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The Clinical Nurse Educator (CNE) wears many hats in the organization. The CNE's role, integral to the success of the healthcare organization and the nursing staff, includes a varied and extensive list of critical responsibilities, including:

Onboarding and orientation of new staff

Providing training and continuing education

Updating policies and procedures

Working with hospital management to develop and meet strategic organizational goals

Because the CNE has a wide range of responsibilities, they need tools to effectively address the demands of the role and create efficiencies wherever possible.

The CNE faces daily challenges such as extreme changes in healthcare regulations, the need to evaluate the evidence that supports clinical practice, and a reduction in resources. It is important that they leverage solutions that help them meet these challenges while cost-effectively ensuring that the clinicians at their organization consistently deliver safe patient care.

Challenges Faced

In confidential research conducted by Elsevier, a world-leading provider of nursing and medical information products and services, key information was uncovered about the demands placed upon CNEs' time and the factors that hamper their overall efficiency and effectiveness. The following list captures the critical challenges they face:

Ensuring staff competency. The CNE is key in helping to ensure that staff members at all levels are competent in their role and documented as such. However, achieving this goal in an efficient and effective manner depends on the quality of the systems and processes that a hospital has in place. Otherwise, the work at hand becomes arduous and overwhelming.

Meeting multiple demands for educational materials. CNEs often are bombarded with a high volume of requests for educational information that may or may not be readily available. In many cases, the requested information requires extensive research to find content that is current, accurate, authoritative, and evidence-based.

Resolving conflicting resource information. Information that is made available to nurses and other health- care professionals is likely to have been derived from various sources. CNEs are responsible for ensuring that this information does not conflict with hospital policies and procedures, best practices, and standards, as well as the latest evidence.

Addressing unique learning styles. To be effective, a CNE needs to educate based on an individual's unique learning style and ensure that the information is geared toward his or her level of education and expertise. Developing targeted educational programs and resources can be time-consuming and complicated.

Updating policies and procedures. A CNE plays an essential role in helping to keep hospital policies and procedures up to date on an annual basis and as practice, standards, and regulations change. Efficient resources are not always available to ensure that this process goes as smoothly and efficiently as possible.

Depending on generic search engines. Unfortunately, CNEs often have to depend on Google and other generic search engines to find needed information. The search results are not vetted in a manner that ensures the delivery of accurate and current information from reliable sources. This effort is further complicated because the CNE must sort through volumes of search results that do not match nursing and medical terminology.

Wading through dense on-line resources. Text-heavy, web-based materials hinder the CNE in quickly retrieving information.

Conducting offline research. On occasion, CNEs need to go beyond traditional research, that is, calling drug companies or other hospitals or posting queries on association forums to find information.

In one scenario reported by a CNE respondent, she said it took her four days to adequately answer questions the pediatric oncology unit had about intravenous (IV) chemotherapy and related skin complications. She used available search tools to try to identify the latest evidence and practice standards but was unable to pinpoint what she needed. And she conducted this research while trying to meet the other daily demands of her role as a CNE.

In confidential research conducted by Elsevier, a world-leading provider of nursing and medical information products and services, key information was uncovered about the demands placed upon CNEs' time and the factors that hamper their overall efficiency and effectiveness.

When evaluating web-based products, healthcare administrators should focus their efforts on a variety of factors during the decision-making process.

The solution also should incorporate convenient competency management system functionality to form one single, yet comprehensive, resource for healthcare professionals.

Other features to look for include:

Convenient online access to evidence-based skills and procedures

Content adapted with insight from leading nursing and other healthcare associations and societies

Continuous updates to reflect the latest in evidence-based practice

Built-in administrative functionality that enables assignment, management, and validation of skills competency

The ability to customize content to align with an institution's specific protocols, processes, vocabulary, and workflow

The ability to establish specific learning criteria for the entire staff and to evaluate and deliver information appropriate for individual learning styles and needs

The ability to monitor progress and generate reports to measure staff competency against established standards and identify learning gaps

Ease of integration with a learning management system to coordinate and track education and competency

A user-friendly interface that expedites access to information

The pace of medical innovation and regulatory changes is dizzying, with new information continuously coming to light that could affect clinical decisions. With so much on the line, it is critical for healthcare organizations to have confidence in the informational resources upon which they depend.

