NURS FPX 6103 The Nurse Educator Role Assessment 3 Nurse Educator Philosophy Statement KP ​​​​​​​Assessment 3: Nurse Educator Philosophy NURS FPX 6103 The Nurse Educator Role Assessment 3 Nurse Educator Philosophy Statement KP

Beliefs about the Adult Learner and their Environment

Over the years, engaging the adult learner in nursing classrooms has proven a challenging task for nurse educators. As a nurse educator, I have various perceptions of adult learners in nursing classrooms. First, adult learner wants to be independent and sovereign in what they do (Mackavey & Cron, 2019). Although they understand that their role as nurses is critical to addressing health and saving lives in society, there are times when they are overcrowded by their ambitions and desire for success in their profession. This happens partly because they fail to understand that nursing is a practical subject that matters in the field rather than in the classroom. Grades might not matter if the student cannot address patient care in a realistic setting. Indeed, nursing as a discipline and practice is founded on developing practical skills and applying theoretical knowledge to practice (Miles & Scott, 2019). Moreover, the efficiency of nurses in practice is assessed on their practical application of theoretical knowledge safely and skillfully. However, while nursing is practically attuned, it is equally significant for nurses to acquire theoretical knowledge in a classroom setting.

Secondly, adult learners have many responsibilities in their lives, which might interfere with their learning to become nurses. This situation may create significant distractions for the adult learner (Mackavey & Cron, 2019). These distractions in their lives are unideal as they reduce their concentration. However, the adult learning environment must support their learning towards becoming competent nurses. I believe in various strategies that can help and enable their successful learning. 

Teaching Strategies for Adult Learners in Nursing

NURS FPX 6103 The Nurse Educator Role Assessment 3 Nurse Educator Philosophy Statement KP

First, I believe in encouraging adult learners to share their previous experiences. Indeed, being an adult and learning implies that one is a late bloomer. Hence, they have gathered much experience in their lives to share with fellow learners to assist them in their learning. Sharing experiences allows nurse students to perceive life and learning from a different perspective, reducing the learning distraction from their expertise (Andersen & Watkins, 2018). Secondly, facilitating interactive learning scenarios is vital for adult learners. For instance, it is crucial to encourage the students to form discussion groups to exchange thoughts about various nursing subjects, share their problems and find solutions as a group (Andersen & Watkins, 2018). Also, using competition is a significant motivation for adult learners. In this strategy, nurse educators could give the students projects that attract rewards to compete to become effective and win. Lastly, before adult students can start practicing in hospital wards, simulations expose them to real-life situations in the nursing discipline (Rim & Shin, 2021). This strategy is essential in preparing them to handle challenges that they will experience in hospitals after they graduate and become registered and practicing nurses.