MODULE 3: TEACHING WITH TECHNOLOGY

What sort of teaching is done in your nursing role?

As an educator in a baccalaureate nursing program I have seen many styles and strategies of teaching...some good, others less than optimal. Today's learners encompass several generations with a diverse set of learning needs. Likewise, today's educator must be up to the challenge of teaching by using an equally diverse set of teaching strategies. As an educator, I have used interactive team building games, ppt presentations, reflective writing assignments, case studies, small group dialogue, internet activities, immersion experiences and assignments where I let the student design his/her own learning outcomes. It may not always be about what teaching is done.....but what learning is accomplished.


Is there any nursing role that does not involve teaching in some manner?

While I have not experienced every role in nursing I would find it rather difficult to believe that each role fulfilled by the professional nurse would not involve some aspect of teaching. While serving in the Navy Nurse Corps for 26 years I was afforded the opportunity to work in many settings from small community hospital environments, large trauma centers, ship board and in tents out in the field. In all, I have had the pleasure of working in more than 20 different nursing roles from a staff nurse on a cardiac stepdown unit to the acting CEO of a hospital. In ALL these roles I found myself an educator. Whether I was teaching corpsmen, nurses, doctors, ancillary staff or patients, I do not think a day went by without teaching someone something. In fact, when new nurses would come into the military the standing question would be, "What do you see your primary role as a Navy Nurse Corps Officer to be?" The answer would typically be, "to take care of the sailors". But in fact the more correct answer would be, " To teach corpsmen to do you job as a nurse so when they went into harm's way, they would be providing the best possible care to our sailors."