Benjamin Bloom developed Bloom’s Taxonomy in 1956. It identifies three domains: cognitive, affective, and psychomotor, used to evaluate knowledge assimilated by the learner. Each domain has hierarchical categories that progressively measure the level of understanding achieved. This paper reviews each domain and list the categories found within, discuss how Bloom’s taxonomy apply to the case study presented by Larkin and Burton’s article ‘Evaluating a Case Study Using Blooms Taxonomy of Education’, and highlight the benefit of Bloom’s taxonomy as it relates to developing individualized nursing instructions.
Larkin and Burton’s abstract preface the Joint Commission’s directive for effective communication among caregivers during handoff to ensure patient safety (Larkin & Burton, 2008, p.360). The case study reviews the lack of handoff practice and its effect on continuum of care provided to “Ms. C, a 64-year-old woman, presented to the ambulatory surgery center for an open cholecystectomy” (p. 390), and the subsequent workshop utilizing Bloom’s Taxonomy of Education Objectives to educate and change clinical practice among the staff members.
From this reader’s vantage Ms. C’s respiratory de-compensation was a result of the nurses’ failure to communicate patients medical history and critical findings during unit-to-unit transfer and shift report, inadequate nurse to patient ratio along with incomplete charting, failure to recognize early signs and symptoms of respiratory compromise, and lack of critical thinking skills.
Evidenced by the case study’s assertions, Ms. C required oxygen in the post anesthesia care unit (PACU) but was transferred without it. Second, the PACU nurse did not communicate to the patient’s need for oxygen to the receiving nurse during handoff report. It is unclear if the surgeon wrote vital sign parameters and pulmonary toilet orders, or if there were standard protocols for this post operative unit. Ms. C’s
References: Blais, K. K., & Hayes, J. S. (2011). Professional Nursing Practice Concepts and Perspective (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson. Bouchard, G. J. (2011, November). In Full Bloom: Helping Students Grow Using the Taxonomy of Educational Objectives. The Journal of Physican Assistance Education, 22(4), 44-46. Larkin, B. G., & Burton, K. J. (2008, September). Evaluating a Case Study Using Blooms Taxonomy of Education. AORN, 88(3), 390-402.