Introduction
I’ll give an overview of the curriculum projects I’ve developed over the course and offer some thoughts in this essay. Through these efforts, it has been possible to construct a nursing curriculum, create lessons, activities, and evaluations, and tie them to the goals of the course. I’ll also go through how this course has affected my teaching philosophy, the difficulties in developing a nursing curriculum, and how the knowledge I’ve received will help me in my future career as a nurse educator.
Summary of Curriculum Project
I have developed a semester-long nursing curriculum that stresses fundamental nursing ideas and abilities. The program incorporates evidence-based practice, patient-centered care, and critical thinking abilities to educate students about their future responsibilities as nurses. One of the curriculum projects, for instance, dealt with ENT and Eye Assessment. Students were given an overview of the subject, involved in practical exercises, including medical gear, and had discussions and exams to gauge their comprehension. The curricular projects were created to promote active learning and provide students the chance to apply theory to real-world situations. The course objectives and curriculum projects were carefully matched up to make sure that the content and assessments directly supported the desired learning outcomes. The activities and assessments were diverse and catered to different learning styles, allowing students to engage with the material in various ways. By incorporating practical applications and opportunities for reflection, the curriculum projects aimed to enhance students’ understanding and retention of the nursing concepts presented.
Reflection
After giving my curricular projects some thought, I see that they may be improved to be more practical, student-centered, and simple to teach. The Nursing Fundamentals textbook from Chippewa Valley Technical College states that interactive exercises and simulations are examples of active learning strategies that have been proven to increase student engagement and knowledge retention (Ernstmeyer & Christman, 2021). Therefore, I would like to include more of these techniques in my curricular projects to give the students a dynamic and engaging learning environment.
According to research, encouraging student collaboration and critical thinking helps enhance their comprehension and build higher-order thinking abilities. To do this, I would add additional opportunities for group work, problem-solving, and analysis to the activities and assessments in my curricular projects. I may promote a student-centered approach that stimulates active involvement and the development of critical thinking skills by incorporating these components. It’s critical to match teaching methods with the objectives for learning, as Ernstmeyer and Christman (2021) emphasize on nursing skills. I can give the students a cogent and focused learning experience by making sure that the curriculum projects are tightly correlated with the learning objectives of the course. This alignment will improve the curriculum’s effectiveness while also making the teaching process more efficient and manageable.
Critique
This course has significantly influenced my personal teaching philosophy. Effective teaching, in the opinion of Ernstmeyer and Christman (2021), is developing a welcoming and inclusive learning atmosphere where pupils experience a sense of value, respect, and empowerment so that they are motivated to participate actively in the learning process. My idea that students should actively participate in their own learning is consistent with the emphasis on student-centered approaches underlined by the Macy Snugglebuns School of Nursing curriculum (Chippewa Valley Technical College, 2021). I can help my future nursing students have a dynamic and interesting learning experience by using a variety of teaching tactics and activities, like discussions, case studies, and clinical lab simulations. The significance of continuing reflection and constant development in curriculum design and delivery has been highlighted by this course. Incorporating reflection into the learning process, in line with Kolb’s Model of Experiential Learning, improves students’ capacity to evaluate and synthesize data, facilitating deeper learning (Chippewa Valley Technical College, 2021). I understand the importance of continually reviewing my teaching methods, getting student feedback, and changing my strategies to meet the changing needs of my students as a future nurse educator. This is consistent with my dedication to being a flexible, learner-centered educator.
Overall Reaction and Learning
I’ve generally been excited and satisfied by the educational modules activities. My involvement in the process of making a nursing curriculum has given me the chance to explore different instructing strategies and think about how they may be utilized effectively within the setting of nursing instruction. The exercises have constrained me to think critically and inventively, which has pushed me to come up with new ways to engage learners and support their learning. I feel more equipped and assured that I will be able to create and present an efficient nursing curriculum in the future as a result. Throughout the training, I moreover learned new things and created skills that will be exceptionally valuable to me as a future nurture teacher. My understanding of the essentials of successful education and learning has developed as a result of the emphasis on evidence-based hone and the utilization of a variety of instructional methods. I now know how to match course objectives with curricular components and create tests that accurately gauge students’ knowledge retention and application. These revelations will act as the cornerstone for my future educational initiatives, enabling me to design successful learning environments for my students.
Challenges in Creating a Nursing Curriculum
Finding a way to balance the requirement for practical, hands-on experience with the constraints of traditional classroom and online environments was difficult while developing a nursing program. Since nursing is a practical profession, it was difficult to come up with ways to model real-world situations while still giving students chances to use what they had learned and learned in productive ways. It took careful planning and ingenuity to create exercises and tests that could successfully close the gap between theory and practice. The various learning demands of the children presented another difficulty. Having distinct learning styles and interests, nursing students come from a variety of backgrounds. A challenging issue was creating a curriculum that supports inclusive teaching methods and takes into account these disparities. It meant taking into account different teaching methodologies, offering numerous opportunities for student involvement, and implementing tactics that promoted an inclusive learning atmosphere.
Knowledge for Future Nurse Education
Despite these challenges, designing a nursing curriculum has been extremely beneficial for honing my skills as a potential nurse educator. It has emphasized the value of adaptation, flexibility, and ongoing improvement in curriculum design as well as the necessity of giving emphasis to student-centered strategies and inclusive teaching techniques. By dealing with these difficulties, I have developed techniques to get around them and obtained a greater comprehension of the difficulties in developing a nursing curriculum, which will help future nursing students have a more fulfilling educational experience. I can provide opportunities for students to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world situations and deepen their comprehension of nursing principles by utilizing a variety of teaching tactics, including case studies, simulations, and group discussions. This student-centered teaching methodology encourages active learning, boosts student motivation, and equips aspiring nurses to take on real-world difficulties in their professional practice. By matching assessments to learning objectives, it is ensured that students are fairly assessed on their understanding of the course material. I may evaluate students’ capacity for critical thought, clinical judgment, and the use of evidence-based practice by creating assessments that accurately reflect the desired learning outcomes.
Impact on Teaching Practice
Despite the reality that I do not currently educate, this course has altogether changed my point of view of what a nurse teacher is and what they do. I’ve acquired a lot of knowledge and valuable skills through the projects and assignments I’ve performed throughout the course, and these will impact how I instruct in the future. I now have a better knowledge of how crucial it is to create a thorough syllabus, provide interesting course material, and use a range of instructional tactics to fulfill the various learning needs of students. My great desire to develop relevant learning opportunities for upcoming nursing students has been stoked by this training. I now have a profound understanding of the subtleties and complexities of nursing instruction, as well as the responsibility that comes with coordinating and forming the future generation of nurses. I am certain that, equipped with the knowledge and capacities I have gained, I will be able to set up an inviting and empowering learning environment that empowers critical thinking, evidence-based practice, and a lifelong devotion to proficient development.
Conclusion
My knowledge and skills as a potential nurse teacher have incredibly expanded as a result of the course’s educational modules projects. My understanding of effective teaching strategies and the value of student-centered approaches has deepened as a result of the creation and alignment of curriculum components. The assignments have given me the chance to consider my personal teaching philosophy, pinpoint my weaknesses, and provide the groundwork for developing nursing programs that are both interesting and effective.
References
Chippewa Valley Technical College. (2021). Nursing Fundamentals (K. Ernstmeyer & E. Christman, Eds.). Xanadu. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK591823/
Chippewa Valley Technical College (2021). Nursing Skills (K. Ernstmeyer & E. Christman, Eds.) Xanadu. https://wtcs.pressbooks.pub/nursingskills/
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