Where would we be without education? It is a core tenet of preparing professionals in every industry, including healthcare, law and the education system itself.
According to American Nurse, “nurse educators have a responsibility to develop students’ professional values and informed perspectives on nursing and healthcare policy, support evidence and ethics in practice and foster students’ commitment to practice to the full scope of the nursing profession.”
In nursing, educators can inspire students on a personal level and allow them the space to grow as professionals in healthcare. They work with students to reach their nursing career goals and provide them with a close mentor relationship. Without nursing educators, nurses working in the field would not be able to fully learn the profession or hone their abilities in the care services. Ultimately, education helps nurses become influential within the healthcare sphere via the knowledge and skills they possess.
A Master of Science (M.S.) in Nursing – Nursing Education online degree equips nursing educators with the skills to teach the incoming generation of nurses with effective, proven strategies.
Technology in Healthcare: A Significant Contribution to Patient and Provider Success
In recent years, technology has become an integral part of day-to-day life in healthcare. Patients can communicate with healthcare providers more easily and regularly through various tech-supported applications.
Nurses and doctors can now answer common questions patients ask through online systems. Technology has allowed certain patients to receive the necessary care without stepping foot in a healthcare facility. Additionally, healthcare professionals communicate with each other, as well as leadership, to discuss updates or changes in their respective departments.
Technology will continue to advance the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare workers. Some of that starts in the nursing education classroom.
Optimizing the Nursing Education Classroom
Technology has many uses in education, and nursing education especially benefits from technology tools and methods. For example, technology in the nursing education classroom has advantages such as engaging and motivating students, overcoming barriers, making student learning unique and helping students develop preferred learning styles.
In order to inspire students to pursue the nursing profession, educators must “utilize simulation technology, adopt a student-centered approach, develop stronger partnerships with academic and practice settings and integrate computer-based technologies to create an interactive learning environment,” explains American Nurse.
Nursing educators must follow the Experiential Learning Model framework in their classrooms. American Nurse describes this model as one that understands that “learning happens in all settings, each person’s experience is unique and individuals develop a preferred learning style.”
Technology in the classroom also helps foster a diverse environment for students to learn in a “fun” way. Online tools allow students to create their own videos, posters, animations, avatars and trivia games related to the topics they are learning. These tools spark students to engage in learning that involves problem-solving and concept mapping.
The accessibility of these learning tools establishes an environment that encourages students to think critically in the form of creative avenues. When students can combine scientific knowledge with creativity, they remember the information at a deeper level.
Focus on the Power of Technology With a Master’s Degree
An article by Teaching and Learning in Nursing notes that “attitudes, values, cultural sensitivity and caring are just a few areas where technology can be seen to promote a positive aspect to teaching for the current technologically savvy nursing students.”
While technology has numerous benefits, nurse educators also require a greater expansion of their knowledge base. Those who enroll in the M.S. in Nursing – Nursing Education online program at the University of Southern Maine (USM) will utilize technology in the teaching-learning process to support the delivery of high-quality and safe patient care.
Graduates of USM’s program will be prepared to demonstrate an advanced understanding of nursing, humanities and education theory. They can then integrate this knowledge to facilitate learning outcomes and improve nursing across diverse settings.
The program also provides an environment for students to create learning experiences that support cognitive, psychomotor and affective development. For example, the Information Management and Health Care Technology course covers the basics of information systems and technology in healthcare. In the Foundations of Nursing Education course, students explore the role of formal teaching through philosophical perspectives and frameworks. Students can complete program courses in as few as 18 months.
Each future nurse educator will obtain the knowledge and skills necessary to enter influential roles such as nursing instructor, clinical nurse educator, nurse educator, clinical educator, nursing faculty or adjunct instructor. The program might be the perfect next step for those who want to educate future generations of nurses and “utilize technology in the teaching-learning process to support delivery of high quality and safe patient care,” as the program page notes.
Learn more about the University of Southern Maine’s online M.S. in Nursing – Nursing Education program.
