Nurses must be lifelong learners in order to be the clinical experts needed to meet the evolving demands of healthcare. This commitment to learning begins in nursing school when students are inspired by educators to be active learners with inquisitive minds. As a nurse educator, it is my job to facilitate the type of learning that motivates students to be effective lifelong learners. Teaching is a rewarding profession and it is a privilege to play a part in influencing change by mentoring the next generation of nurses.
My teaching style has evolved through multidimensional experiences as both an educator and student. My role as a lifelong learner and desire to connect with varying learning styles has inspired my teaching philosophy. My philosophy of teaching is built on elements of progressivism and is reflective of the humanism and constructivism learning theories.
Progressivism is rooted in the belief that educators should facilitate learning. Teaching students to take responsibility for their learning is a priority for me. I believe it is important to help students understand their resources, look for new learning opportunities, and identify the types of questions they should be asking. I aim to help students decipher what information matters and how to apply it in the future by crafting varied experiences in the learning environment. These experiences offer a comprehensive understanding of nursing concepts and students become well-rounded learners.
I strive to create a learning environment where students feel motivated, respected, and safe. Humanism has influenced by desire to build trusting and caring relationships with my students through my actions and word choices. I hold high standards for myself and in turn set high expectations for my students because I know they can achieve them. For I believe, in this type of learning climate, self-confidence and self-efficacy can be built.
Watching the growth of a novice nursing student over a semester is very rewarding. The excitement a student and I experience when connections are made, and complex skills are performed generates self-reliance within a student nurse. They begin to believe they have the tools and ability to achieve their goals and be successful. I focus on setting fair expectations and trusting each student’s unique abilities, so they become effective and efficient learners. I believe, as an individual’s self-efficacy strengthens, they begin to set higher goals for themselves and use the tools they have learned to achieve deeper clinical reasoning.
Students become active participants in the learning process when faculty act as a facilitator and create a safe environment to learn. I strive to create classrooms filled with rich discussions and application of knowledge so students are able to build on their understanding of nursing concepts. I believe it is important to use case scenarios in classroom and lab settings, simulations, group discussions, and deliberate patient assignments in clinical. These experiences should be followed by debriefing and reflection to promote connections and deep understanding. By creating meaningful experiences and offering time for reflection, I aim to help students construct their own learning and bring it to life for future application.
Offering timely and constructive feedback for every teaching encounter is important to me because it helps students recognize their strengths and weaknesses. I believe, that evaluation fosters an increased desire to learn and strengthens critical thinking skills. Feedback on my personal performance as an educator from my students and colleagues has given me confidence in my teaching abilities and allowed me to adapt my techniques to better help students be successful. I strive to model and facilitate this type of self-reflection for my students so they can use their own evaluations to continue to grow as professionals and high-level thinkers.
My passion for lifelong learning drives my teaching style. I aspire to facilitate a learning experience that focuses on building self-efficacy through high expectations, active learning, and using constructive feedback to prepare future nurses. I love teaching and hope to influence the next generation of nurses to be well-rounded clinical experts who provide the level of care each of their patients deserve.