Point-of-Care Reference Tool
Among the CNE's most critical tasks is answering immediate needs for information at the point of care. This requires instant access to trusted and authoritative information to quickly answer pressing clinical questions and bring evidence-based best practices directly to the bedside.

To find an appropriate solution, decision makers should evaluate both the technology and the content. The reference solution should integrate powerful search technology to streamline workflow, along with trusted content. Having this solution will help build the confidence of the staff in decision making and the application of knowledge in their practice.

Clinically focused, evidence-based nursing monographs

Renowned nursing and medical reference texts

Leading nursing journals

Peer-reviewed clinical updates

The latest drug information and calculators

Patient education handouts

Continuing education programs are expensive and can demand a great deal of time. Having online programs available at the healthcare organization offers convenience and helps offset an individual's expense.

Among the CNE's most critical tasks is answering immediate needs for information at the point of care. This requires instant access to trusted and authoritative information to quickly answer pressing clinical questions and bring evidence-based best practices directly to the bedside.

Continuing Education
Nurses and other healthcare providers are responsible for continuing their education. They can seek continuing education (CE) opportunities at conferences, at seminars, through journals, and through online sources. The CNE plays a major role in developing programs that are offered in house and in supporting nurses and others to participate in off-site CE activities and programs. However, CNEs can provide these activities and programs through an online format. This promotes convenient access for the learner and helps free up the CNE to spend more quality time in the clinical setting.

Online continuing education programs are growing at an exponential pace. Decision makers need to be cautious when evaluating programs to ensure that the content and delivery mode meet some basic requirements. Programs should:

Provide CE credits from an accredited organization, such as the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)

Provide high-quality, current, evidence-based content developed in conjunction with key nursing associations

Provide programs that are specific to their needs, including orientation and certification preparation

Offer guidance on integrating online learning with traditional education to provide an effective blended-learning approach

Offer a delivery platform that allows for tracking, reporting, and managing of eLearning courses and other education

The right eLearning courses delivered the right way at the right time can help promote best practices, ensure optimal patient outcomes, and provide the educational opportunities nurses need to advance in their careers.

Conclusion

There is no doubt that the role of the CNE is both critical and complex. However, with the right tools in place, he or she can contribute even more to a facility's informational and educational needs. With immediate access to authoritative sources and up-to-date content through technology that is built strictly for healthcare, today's Clinical Nurse Educators can use their time more effectively and work more efficiently for enhanced job performance and satisfaction.
Learn more about our Nursing Suite of solutions to enhance staff knowledge and competency

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Empowering Clinical Nurse Educators With Tools To Drive Efficiency

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The Clinical Nurse Educator (CNE) wears many hats in the organization. The CNE's role, integral to the success of the healthcare organization and the nursing staff, includes a varied and extensive list of critical responsibilities, including: Onboarding and orientation of new staff Providing training and continuing education Updating policies and procedures Working with hospital management to develop and meet strategic organizational goals Because the CNE has a wide range of responsibilities, they need tools to effectively address the demands of the role and create efficiencies wherever possible.

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Great for making recordings and for professional portfolio.

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Voice recording tool

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Vocaroo is a quick and easy way to share voice messages over the interwebs.

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Below is a listing of the peer-reviewed teaching strategies published on our website. Each strategy submitted undergoes a blind peer-review by a volunteer QSEN Teaching Strategy reviewer. You will receive feedback on revisions from the reviewer and then submit your revisions. You can scroll through the listing or search the strategies by author, title, and keywords.

QSEN Teaching Strategies Director

Yolanda Nelson, EdD, MSNed, RN-BC, (December 2018 - present) nelsony1@tcnj.edu

QSEN Practice Strategies Director

Bethany Robertson, DNP, CNM, (December 2018 - present) robertsonbethany66@gmail.com

Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing

QSEN Teaching Strategies Coordinators

Fay Alexander (May 2017 - present) fxa31@case.edu

Dorothy Nurzynski (December 2018 - present) dbn7@case.edu

The materials on the QSEN Web site are freely available for educational use, but original content such as the teaching strategies must be cited. Please read our Terms and Conditions before using this material.

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Below is a listing of the peer-reviewed teaching strategies published on our website. Each strategy submitted undergoes a blind peer-review by a volunteer QSEN Teaching Strategy reviewer. You will receive feedback on revisions from the reviewer and then submit your revisions. You can scroll through the listing or search the strategies by author, title, and keywords.

