Change is coming to Nursing Education
As the world changes and progresses, so must we as nurses, and as nurse educators. Florence Nightingale once said “For we who nurse, our nursing is something which, unless we are making progress every year, every month, every week, we are going back. No system shall endure which does not march” (Nightingale, F.). This statement is a prophecy for the progression of nursing and nursing education in the 21st Century. I wonder what Florence would say in a reflection from then until now about the progress that has been made, the milestones we have seen, and the bright future we have in front of us.
As the world population becomes globalized, technology explodes into our everyday lives, patients become more informed, costs continue to rise with higher patient acuity and healthcare moves back into the community setting; we must prepare the nurses of the future for constant change. Nursing education leaders are calling for radical transformation in nursing education so that the scholarship of teaching is valued and implemented. The shift toward learner centered classrooms is occurring with new nurse educators being taught learner centered teaching and evaluation strategies. It will take time to graduate nurse educators that have learned new paradigms in education as the traditional route in nursing education still has its foot firmly planted (Benner., 2010. Billings and Halstead., 2012). Current nurse educators will have to embrace to future or fall behind as the new generation of nurse educators begin practice. The status quo is on its way out the door but will not happen overnight. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) have developed position papers and outlined the steps to nursing education reform with a website is packed with information on this very topic. http://www.aacn.nche.edu/news/articles/2010/carnegie
The new paradigm for nursing education calls for learner-centered teaching and evaluation strategies that meet the needs of a diverse student population. Learner-centered teaching and evaluation strategies are being developed for all settings in nursing including large and small classrooms and lab and clinical settings. Rote memorization and test taking will no longer survive in the new paradigm of nursing education. Clinical experiential learning is moving into the community and simulation practice for the real world. Nursing quality concepts must now be integrated into all nursing school program outcomes as an expectation for accreditation (QSEN.org). Healthcare systems have a voice in the education of nurses and expect them to come prepared with knowledge, skills and attitudes that reflect core concepts in nursing practice including patient-centered care, teamwork and collaboration, evidence based practice, quality improvement, safety and informatics (QSEN.org).
As a nurse educator student, everything mentioned here is what I am being prepared to do. Change is coming to nursing education and I will be on the forefront of this change. A nurse educator must have the ability to reflect upon one’s own teaching style and ask if it is meeting the needs of the nursing students of today and tomorrow, not of yesteryear. The nurse educator of today will demand active learner centered teaching strategies, and tests will not be the main form of evaluation of students. The nurse educator today must remain current and will stimulate the student to become inquisitive and develop life-long learning skills to remain current in the field of nursing. As the world changes and progresses, so must we as nurses, and as nurse educators.
Benner, P., Stuphen, M., Leonard, V., & Day, L. (2010) Educating nurses: A call for radical transformation. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Billings, D.M. & Halstead, J.A. (2012). Teaching in nursing: A guide for faculty (4th ed.). St Louis, MO: Elsevier Saunders.
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2010). Retrieved 9/5/2015 from: http://www.aacn.nche.edu/news/articles/2010/carnegie
Quality and safety in Nursing Education. Northwestern University. Retrieved 9/5/2015 from:
QSEN.org
As the world population becomes globalized, technology explodes into our everyday lives, patients become more informed, costs continue to rise with higher patient acuity and healthcare moves back into the community setting; we must prepare the nurses of the future for constant change. Nursing education leaders are calling for radical transformation in nursing education so that the scholarship of teaching is valued and implemented. The shift toward learner centered classrooms is occurring with new nurse educators being taught learner centered teaching and evaluation strategies. It will take time to graduate nurse educators that have learned new paradigms in education as the traditional route in nursing education still has its foot firmly planted (Benner., 2010. Billings and Halstead., 2012). Current nurse educators will have to embrace to future or fall behind as the new generation of nurse educators begin practice. The status quo is on its way out the door but will not happen overnight. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) have developed position papers and outlined the steps to nursing education reform with a website is packed with information on this very topic. http://www.aacn.nche.edu/news/articles/2010/carnegie
The new paradigm for nursing education calls for learner-centered teaching and evaluation strategies that meet the needs of a diverse student population. Learner-centered teaching and evaluation strategies are being developed for all settings in nursing including large and small classrooms and lab and clinical settings. Rote memorization and test taking will no longer survive in the new paradigm of nursing education. Clinical experiential learning is moving into the community and simulation practice for the real world. Nursing quality concepts must now be integrated into all nursing school program outcomes as an expectation for accreditation (QSEN.org). Healthcare systems have a voice in the education of nurses and expect them to come prepared with knowledge, skills and attitudes that reflect core concepts in nursing practice including patient-centered care, teamwork and collaboration, evidence based practice, quality improvement, safety and informatics (QSEN.org).
As a nurse educator student, everything mentioned here is what I am being prepared to do. Change is coming to nursing education and I will be on the forefront of this change. A nurse educator must have the ability to reflect upon one’s own teaching style and ask if it is meeting the needs of the nursing students of today and tomorrow, not of yesteryear. The nurse educator of today will demand active learner centered teaching strategies, and tests will not be the main form of evaluation of students. The nurse educator today must remain current and will stimulate the student to become inquisitive and develop life-long learning skills to remain current in the field of nursing. As the world changes and progresses, so must we as nurses, and as nurse educators.
Benner, P., Stuphen, M., Leonard, V., & Day, L. (2010) Educating nurses: A call for radical transformation. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Billings, D.M. & Halstead, J.A. (2012). Teaching in nursing: A guide for faculty (4th ed.). St Louis, MO: Elsevier Saunders.
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2010). Retrieved 9/5/2015 from: http://www.aacn.nche.edu/news/articles/2010/carnegie
Quality and safety in Nursing Education. Northwestern University. Retrieved 9/5/2015 from:
QSEN.org