ESSAY: Principles of Teaching and Learning (Disscusion 2)

Nursing faculty is responsible for creating an environment that is conducive to learning and accommodates the multiple learning styles and abilities of students. As a nurse educator, how might you design learning experiences for class and clinical environments to promote positive and effective learning for all students? Do you think students should use their preferred learning styles and perhaps risk becoming rigid and unable to learn in different ways (should a situation demand a different learning style)? Or should educators encourage students to be open to different methods of learning, moving them away from their comfort zones?

ANSWER

Principles of Teaching and Learning (Discussion 2)

Creating a Conducive Learning Environment among Nursing Students

In most health care educational settings, students attend classes and conduct practicums in real-world clinical environments. The responsibility of the nursing faculty in such settings is to help create environments that are conducive to learning and embraces different styles of learning and talents of the students. Research has shown that students become effective learners in environments that are supportive and make them feel like part of a team (Tharani, Husain & Warwick, 2017). If the environments prove to be overwhelming, unstructured, or unpredictable, the students may feel vulnerable or even anxious especially in real-world clinical settings (Tharani et al., 2017). Designing a teaching program in clinical settings that are unpredictable is more difficult to structure and plan than in the conventional classrooms.

With the above in mind, it is essential to consider some factors such as the structure and model of the program. For example, in the structure, the instructor might consider framing the class around a theme that embraces the student’s diversity both academically and culturally. Doing so will ensure that students are comfortable with one another. The instructor should devise strategies that allow students to show and share their talents. For example, the instructor may use a small group approach when dealing with students who are lagging or offering hands-on support during clinical settings (Tang & Chan, 2019).

Also, the program should be around a framework that revolves around the expected outcomes of the students. Moreover, the instructor may foster a sense of community by encouraging students to cooperate and collaborate. Through collaboration, students become comfortable around each other and become exposed to new ideas (Tang & Chan, 2019). An effective teacher should, therefore, encourage their students to be open to new ways of doing things. When students step out of their comfort zones, they become creative and exposed to more challenges and styles of learning.

References

Tang, F. W., & Chan, A. W. (2019). The learning experience of nursing students in a clinical partnership model: An exploratory qualitative analysis. Nurse Education Today, 75, 6-12. https://doi.org/ 10.1016/j.nedt.2019.01.003

Tharani, A., Husain, Y., & Warwick, I. (2017). The learning environment and emotional well-being: A qualitative study of undergraduate nursing students. Nurse Education Today, 59, 82-87. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2017.09.008