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How to Record Narration for a PowerPoint Presentation For Dummies

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How to Record Narration for a PowerPoint Presentation For Dummies

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Website to create avatars

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Prezi - to improve presentations/PPT's

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Presentation Software | Online Presentation Tools | Prezi

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Welcome to Prezi, the presentation software that uses motion, zoom, and spatial relationships to bring your ideas to life and make you a great presenter.

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International Nursing Association for Clinical Simulation and Learning

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The Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice ™ are designed to advance the science of simulation, share best practices, and provide evidence-based guidelines for the practice and development of a comprehensive standard of practice

Clinical Simulation in Nursing

Clinical Simulation in Nursing is an international, peer reviewed journal published online monthly. Clinical Simulation in Nursing is the official journal of INACSL and reflects the mission of INACSL to advance the science of healthcare simulation.

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The Healthcare Simulation Standards of Best Practice ™ are designed to advance the science of simulation, share best practices, and provide evidence-based guidelines for the practice and development of a comprehensive standard of practice Clinical Simulation in Nursing is an international, peer reviewed journal published online monthly.

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Empowering Nurse Educators with Tools for Efficiency

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Article: Helping without harming: The instructor's feedback dilemma in debriefing

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Article: Helping without harming: The instructor's feedback dilemma in debriefing

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Feedback Dilemma for Sim Instructors with debriefing

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Mentimeter: Interactive quizzes, surveys, multiple choice tests and more

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Your browser either doesn't support Javascript, or you've turned it off. To use Mentimeter, please make sure to turn Javascript on. How do I enable Javascript?

Gain valuable insights from everyone around you with Word Clouds, Polls, and Quizzes.

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Online resources, PPT presentations, current literature for multiple nursing topics

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Nursing Professor - Teaching . Learning . Sharing

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Nursing Professor resources can help you teach the science and art of nursing with the most current, evidence based content!

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Benefits of Bubbl.us mind maps over text:

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Visualizing complex ideas in shapes, lines, and pictures leads to much better recollection later than simple text.

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Visual brainstorming with a team can dramatically improve the quality of the final product because of diversity of perspectives and experiences.

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Bubbl.us - Create Mind Maps | Collaborate and Present Ideas

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Mind map and brainstorm online with Bubbl.us! Create colorful mind maps to print or share with others. Millions of people are using Bubbl.us worldwide to generate ideas, map out processes and create presentations.

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The Shift from Engaging Students to Empowering Learners

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Creating a Rubric

Rubrics are a tool to help you evaluate student performance. Knowing how to create and use rubrics gives you a better understanding of assessment and another option for assessing student performance. Rubrics are a great way to improve communication, learning, and grading fairness. In this course we will cover:

what rubrics are and how they can benefit you and your students

assessment concepts that relate to rubrics

how to create a rubric

how to judge the quality of the rubrics you create

The tutorial also provides several examples of rubrics and a list of resources where you can learn more.

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Rubrics are a tool to help you evaluate student performance. Knowing how to create and use rubrics gives you a better understanding of assessment and another option for assessing student performance. Rubrics are a great way to improve communication, learning, and grading fairness. Course authored and designed by Lisa O'Reilly, Instructional Designer."

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Cite this guide: Brame, C. (2013) Writing good multiple choice test questions. Retrieved [todaysdate] from https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/writing-good-multiple-choice-test-questions/.

Multiple choice test questions, also known as items, can be an effective and efficient way to assess learning outcomes. Multiple choice test items have several potential advantages:

Versatility: Multiple choice test items can be written to assess various levels of learning outcomes, from basic recall to application, analysis, and evaluation. Because students are choosing from a set of potential answers, however, there are obvious limits on what can be tested with multiple choice items. For example, they are not an effective way to test students' ability to organize thoughts or articulate explanations or creative ideas.

Reliability: Reliability is defined as the degree to which a test consistently measures a learning outcome. Multiple choice test items are less susceptible to guessing than true/false questions, making them a more reliable means of assessment. The reliability is enhanced when the number of MC items focused on a single learning objective is increased. In addition, the objective scoring associated with multiple choice test items frees them from problems with scorer inconsistency that can plague scoring of essay questions.

Validity: Validity is the degree to which a test measures the learning outcomes it purports to measure. Because students can typically answer a multiple choice item much more quickly than an essay question, tests based on multiple choice items can typically focus on a relatively broad representation of course material, thus increasing the validity of the assessment.

