Unit 1 – Activity 4: Reflective Journal
I am presently on my third semester of the MSN program – Education track. I can say that each semester brings a new challenge, greater expectations and higher demand of study time to analyze and understand what is being required of the course. I feel that dividing time and juggling between the needs of my family, long hours of work and the demand of my studies are challenging me to bring out the best in me. Following my passion towards the things that I want to achieve in my profession makes me look at the challenges as positive motivators to move forward, gain more knowledge and master more skills in order to become an excellent nurse educator, effective in preparing and mentoring patient care providers and future leaders of our profession.
This unit of study has taught me a lot of things. First is the role of nurse educators in a variety of settings. Teaching is an integral part of nursing, so becoming a nurse educator is a natural step for most of us. Whether working in the classroom or the practice setting, nurse educators play a pivotal role in strengthening the nursing workforce, serving as role models, and providing the leadership needed to implement evidence-based practice and improve patient outcomes. The second thing that I learned in this unit is the variety of teaching strategies that can be used in different fields of nursing and in teaching the diversified student population, yet providing them with an adequate knowledge based on their learning needs and directing them to use the study methods that would be most helpful to them with their preferred learning styles (Billings & Halstead, 2009). The third is planning. Creating a teaching plan using the teaching model is very challenging. It entails various factors to consider what a nurse educator wants to bring to the classroom. Like the need to assess what are the prior experiences, skills, knowledge and values the nursing students have, to serve as basis in designing learning experiences that best meet the diverse learning needs of the students in their program. This will also help educators in developing the most effective teaching and learning environment for the students, (De Young, 2009).
As a preceptor in the critical care unit, I feel that the knowledge I learn in this subject is helping me to provide students and my colleagues a better exposure to nursing theory and science application in real care settings. With more knowledge and teaching skills that I will learn further in this program, I believe that I will turn out to be a competent teacher and mentor to guide them as they take their initial steps towards becoming confident and highly competent health care providers.
References:
Billings, D. M. & Halstead, J. A. (2009). Teaching in nursing: A guide for faculty, (3rd ed.). St. Louis, MO.: Saunders Elsevier.
De Young, S. (2009). Teaching strategies for nurse educators, (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall.
