Active Learning Strategies for New Nurse Educators

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN · Jul 30, 2005

I am a new LPN instructor...how do I make it interesting? I have no idea what I am doing. I have read the chapters and go over it but it seems like I am just highlighting out of the book and honestly they could read that themselves. What do I do? Please don't think I am crazy it is just that this was sorta thrown on me and I want to teach just not sure how to do it. Make sense?
Jill

Welcome to the Forum. The first three years of teaching are very difficult, and the greatest challenge seems to be too much content and too little time to deliver it. New instructors tend to give out way too much information, rather than honing in on what is truly important. The student should be held accountable for his or her learning and preparing for lecture (reading the book, etc.). Active learning strategies should be slowly integrated into the classroom. These web sites may be helpful to you:

http://www.inspiringteachers.com/tips/index/page6.html

http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/teachlearn/workshops/powerp/active_learning.html

http://www2.edc.org/NTP/trainingdesign_activelearningstrategies.htm

http://cord.org/txcollabnursing/onsite_interaction.htm

Vailgang · Jul 30, 2005

Thanks for responding I will check them out!!

Jill

cutisrn · Sep 3, 2005

I am a new LPN instructor...how do I make it interesting? I have no idea what I am doing. I have read the chapters and go over it but it seems like I am just highlighting out of the book and honestly they could read that themselves. What do I do? Please don't think I am crazy it is just that this was sorta thrown on me and I want to teach just not sure how to do it. Make sense?
Jill

Jill,

I started teaching a one-year vocational nurse program on Valentine's Day of this year. The program started in October 2004. From 10/04 to 2/05, there had been 3 nursing instructors and 2 directors. Big turnover. I had never taught before and felt the same way you do now. In this program, there is only 2 nurses, the director and myself, with 22 students.

That was very scary. Since then, right or not so right, I have discovered, BY MYSELF, as I had no preceptor, the easiest way (for me) to lecture and for the students to learn is this:

I became very familiar with using PowerPoint. For one thing, I did not want all eyes on me and the students seemed to enjoy looking at something else besides me. First, I found that the Elsevier Saunders books were wonderful, as they have PowerPoint for each Chapter in all texts for vocational nursing programs along with test banks, which are written according to the requirements of the NCLEX Test Plan, which the Board of Nursing oversees continuously. Also, included, is open-book quizzes, instuctor's manual and many helpful tools for teaching. This information is on their website.

First, I would download the exam and PowerPoint from Saunders website. I print out the exam. As I went through each exam question, I would implement that concept into the PowerPoint (you can add or take away whatever after the PowerPoint has been downloaded). Now, all of the test concepts (not the test questions) are in the PowerPoint. I would then print out the OUTLINE form of the PowerPoint (not the slides--that would take forever and use a LOT of paper and cartridge ink). I would sometimes make copies or get the students who wanted the outline to prepare for lecture to make copies for themselves. The latter puts the responsibility on the student. The students loved this.

As I lectured, I didn't need notes, as all the information I intended to lecture on was on the PP and the students made their own notes on their outline. This made it easy to lecture and keep information in tact. During the lecture, I would stop periodically and call on students to answer questions. Sometimes it would be to spell a difficult medical term (which gets a few laughs) or answer a scenario relating to clinicals. (I'm a MedSurg nurse and Hospice).

This was also a good way to gauge who studied for the test, as you know the test information was verbally taught and handouts were given. So what they made, they made. It cut down tremendously on excuses they would give for not making a good grade. If they read the chapter and studied their outline, grades were VERY good. Immediately after the exam while it was fresh in their minds, I would go over each question, give the correct answer and rationale, which reinforced the information again and the students immediately had an idea of their grade. (Of course, this was after I collected the exam answer sheets).

This group of students are now graduating in 2 weeks and will be taking the NCLEX-PN exam before December 1 (as that is when their temporary licenses will expire). The Board of Nurses require an 80% pass rate, so we'll see. I hope this wasn't too long and drawn out. And, I hope it may help you.

The websites given to you look very good and I have saved them in my "Favorites".

Let me know how it goes. Remember, this is what has worked for me so far, as I was desparate!!! I have so much to learn. (Lots of work)

Good Luck,

Sheila

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN · Sep 5, 2005

Jill,
I started teaching a one-year vocational nurse program on Valentine's Day of this year. The program started in October 2004. From 10/04 to 2/05, there had been 3 nursing instructors and 2 directors. Big turnover. I had never taught before and felt the same way you do now. In this program, there is only 2 nurses, the director and myself, with 22 students.
That was very scary. Since then, right or not so right, I have discovered, BY MYSELF, as I had no preceptor, the easiest way (for me) to lecture and for the students to learn is this:
I became very familiar with using PowerPoint. For one thing, I did not want all eyes on me and the students seemed to enjoy looking at something else besides me. First, I found that the Elsevier Saunders books were wonderful, as they have PowerPoint for each Chapter in all texts for vocational nursing programs along with test banks, which are written according to the requirements of the NCLEX Test Plan, which the Board of Nursing oversees continuously. Also, included, is open-book quizzes, instuctor's manual and many helpful tools for teaching. This information is on their website.
First, I would download the exam and PowerPoint from Saunders website. I print out the exam. As I went through each exam question, I would implement that concept into the PowerPoint (you can add or take away whatever after the PowerPoint has been downloaded). Now, all of the test concepts (not the test questions) are in the PowerPoint. I would then print out the OUTLINE form of the PowerPoint (not the slides--that would take forever and use a LOT of paper and cartridge ink). I would sometimes make copies or get the students who wanted the outline to prepare for lecture to make copies for themselves. The latter puts the responsibility on the student. The students loved this.
As I lectured, I didn't need notes, as all the information I intended to lecture on was on the PP and the students made their own notes on their outline. This made it easy to lecture and keep information in tact. During the lecture, I would stop periodically and call on students to answer questions. Sometimes it would be to spell a difficult medical term (which gets a few laughs) or answer a scenario relating to clinicals. (I'm a MedSurg nurse and Hospice).
This was also a good way to gauge who studied for the test, as you know the test information was verbally taught and handouts were given. So what they made, they made. It cut down tremendously on excuses they would give for not making a good grade. If they read the chapter and studied their outline, grades were VERY good. Immediately after the exam while it was fresh in their minds, I would go over each question, give the correct answer and rationale, which reinforced the information again and the students immediately had an idea of their grade. (Of course, this was after I collected the exam answer sheets).
This group of students are now graduating in 2 weeks and will be taking the NCLEX-PN exam before December 1 (as that is when their temporary licenses will expire). The Board of Nurses require an 80% pass rate, so we'll see. I hope this wasn't too long and drawn out. And, I hope it may help you.
The websites given to you look very good and I have saved them in my "Favorites".
Let me know how it goes. Remember, this is what has worked for me so far, as I was desparate!!! I have so much to learn. (Lots of work)
Good Luck,
Sheila

Sheila, these are wonderful suggestions. Thank you so much for sharing. I, too, put a LOT of preparation into my lectures "up front"... pays off so much in the end :)