The key to taking advantage of these strengths, however, is construction of good multiple choice items.

A multiple choice item consists of a problem, known as the stem, and a list of suggested solutions, known as alternatives. The alternatives consist of one correct or best alternative, which is the answer, and incorrect or inferior alternatives, known as distractors.

Constructing an Effective Stem

1. The stem should be meaningful by itself and should present a definite problem. A stem that presents a definite problem allows a focus on the learning outcome. A stem that does not present a clear problem, however, may test students' ability to draw inferences from vague descriptions rather serving as a more direct test of students' achievement of the learning outcome.

2. The stem should not contain irrelevant material, which can decrease the reliability and the validity of the test scores (Haldyna and Downing 1989).

3. The stem should be negatively stated only when significant learning outcomes require it. Students often have difficulty understanding items with negative phrasing (Rodriguez 1997). If a significant learning outcome requires negative phrasing, such as identification of dangerous laboratory or clinical practices, the negative element should be emphasized with italics or capitalization.

4. The stem should be a question or a partial sentence. A question stem is preferable because it allows the student to focus on answering the question rather than holding the partial sentence in working memory and sequentially completing it with each alternative (Statman 1988). The cognitive load is increased when the stem is constructed with an initial or interior blank, so this construction should be avoided.

Constructing Effective Alternatives

1. All alternatives should be plausible. The function of the incorrect alternatives is to serve as distractors,which should be selected by students who did not achieve the learning outcome but ignored by students who did achieve the learning outcome. Alternatives that are implausible don't serve as functional distractors and thus should not be used. Common student errors provide the best source of distractors.

2. Alternatives should be stated clearly and concisely. Items that are excessively wordy assess students' reading ability rather than their attainment of the learning objective

3. Alternatives should be mutually exclusive. Alternatives with overlapping content may be considered "trick" items by test-takers, excessive use of which can erode trust and respect for the testing process.

4. Alternatives should be homogenous in content. Alternatives that are heterogeneous in content can provide cues to student about the correct answer.

5. Alternatives should be free from clues about which response is correct. Sophisticated test-takers are alert to inadvertent clues to the correct answer, such differences in grammar, length, formatting, and language choice in the alternatives. It's therefore important that alternatives

have grammar consistent with the stem.

are parallel in form.

are similar in length.

use similar language (e.g., all unlike textbook language or all like textbook language).

6. The alternatives "all of the above" and "none of the above" should not be used. When "all of the above" is used as an answer, test-takers who can identify more than one alternative as correct can select the correct answer even if unsure about other alternative(s). When "none of the above" is used as an alternative, test-takers who can eliminate a single option can thereby eliminate a second option. In either case, students can use partial knowledge to arrive at a correct answer.

7. The alternatives should be presented in a logical order (e.g., alphabetical or numerical) to avoid a bias toward certain positions.

8. The number of alternatives can vary among items as long as all alternatives are plausible. Plausible alternatives serve as functional distractors, which are those chosen by students that have not achieved the objective but ignored by students that have achieved the objective. There is little difference in difficulty, discrimination, and test score reliability among items containing two, three, and four distractors.

Additional Guidelines

1. Avoid complex multiple choice items , in which some or all of the alternatives consist of different combinations of options. As with "all of the above" answers, a sophisticated test-taker can use partial knowledge to achieve a correct answer.

2. Keep the specific content of items independent of one another. Savvy test-takers can use information in one question to answer another question, reducing the validity of the test.

Considerations for Writing Multiple Choice Items that Test Higher-order Thinking

When writing multiple choice items to test higher-order thinking, design questions that focus on higher levels of cognition as defined by Bloom's taxonomy. A stem that presents a problem that requires application of course principles, analysis of a problem, or evaluation of alternatives is focused on higher-order thinking and thus tests students' ability to do such thinking. In constructing multiple choice items to test higher order thinking, it can also be helpful to design problems that require multilogical thinking, where multilogical thinking is defined as "thinking that requires knowledge of more than one fact to logically and systematically apply concepts to a ...problem" (Morrison and Free, 2001, page 20). Finally, designing alternatives that require a high level of discrimination can also contribute to multiple choice items that test higher-order thinking.

Additional Resources

Burton, Steven J., Sudweeks, Richard R., Merrill, Paul F., and Wood, Bud. How to Prepare Better Multiple Choice Test Items: Guidelines for University Faculty, 1991.

