Nurse Educator Tips for Teaching

Open Educational Resources (OERs) are high-quality, freely accessible educational tools that promote accessibility and foster global knowledge sharing. Faculty developed 2 OER textbooks that students access freely to supplement their learning in their nursing theory courses. These OERs aim to increase critical thinking, clinical judgment, and application of knowledge to real-world clinical contexts. This podcast with Dr. Kateryna Metersky and article present how one school of nursing uses OER resources to promote critical thinking in prelicensure students.

In clinical education, "teaching up" refers to instances when students tactfully share updated clinical information with preceptors who may not be up to date on recent evidence-based practices. In this podcast and article , Drs Ragan Johnson, Janelle Bludorn, and Brittany Macon-Davis describe this challenges for students and offer 2 methods of preparing students to educate their preceptors. In the graduate nursing program, after a prebrief, students role-played scenarios, including outdated asthma guidelines, with faculty serving as preceptors. A structured debrief on giving and receiving feedback, role of power dynamics in professionalism, and psychological and patient safety with the entire class followed with opportunities for students to share various language suggestions. The PA program used a self-directed approach where learners role-played scenarios in which a PA student addressed a preceptor using outdated hypertension guidelines. Structured questions explored giving and receiving feedback and interacting with supervising physicians.

Incivility in undergraduate nursing education is a complex, multifaceted issue. Student-to-faculty incivility can be characterized by behaviors that negatively impact the faculty's ability to perform and enjoy their job. This podcast with Rebecca Weaver (and article) discuss the need for targeted interventions and institutional strategies to address incivility in the academic setting.

The authors developed a guided writing method for an undergraduate nursing course by incorporating 3 active learning strategies: in-class writing workshops, guided worksheets, and real-time collaboration using peer-review teams. By providing students with dedicated time for in-class writing, students avoid procrastination, reduce reliance on AI, and are encouraged to access available resources such as the library and writing and tutoring center. The course was redesigned so that 50% of class time is workshop-based. Drs. Cibele Webb and Nicole Mentag describe this innovation in this podcast and article.

For nursing students, a gratitude jar promotes mindfulness and gratitude by encouraging reflection on the positive aspects of their lives. Dr. Catherine Stubin introduced this method at the start of the semester in a Capstone course with undergraduate senior nursing students, aiming to cultivate a more mindful and appreciative attitude. Students maintained a daily gratitude jar as an at-home exercise, reflecting on the positives in their lives. At the semester's end, they were encouraged to read through their collected notes and reflect on what they were grateful for. Dr Stubin describes this strategy for promoting students' mental health wellness in the podcast and article and how it can be used in any undergraduate or graduate nursing course.

In this podcast, Dr. Laura Klenke-Borgmann describes their reverse-engineered roadmap, using the SimZone system, to develop a competency based education simulation curriculum that culminated with an individual objective structured clinical examination (OSCE). OSCEs also were used to provide deliberate skill practice and small group simulation practice, leading to a summative OSCE. This approach (described further in their article) is a model for other nursing programs to implement competency-based curricula through leveled simulations and iterative learning.

Students from diverse racial-ethnic groups or those who have encountered racism, discrimination, violence, or community unrest are more likely to experience trauma, which impacts their ability to learn. In this podcast and article, Dr. Rana Najjar, who is an expert in trauma-informed (TI) education, provides TI strategies that educators can use to address inequities and enhance the teaching and learning experience for students and faculty.

In this podcast, Faith A. Tissot, RN, MSN-Ed, CCRN, a PhD student at Texas Woman's University, Houston, Texas, explains Nursology.net and the many resources on the website for nurse educators. Nursology.net supports educators in teaching and applying nursing theory and philosophy in both academia and clinical areas and provides many opportunities for collaboration, dialogue, and contributions from educators and nursing students. There also is an Education Exemplars page at https://nursology.net/exemplars/education-theory/.

You can sign up for Nursology.net emails at https://nursology.net/contact/. It's FREE.

Standards for simulated patient encounters have been developed; however, the sequencing of simulation experiences has not been well-established. Sequencing purposefully manipulates the order of nursing content delivery including didactic, simulation, and clinical practice. Limited research has prevented the development of sequencing standards that may improve student learning. Learn more about simulation sequencing in this podcast with Brandy Falconer and the few studies that have been done.

Empathetic communication is a cornerstone of high-quality, patient-centered nursing care, especially in palliative end-of-life situations. Students report anxiety and uncertainty with having difficult conversations with patients in both the simulated and clinical setting. A Choose your Own Adventure Game allows students to explore different approaches to communication, receive immediate feedback, and experience the true impact of their words on patient outcomes. In this podcast and article, Judith Caroline Quick describes this approach and how it builds confidence in students, allowing them to practice without judgment before communicating with patients in the clinical setting.