I had a clinical instructor in my first year of nursing school who helped me define the nurse I wanted to be. I knew I would teach because her values and interactions with students were influential to me and something I wanted to instill in future generations of nurses. She expected her students to come to clinicals prepared and know the medications they would be giving and what to monitor. This made a huge impression on me because I realized I had patients’ lives in my hands and this was something to take seriously. I utilize this teaching method with new nurses and students I work with because it makes you put your actions in perspective.
I believe it is important to teach students how to use critical thinking and problem solving for them to progress through life. Using the skill set of critical thinking you can solve issues professionally and personally in a logical manner.
My teaching theory is primarily problem-based learning (Ratnapradipa & Abrams, 2012). This involves small group class structure, individual and group presentations, practical application projects, and rubric for evaluation. I think students need to be active in the learning process for retention of information. When students are engaged it promotes open communication and can lead to more in depth understanding of concepts. I like to use group activities to promote teamwork because students need to understand as a nurse you will very rarely be without resources to assist in your care of patients.
The Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy (Su & Osisek, 2011) is another important theory base because it defines the cognitive processes related to learning. This is a foundation for nursing education because students are continuously building on prior knowledge and must be able to adapt to new situations which is why the concepts are important. I encourage students to look at the big picture in order to discern the nuances of each patient. I want them to be able to use past experiences to prevent errors as they progress through their career. McGuire (2015) describes a method for teaching students Bloom’s Taxonomy which I plan to employ. She presents a five step study cycle that students can use to develop deeper understanding of content.
I believe it is necessary to use multimodal teaching methods in order to reach my students. I use case studies, reading assignments, lecture, group activities, and open discussion when teaching because students have different learning styles and you must be able to connect with each student for them to be successful.
I think fair evaluation with timely feedback is required to have the best outcome. When evaluating students, I encourage self-reflection for insight on needs. If students can identify their learning needs, they can be more invested in finding solutions. I add my thoughts to their self-evaluation to provide a complete review for each student. I allow them to set goals they feel are appropriate and add goals I think are necessary for their success.
I am committed to lifelong learning and think I can always expand on my skills and knowledge base. I attend conferences, read journal articles, and perform evidence-based practice to ensure I am continuously maintaining current practice and am open to new ideas. The field of nursing changes daily so it is important to stay up to date on what is happening in order to provide the best education possible for my students.
References
McGuire, S.Y. (2015). Teach students how to learn: Strategies you can incorporate into any
course to improve student metacognition, study skills, and motiviation. Retrieved from
http://ebookcentral.proquest.com.
Ratnapradipa, D., & Abrams, T. (2012). Framing the teaching philosophy statement for health educators: what it includes and how it can inform professional development. The Health
Educator, 44(1), 37-42.
Su, W.M., & Osisek, P. (2011). The Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy: Implications for Educating
Nurses. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 42(7), 321-327.