Cheung, Derek and Bucat, Robert. How can we construct good multiple-choice items? Presented at the Science and Technology Education Conference, Hong Kong, June 20-21, 2002.

Haladyna, Thomas M. Developing and validating multiple-choice test items, 2nd edition. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1999.

Haladyna, Thomas M. and Downing, S. M.. Validity of a taxonomy of multiple-choice item-writing rules. Applied Measurement in Education, 2(1), 51-78, 1989.

Morrison, Susan and Free, Kathleen. Writing multiple-choice test items that promote and measure critical thinking. Journal of Nursing Education 40: 17-24, 2001.

This teaching guide is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

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Writing Good Multiple Choice Test Questions

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by Cynthia J. Brame Print Version Cite this guide: Brame, C. (2013) Writing good multiple choice test questions. Retrieved [todaysdate] from https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/writing-good-multiple-choice-test-questions/. Constructing an Effective Stem Constructing Effective Alternatives Additional Guidelines for Multiple Choice Questions Considerations for Writing Multiple Choice Items that Test Higher-order Thinking Additional Resources Multiple choice test questions, also known as items,...

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The benefits of a flipped classroom

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Flipped Classroom Model: Why, How, and Overview

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Poster

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This content has been developed to support nursing students preparing for the National Council Licensing Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). All of this content has been created under the direction of Khan Academy and has been reviewed under the direction of the the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN).

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Crohns Disease Quiz

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Join a game of kahoot here. Kahoot! is a free game-based learning platform that makes it fun to learn – any subject, in any language, on any device, for all ages!

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For CPR--CAN be used for other topics

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Could be used for traditional learners***

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Engaging adult learners in the classroom is one of the most challenging tasks for nurse educators.

However, there are a number of teaching strategies that are based on adult learning principles that nurse educators can use to engage adult learners:

1. Encourage adult learners to share prior experiences

2. Facilitate interactive learning scenarios

3. Use competition to motivate adult learners

4. Incorporate simulation-based teaching methods

How do nurses learn?

The foundation of nursing is based on developing practical skills and applying theory to practice. Further, a nurse's efficiency in practice is assessed on how well he or she can practically apply their theoretical knowledge in a safe, skilful manner. Learning also often takes place on the ward.

While nursing is so practically attuned, it is equally important for nurses to attain and retain theoretical knowledge in a classroom environment.

However, often distractions will emerge which unintentionally disrupt learners. It may be people arriving late or a mobile phone going off, for example. Whatever the distraction, the educator then must work twice as hard to re-engage and retain the attention of learners.

As educators, how can we overcome these challenges? What strategies can we employ to engage nursing students and increase their motivation to learn?

Adult Learning Principles - Andragogy

Knowles et al. (2005), made six assumptions about the characteristics of adult learners. One of these assumptions states that adult learners bring vast experience into the classroom which acts as a resource for learning.

Further, the Greek Philosopher Plato (428-348 BC) believed that all learning has an emotional base.

Nurse educators can benefit greatly from applying the above theories in the classroom environment.

Tip 1: Encourage adult learners to share prior experiences

As identified by Knowles et al., adult learners have growing amounts of experience that they are able to share in the classroom. This experience will also carry associated emotion which will work to facilitate learning.

Encouraging adult learners to share their related experiences will increase engagement and motivation to learn. Further, when adults feel they are making a positive contribution to the classroom, learning becomes the inevitable result of their contribution.

When delivering lengthy First Aid training sessions to nursing students, I successfully engaged students by asking them to share their personal experiences. Over the course of the session, I would provide an opportunity for students to share their experiences on various topics covered. The monotony of the teaching session was broken through the active participation and contribution of students. This also added variety to what could have been 'just another First Aid training session'.

Further reading: Top 10 Teaching Strategies for Nurse Educators - Delivering Effective Nursing Education

Tip 2: Facilitate interactive learning activities and scenarios

In another education session, I engaged students to participate in learning by enabling students to take part in interactive learning activities and act out potential scenarios that they would see on the ward.

After first discussing the signs, symptoms and possible treatments for an asthmatic casualty, students were encouraged to create spontaneous and different scenarios of casualties. Reacting to different scenarios that may present stimulated critical thinking towards saving a life.

