My growth as a nurse educator
Working as a nurse educator has given me an opportunity to nurture and grow on a personal and professional level. As a nurse educator, I nurtured my leadership skills by engaging with students and collaboratively working with other members of the faculty. I have learned to devise a vision for my class and inspire my students to work towards attaining the goal while equipping them with the necessary tools to realize the vision. Another area of growth I have witnessed is the sharpening of my teaching skills. Unlike before, I can effectively disseminate instructions to a large pool of students with different learning styles. In order to achieve this, I take time to examine students’ written work to determine areas that need improvement and highlight the students’ special needs. The information I gather through this process enables me to adapt the instructions to fit the specific needs of my students.
My communication and people skills have significantly improved. Working as a nurse educator has helped me overcome my fears and insecurities of talking in front of a large group of people. Currently, I can confidently interact with peers, students, and members of the faculty without having an overwhelming fear of people or second-guessing myself. My self-confidence as a nurse educator has tremendously increased. Consequently, I am more passionate about my work, with a contagious enthusiasm. I have grown to love nursing for what it stands for and the critical role it plays in society. Lastly, I am more professional, as elaborated by the increased collaboration and strong relationships I have with peers, students, and members of the faculty. I am a better team player, and my continued work as a nurse educator will continue to nurture my professional and personal growth.
Interprofessional collaboration
Interprofessional collaboration is at the root of the nursing practicum. When teaching infection prevention and control (IPC), professionals from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) were invited to collaborate with teachers and improve students’ understanding of the subject matter. The CDC professionals serving as experts in the field of IPC used their professional and personal experience to inform and teach the students about disease control and prevention. Through their experience handling highly infectious and dangerous diseases, the students learned a lot about disease control and prevention. Additionally, the CDC professionals further shared their experiences working during the coronavirus epidemic and the challenges they faced. They shared the lessons they learned, including the mistakes they made, which served as learning points (Sumiyoshi et al., 2020). Other professionals invited to enhance students’ learning included professors from other faculties. Physicians and practicing nurses were often invited to contribute to class material. For example, when learning about workplace collaboration, a doctor and a nurse were invited to speak about their experience collaborating and how it makes their work easier, improving the quality of care received by the patient.
Favorite teaching strategy and evaluation method
My favourite teaching style is role-play. In role-play, some learners play the role of patients while other learners assume other roles. Some nurses maintain the role of being a nurse, whereas others play the role of physician, technician, and family member, among others. Through role-play, the nurses learn the importance of communication in clinical settings. Role-play is also effective in boosting relationships between patients, family members, and healthcare professionals while enhancing technological skills. In order to enhance students’ understanding, I employ online simulations in cases where role-play doesn’t come in handy. These online simulations provide the learners with learning opportunities, whereby students learn in a simulated environment, which is similar to an actual healthcare environment. The use of role-play and simulations promotes effective communication skills, critical thinking, and decision-making skills among nurses, which are critical skills for nurses in the 21st century (Sebold et al., 2018).
I do not rely on a single evaluation method; rather, I use a combination of different tools to assess the learning progress of my students. These evaluations are conducted at different times in the semester. These tools include rating scales, questionnaires, attitude scales, interviews, and portfolios. I administer these evaluation tools at different intervals during the semester, which enables me to gauge the student’s progress.
Teaching Philosophy
My teaching philosophy is that no student is left behind.
My teaching/learning theory
The teaching theory that guides my teaching practice is the humanism learning theory. This is a learner-centric approach, which focuses on the potential of the learner instead of the learning material or method of teaching (Aliakbari et al., 2015). When using this theory, I operate from the perspective that all learners are good, and everyone has the potential to attain success. As a result, I focus on the student’s potential, which is maximized by creating an environment that is favourable to self-actualization. Through this theory, the needs of the students are met, and learners are free to set their own goals, while my work as a teacher is to help them attain their learning goals. This teaching theory aligns with my teaching philosophy that no student is left behind, which is why I found it attractive and favourable for my learners.
References
Aliakbari, F., Parvin, N., Heidari, M., & Haghani, F., A. H. (2015). Learning theories application in nursing education. Journal of education and health promotion, 412. DOI: 10.4103/2277-9531.151867
Sebold, L. F., Boell, J. E. W., Fermo, V. C., Girondi, J. B. R., & Santos, J. L. G. D. (2018)., S. L. (2018). Role-playing: teaching strategy that encourages reflections on nursing care. Revista brasileira de enfermagem, 71. Doi.org/10.1590/0034-7167-2017-0733
Sumiyoshi, T., Yokono, T., Kawachi, I., & Suzuki, T. (2020). Learning outcomes of interprofessional collaboration among medical and nursing students in Japan. Journal of Interprofessional Education & Practice, 21, 100377. DOI: org/10.1016/j.xjep.2020.100377
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