would be covered in order to prevent potentially difficult material from being a surprise
3. Incorporating trigger warnings before video content or examples
4. Frequent check ins during lecture to make sure everyone is doing okay
5. Scheduled breaks, but also encourage students to take a break if they needed one

References:
Arbour, M., Walker, K. and Houston, J. (2024), Trauma-Informed Pedagogy:   
           Instructional Strategies to Support Student Success. J Midwifery Womens Health., 
           69: 25-32.  https://doi-org.offcampus.lib.washington.edu/10.1111/jmwh.13539
CTRL Faculty Resources. (n.d.). Trauma-informed Pedagogy Guide. TRAUMA-
           INFORMED PEDAGOGY PURPOSE OF THE TRAUMA-INFORMED
            PEDAGOGY GUIDE.https://edspace.american.edu/ctrl
            /traumainformedpedagogy/

Additional resources:
Trauma-Informed Pedagogy (TIP) | Teaching Support and Innovation (uoregon.edu)
Trauma-Informed Pedagogy | Denver (du.edu)