A Call To Reform Nursing Education

[NRSKarenRN]

FRom National League of Nursing

(Nurse organization responsible to ensure quality nursing education programs)

POSITION STATEMENT:

INNOVATION IN NURSING EDUCATION: A CALL TO REFORM

Approved by the NLN Board of Governors

August 22, 2003

The National League for Nursing's Curriculum Revolution of the late 1980s called for a re-examination of curricular structures and processes: how nursing programs were designed, what they were striving to accomplish and how student learning was facilitated. Since that time, many schools have sought to implement innovative programs. Yet a closer look reveals that much of this "innovation" has focused on the addition or re-arrangement of content within the curriculum, rather than on significant, "paradigm shift"-type changes. Furthermore, despite significant changes in the healthcare system and in nursing practice, many nurse educators continue to teach as they were taught (Diekelmann, 2002) and for a health care system that no longer exists (Oesterle & O'Callaghan, 1996; Porter- O'Grady, 2003).

What is needed now is dramatic reform and innovation in nursing education to create and shape the future of nursing practice. All levels of nursing education, undergraduate and graduate, are obligated to challenge their long-held traditions and design evidence-based curricula that are flexible, responsive to students' needs, collaborative, and integrate current technology. Like the National League for Nursing's call for Curriculum Revolution in the 1980s, this current challenge demands bold new thinking and action. Faculty, students, consumers and nursing service personnel must work in partnership to design innovative educational systems that meet the needs of the health care delivery system now and in the future.

Innovation must call into question the nature of schooling, learning, and teaching and how curricular designs promote or inhibit learning, as well as excitement about the profession of nursing, and the spirit of inquiry necessary for the advancement of the discipline (Diekelmann, 2001). For too long nurse educators and nursing service personnel, although cordial and respectful of each other, have not been fully engaged in collaborating to prepare a workforce that can practice effectively in new healthcare environments. New pedagogies are required that are research-based, responsive to the rapidly-changing health care system, and reflective of new partnerships between and among students, teachers and clinicians. Our students and recipients of nursing care deserve no less.

Complete statement:

http://www.nln.org/aboutnln/PositionStatements/innovation.htm

pedagogics definition

\Ped`a*gog"ics\, n. The science or art of teaching; the principles and rules of teaching; pedagogy.

[jaimealmostRN]

EWWWW! Nextyearnurse, I completely agree with you!!! It's ok that some foods, pens, fingers have some germs on them and we still put them in our mouths, but something that fell on a *hospital* floor? Thats just gross, you were right to question that. Our clinical advisor is intelligent and teaches us wonderfully, but I also have only done 5 SQs, 1 IM, 1 PICC line flush, 1 wet-to-dry, a few INT flushes, flushed one PEG, and about 3 IVPB....I am a senior student, so this does seem strange to me. I haven't put in a foley or NGT.

This is upsetting to me, b/c as someone else posted, I am also great at organizing powerpoint handouts and debating whether to call the Dr. if your "sick day" diabetic has a temp of 100 vs. 101! I truly like our professors, and a good day in clinical can literally make my week, but I too feel like when (if, please oh please :) ) I graduate, I may feel a bit unprepared at my first job.

[Hellllllo Nurse, BSN, RN]

Once you become a nurse, you may never think of or lay eyes on a care-plan again.

I had piles of papers to write and theory to study in my nursing school. However, once I hit the floor, all of that stuff flew right out the window.

As a nurse, there is just so much to do, much of the time all I can do is run from one task or procedure to another. I've found all the theory to be pretty much useless. There is just no time for it.

How can you try and apply theories and such to your work,when you don't even have time to use the bathroom? Nursing school and the real world of nursing are many miles apart.