To optimise this teaching method of engaging adult learners, scenarios should incorporate different environments and incidents, with casualties of different ages and demographics as well.

Further reading: How to Engage Time-Poor Nurses

Tip 3: Use competition to motivate adult learners

Adult learners can also be engaged by encouraging their competitive streak. I successfully achieved this in an education session, whereby adult learners were motivated to actively participate in the session by having the opportunity to win prizes.

I had the classroom set up with tables and chairs on either side in order to have two groups in the room and I could comfortably walk up and down between the two groups and grab the attention of learners who drifted during the session.

I had chocolates as the prize to motivate learners to participate in answering questions with the onset of the session until the completion of the teaching session.

Further reading: What Motivates Staff to Learn?

Tip 4: Incorporate simulation-based teaching methods

In my role as an educator for a medical devices company, education was based around products that could enhance ease of use in practice. In this environment educators can ensure their learners are engaged by running simulation-based trainings. This is particularly useful when introducing new products.

As part of a Peripheral Intravenous Cannulation workshop, nurses were given the opportunity to practice their intravenous cannulation skills. The practical demonstration session enabled nurses to practice their skills in a playful way with new products that they may not have encountered before.

This simulation-based training, practicing cannulation on simulation arms, also enabled nurses to practice skills in a safe and comfortable environment: nurses did not have to prick a real patient and they were able to practice until they felt comfortable with the new products.

Tactile interactions for adult nursing students allow them to practice their skills in a safe environment that in return enhances engagement of the adult learner.

As educators, we can employ various teaching strategies to engage our learners. By teaching in a way that is interactive, encourages participation and acknowledges adult learning principles, we enable students to learn effectively and apply this knowledge to their practice.

References

Knowles, M. S., Holton III, E. F., & Swanson, R. A. (2005). The adult learner: The definitive classic in adult education and human resource development (6th Ed.). San Diego, CA: Elsevier.

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How to Engage Adult Learners - 4 Tips for Nurse Educators | Ausmed

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Engaging adult learners in the classroom is one of the most challenging tasks for nurse educators. However, there are a number of teaching strategies that are based on adult learning principles that nurse educators can use to engage adult learners: Encourage adult learners to share prior experiences Facilitate interactive learning scenarios Use competition to motivate adult learners Incorporate simulation-based teaching methods The foundation of nursing is based on developing practical skills and applying theory to practice.

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For crosswords, word searches, fill in the blanks

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Create Your Own Criss Cross Puzzle | Discovery Education Puzzlemaker

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Create your own cross word puzzles with Discovery Education’s Puzzlemaker.

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I chose to leave the bedside as a critical care nurse and become a nurse educator for many reasons: to engage in a continuous learning process, share recent and advanced nursing knowledge with colleagues and students, develop meaningful connections within the nursing community, inspire and motivate future nurses toward a teaching career, and learn from students. A teaching career has many benefits for nurses. For example, it can provide a sense of personal satisfaction, a flexible schedule, autonomous decision making, opportunities for research and scholarly work, and connections with like-minded scholars and colleagues. I encourage nurses with an interest in and passion for teaching to consider becoming nurse educators.

In this article, I critically analyze my teaching perspectives, experiences, and approaches through the lenses of various teaching and learning theories, and through comparison with the World Health Organization's Nurse Educator Core Competencies. This analysis results in three practical tips for nurses who intend to pursue a teaching career.

Tip 1: Identify your personal teaching philosophy

To become an effective educator, nurses need many skills, but I consider personal reflection to be the most important. Reflection is a thinking process that explores and examines personal thoughts and actions, and their underlying philosophies. Educators, particularly novice educators, should reflect on their teaching philosophies, preconceived ideas, and preferences that may influence their teaching skills and students' abilities to learn. Educators should also share their teaching philosophies with students to build rapport and encourage constructive student feedback.

My own teaching philosophy stems from a paraphrase of a statement made by Albert Einstein: Education isn't the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think. I believe that my greatest responsibility as an educator is to develop a trusting and friendly relationship with students, facilitate their learning, and give them opportunities to expand their thinking and improve their nursing skills. It's also my responsibility to give timely feedback to students and allow them to constructively criticize my teaching approaches and abilities. With this philosophy, I can teach students to think critically and apply their knowledge to real-life nursing practice.

