Nursing Education You Are Beginning to Develop

Nursing Education

You are beginning to develop a fundamental course for the beginning nursing student. As nurses and educators, we know that learning skills require practice, drill, and observation. These essential skills form the beginning foundation of proficiencies that the student nurse needs in order to successfully move forward. As you review the course content, you have decided that you want to utilize an adult learning theory that provides the learner with an opportunity to not only master the beginning skills through practice but also actively construct knowledge while collaborating with others.

This class has opened my eyes to many aspects to education that I previously was unaware of. I truly support the Social Cognitive Theory which incorporates learning through observation, personal, and environmental factors proposed by Albert Bandura. There are five areas which connect students to learning which includes: observational learning and modeling, outcome expectations, perceived self-efficacy, goal setting, and self-regulation (Denler, Wolters, & Benzon, 2013). I am currently working in the clinical setting providing education, competencies, and skills for expanding their current role of practice. The need for such proficiencies is to facilitate and support the new policies and procedures being implemented requiring nursing to work to their full licensing potential.

In my classroom, I would choose a pedagogical approach to setting up the desks that form groups of 4 or 5 so that once students visualize a demonstration or learn a new concept or task they can discuss and collaborate with others around them. According to Juhary (2012) "seating arrangement has helped the process of teaching and learning, and that both students and the instructor gain benefit from this practice. As a pedagogical tool, the arrangement allows the instructor to identify students who are weak and ultimately to arrange for activities and select materials that can assist learning" (p 15). By utilizing or implementing the andragogical setting or "adult learning theory" as depicted of Malcom Knowles through "The Adult Learning," (2013) the learner "instruction should be task-oriented instead of memorization -- learning activities should be in the context of common tasks to be performed by the others."

Looking at adult learners, I should be aware of the student's learning styles to apply reasonable strategies to enrich the experience. Motivation must be addressed and people's capabilities and potentialities must be developed as they make choices and seek control over their lives (Schunk 2012). Cognitive theories focus on the learner finding meaning in what is being taught and being able to apply the new information to examine previous experiences (Jackson, 2009). Using collaboration throughout the learning-teaching experience is essential to promote positive outcomes for both the learner and educator. By collaborating on planning and teaching, educators are potentially better able to meet the needs of diverse students and fulfil their duties (Thousand, Villa, Nevin 2006).

As an educator, I would incorporate these two theories to promote active learning to engage the new nursing students so they may acquire knowledge. This can be done through role playing, motivating inquiry-based dialogue, experiential work activities, small groups, problem-based exercises and the incorporation of technology to enhance research skills. The educator uses the social cognition framework to amplify the skills that are required for practice through observation during the beginning of nursing school. The constructivist framework will enable the students to use the knowledge they have gained to collaborate and communicate and 'construct' the new information which is needed to master the skills needed to use in the field thereby increasing the use of critical thinking skills.