Purpose of Nursing Education

 

          Nursing education aims to prepare the next generation of nurses to become competent and skilled professionals. Nursing is an academically challenging profession that has a profound impact on our society. A nurse educator's role can significantly impact a student's and a nurse's lifelong commitment to learning, which accompanies them throughout their nursing career. As technology advances, new studies emerge with evidence-based research, and policies evolve, nurses must continually access the most accurate, evidence-based findings available to them. Therefore, having a nursing education is a continuous and cumulative learning process that enables the provision of the utmost care for patients.

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Personal Theory of Learning

 

            Over the past few decades, the influence of theorists such as Jean Watson, Florence Nightingale, Hildegard Peplau, Rogers, and many others has shaped the way for my personal theory of learning. 

          Pedagogy is a complex and multifaceted field that involves multiple models, methods, and assessments. I believe that there is no one formula for teaching. Educators must be flexible and assess students frequently based on their needs. As a general need for learners, I believe in caring pedagogy, which utilizes Jean Watson's caring theory and emphasizes thirteen key points. The first point highlights an energetic and enthusiastic class where learners engage in conversation with one another. Next, give students an authentic, caring presence. Identify yourself and encourage students to do the same. Make an effort to learn the students’ names and address them by their names. Allow silence so that learners can have time to think and contemplate. Listen to students with compassion and allow your mind to be silent while opening your heart. Be mindful of students’ feelings and comfort them as appropriate. Stay within the frame of reference. Respect others with kindness and dignity. Spread a virtual loving touch by replying with joyful emojis when on an online platform. Show a loving presence during discussions, lectures, and presentations. Demonstrate skills as caring, healing acts. Lastly, see, hear, and honor students subjectively (Christopher et al., 2020).

 

Roles and Responsibilities

 

          The student's roles and responsibilities differ from those of the teacher. The role of the student is to be open-minded and willing to share experiences, including education, work, and life. A successful student is self-motivated and self-disciplined, willing to commit 4-15 hours weekly to each course. Students should be open to accepting critical thinking and decision-making as a role in their learning process. Students are expected to communicate concerns before issues escalate. Lastly, students should be adaptable (Oermann et al., 2022).

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Roles of an Instructor

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          The role of the instructor involves promoting frequent contact with students by being available to them, providing office hours, responding to emails, and conducting online meetings. Educators should practice excellent communication skills and promote a welcoming atmosphere. Expectations for the class should be clearly represented in the syllabus before the course begins. Students should have clear expectations for assignments, including a rubric for each one. Feedback should be provided promptly, offering detailed comments specific to the student. Educators should promote active learning activities and strategies, such as incorporating discussions, concept maps, case studies, and group projects into the students’ learning. While students need to be self-motivated, teachers can help learners create timelines to stay on track and emphasize the importance of staying on schedule with tasks. Lastly, teachers should embrace diversity and talent and respect different ways of learning (Oermann et. al., 2022).  

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Teaching Methods

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          There are many different teaching methods, frameworks, and theories. One method is utilizing Concept maps. Concept mapping is a common tool used to promote critical thinking skills in nursing students. Concept maps allow connections between visual representations and the interconnections of concepts. They help educators assess students’ understanding of a concept and enable students to make meaningful connections. (Oermann et. al. 2022).

          Domain learning is a method that uses one or more of the three domains: cognitive, affective, and psychomotor. The cognitive domain involves thinking, the affective domain involves values and beliefs, and the psychomotor domain involves skilled movement. Each classification of the domain can be associated with a Taxonomy. Learning Domains are important to them because they establish the objectives that shape the course of the class, helping to assess whether the student is effectively learning (Oermann et al., 2022).

          Another method of teaching is the incorporation of more technology into learning, such as e-learning modules that allow students to work at their own pace. E-learning modules can enable students to receive high-quality learning, keep them engaged in active learning, and provide self-directed learning, allowing students to learn in a more flexible manner that accommodates their busy schedules (Logan et al., 2021).

          Manikin-based simulation is a method used to prepare students for clinical practice. Instructors will create a scenario that allows students to practice common occurrences, preparing them for what to do if the scenario occurs while they are on the floor. High-fidelity simulations are manikins designed to look as realistic as possible, keeping learners engaged. Students have found that providing students with real-life situations during simulation with high fidelity equipment can make learners feel confident and prepared for if the event were to occur in real life as the students have been given time to debrief on what went well and what could have been done differently (Hanshaw & Dickerson, 2020).

          Socratic inquiry is a teaching method that utilizes exploratory questions to help students reveal their existing knowledge and facilitate connections to concepts. Socratic questions involve six categories of questions to ask learners: analogy, clarification, connection, conclusion, definition, and probing. Socratic inquiry promotes critical thinking and self-reflection (Dinkins & Cangelosi, 2019).

 

Mission Statement

          My mission statement as a nurse educator is to provide the highest quality of teaching to nursing students while maintaining flexibility, compassion, and understanding as I guide them to success.

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Goals in Teaching

      My goal in teaching is to guide students toward success by promoting self-motivation, utilizing available resources, and incorporating the latest evidence-based research. I strive to be a teacher who provides students with prompt, detailed feedback to give them the honest critique needed to improve and blossom into competent nurses.  My teaching goals include being an approachable, patient, and understandable nurse educator. I believe in providing a supportive learning environment for learners. I believe teaching can employ a gentle, constructive approach as long as feedback is specific and detailed, aimed at promoting improvement. My goals in an educator role are to build rapport with students and to provide a trusting relationship. My goals also include managing online learning while promoting high-quality learning and using the newest evidence-based practices. I have goals to be inclusive while promoting diversity.

 

Conclusion

            Nursing is a complex profession that requires compassion, critical thinking skills, and a holistic approach. Nurse educators play an important role in getting students to competency, which in turn guides a new generation of nurses who may someday care for you or a loved one. Being an educator requires effective communication skills, extensive research, and a profound understanding of methods, theories, and frameworks to guide nursing students toward success.