My teaching philosophy also stems from my experience as a critical care nurse. We use the nursing process to help our patients in a caring and compassionate manner. Likewise, as an educator, I believe that I must assess the learning needs, capabilities, and preferences of students. Identifying your teaching philosophy isn't accomplished all at once; rather, it's an ongoing process.

Tip 2: Identify influencing factors

Next, reflect on the various factors that influence your teaching philosophy, such as personal teaching style, subject matter knowledge, student learning style, educational environment, and institutional policies. For instance, I've identified some personal and situational factors that affect my teaching in both positive and negative ways. First, my experience in the nursing profession positively affects my teaching approach. Because nursing is both a theoretical and practical science, I envision teaching students in a way that helps them acquire theoretical knowledge and apply it to practice. I also realize that teaching abstract theoretical subjects, such as nursing theories and models, isn't effective if taught in a traditional lecture format. It's beneficial to come up with creative teaching and learning approaches to engage students. Think-pair-share, crossword puzzles, role playing, case studies, and audiovisual aids are some of the creative teaching strategies that I use.

My age has influenced my teaching philosophy. When I started teaching, I was the youngest teacher at the college, and many students were close to my age. This allowed me to understand the students and their problems, and develop a trusting and friendly relationship with them.

As a young teacher, I was also aware of my lack of experience. My inexperience made me anxious, and I didn't perform well in my first month of teaching. For example, I finished my very first lecture 1 hour before the allotted time. When I listened to the audiotape of the lecture, I realized that I'd spoken too quickly and students may not have understood me. In the next lecture, I asked for students' feedback, which confirmed my observations. I then improved by slowing down.

Tip 3: Analyze your teaching style

In order to analyze their teaching and learning approaches, educators should be knowledgeable about various teaching and learning theories, and know how to apply them as appropriate. My approach incorporates the principles of cognitive continuum theory, social learning theory, adult learning theory, and Patricia Benner's novice to expert model (see Selected teaching and learning theories).

I integrate cognitive continuum theory into my teaching by encouraging active student involvement during lectures. For example, I teach Faye Abdellah's Twenty-One Nursing Problems by using 21 real clinical cases, which address the physiologic, psychological, social, and emotional needs of patients. I convert these cases into brief scenarios and instruct pairs of students to evaluate the scenarios, develop a priority nursing diagnosis, and relate it to the theory. In this way, I provide them with an active learning environment and engage them in self-directed learning.

Social learning theory emphasizes using strategies such as role playing, simulations, and clinical experiences that inspire students to learn by observing and developing self-efficacy. For example, I teach several nursing theories through role playing and audiovisual aids. Two days before the lecture, I guide and assist the students in preparing a role play on the concepts of the theory under discussion. They present the role play before and after the discussion of the theory. During this session, the students and I engage in an open discussion about the role play and its relevance to the nursing theory. We explicitly address each concept of the theory and then reanalyze the same role play. This strategy allows the students to learn by observation and develop self-efficacy.

Final thoughts

Novice nurse educators, or nurses who intend to become educators, need to continuously reflect on their teaching philosophy, evaluate their teaching and learning approaches, and identify their teaching style. Through critical self-analysis, they can identify their strengths and limitations, and reflect on them periodically. In addition, novice nurse educators should use creative, practically grounded, and student-directed teaching and learning strategies. Early in my teaching career, I wouldn't have thought of performing a critical self-analysis of my teaching strategy. Now, as I reflect on my experiences, I have a better understanding of my strengths and weaknesses as an educator.

Selected teaching and learning theories

Cognitive continuum theory: Illustrates that decision making relies on cognition and judgment tasks, where cognition ranges from the use of intuition to analysis and judgment ranges from ill-structured to well-structured. Put simply, a well-structured task requires the use of more analytical decision making.

Social learning theory: Considers learning as a social process during which people learn by observing each other's behaviors and attitudes. Those who believe that they can complete difficult tasks take on challenging tasks.

Adult learning theory: Posits that learners are self-directed, self-motivated, and experiential.

Novice to expert model: Explains that learning takes place in different stages through continuous education, personal experiences, and guidance from others.

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Practical tips for novice nurse educators : Nursing made Incredibly Easy

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I chose to leave the bedside as a critical care nurse and become a nurse educator for many reasons: to engage in a continuous learning process, share recent and advanced nursing knowledge with colleagues and students, develop meaningful connections within the nursing community, inspire and motivate future nurses toward a teaching career, and learn from students.