Nurse Educator Tips for Teaching

Guidelines on how to sustain the outcomes of simulation training and evaluate training programs are limited. Dr. Jane Paige describes their study of the impact of a professional development workshop for individuals responsible for developing, sustaining, and evaluating simulation educator training programs. They used a longitudinal exploratory design, guided by the New World Kirkpatrick Model. Significant changes in knowledge, confidence, and commitment were observed over time. This is a good example of sustaining the training of simulation leaders and educators through intentional processes that support, reinforce, monitor, and reward efforts.

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to prepare health professions admissions applications is increasing. These tools can improve writing but raise ethical concerns about application authenticity. Drs. Jill Brennan-Cook and Stephanie Gedzyk-Nieman share the results of their scoping review on the use of AI by applicants applying to nursing and other health professions programs and by admission reviewers. AI tools can enhance the efficiency of the admissions review process, but clear guidelines are needed by schools to address ethical issues.

A school of nursing employed a nurse informaticist in its simulation laboratory to address the complexities of technology usage and aid in data analytics. Mr. Eric Hall describes his role as an informaticist in the simulation setting. Eric and Dr. Jo Ellen Holt share benefits and outcomes of this new role in simulation. Read more in their article.

When nurse educators foster a growth mindset, they help students understand that mindset and attitudes are developed through dedication and practice, rather than fixed traits. One strategy to address this challenge is to modify our language to use words that foster continuous growth. In assessments where students are at the practice level, the terminology of pass or fail can be replaced with pass or practice. By using this terminology, students view practice as a constructive avenue for growth instead of inadequacy. In this podcast and teaching tip, Dr. Alison Hamner discusses how she promotes growth mindset in her courses.

Faculty workload models related to DNP projects have not kept pace with increasing enrollment and program expectations. Dr. Sara Hubbell explains a new faculty workload that was developed related to DNP projects to reflect a more equitable and realistic model. The faculty developed the Collaborative Section-Based Faculty Workload Model that resulted in increases in faculty satisfaction, retention, and student mentorship, while maintaining DNP project rigor. You can learn more about this new Workload Model in their article.

Unfolding case studies help students apply their knowledge to real life patient scenarios. Traditional methods of presenting case studies in asynchronous online courses often include using written or video discussion boards, which require waiting for instructor feedback. This podcast with Dr. Michelle Neuman presents an innovative strategy to engage students in critical thinking and problem-solving activities using unfolding case studies in an asynchronous online learning environment. You can learn more about this strategy in her article.

For many undergraduate nursing students (64%), burnout begins during their educational program. Resilience is a known protective factor to buffer against stress exposure that leads to burnout, but a lack of formal resilience training for undergraduate nursing students persists. Equine-assisted learning interventions promote resilience and decrease stress and burnout in a diversity of populations. In this podcast (and article), Dr. Shannon Burleson describes an equine-assisted learning intervention to reduce students' stress in school and practice after graduation.

Moral distress is a phenomenon with known negative effects for health care professionals, including nurses. Moral distress is thought to occur when an individual knows the morally right thing to do but is unable to do it, based on internal and external constraints. This podcast with Dr. Kathy Forte (and their article) presents a simulation experience for prelicensure students to help them experience a real-life ethical scenario from an ethical perspective.

Dr. Lisa Bailey and Ms. Jourdan Scoggins explain the core idea behind the "Declare Yourself" leadership process and how it builds trust between students and educators. They use the "Declare Yourself" process in their clinical courses and share their experiences. Learn more about this strategy and how you can use it in your courses in this podcast and article.

Health inequities across the United States, particularly in rural and medically underserved communities, are fueled by disparities in education, poverty, and social determinants. The shortage of accessible primary care providers exacerbates health inequities, leading to adverse outcomes and perpetuating disparities. Drs. Jannyse Tapp and Shannon Cole discuss a partnership model to prepare nurse practitioners to reduce health disparities in rural underserved communities. Read their article (it is Open Access) and share it with your colleagues.