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Facilitation of Context-Based Student-Centered Learning: Course Outline
Leavitt School of Health, Western Governors University
C919: Facilitation of Context-Based Student-Centered Learning
Dr. Erica Hunter
3/15/24
This is the paper from the last class
This class is a continuation
Page 27 – last page is the Learning Theory I used.
Facilitation of Context-Based Student-Centered Learning
With healthcare’s current complexities and demands, nurse educators must create and foster authentic learning environments to ensure nurses are prepared for the real world. One approach facilitates context-based, student-centered learning by considering students’ specific needs and interests while integrating real-world concepts into the learning process. This approach seeks to create an engaging learning environment by utilizing various evidence-based learning strategies that enable students to connect learned knowledge from the classroom with real-world experiences.
This paper will further discuss the course outline created for a community health nursing course, including the eight modules, key concepts, and evidence-based active learning strategies chosen for each week. According to Billings & Halstead (2020), students who are engaged in active learning are more likely to meet learning outcomes and apply the concepts in their practice setting.
Aspects of the Course
This course will give the student nurse a broad perspective of community health nursing, emphasizing health promotion and disease prevention. The course will also familiarize the students with best practices in community health nursing.
Nursing students will benefit from taking a course in community health nursing. This course equips the nurse with valuable knowledge to best understand and address health disparities within the community. Health disparities can hinder or support a patient’s ability to manage their illness; therefore, nurses must consider when meeting with patients. The community health course also provides exposure to diverse populations with unique health needs and, therefore, fosters the development of cultural sensitivity. Cultural sensitivity ensures that the nurse understands and respects the values and customs of their patients. Building trusting relationships between the nurse and the patients ultimately improves patient outcomes.
The key course concepts emphasized in this course are the history and evolution of community health nursing, community assessment, epidemiology, health promotion through education, healthcare economics, family health, homeless populations, and hospice.
The history and evolution of community health nursing are relevant to this course and the nursing profession. Studying the history of community health nursing establishes the foundation for this specialty. Learning about the vital nursing figures in community health nursing provides the nursing profession with an appreciation for their contributions and the legacy they left behind. History also transcends the evolution of community health nursing over time.
Community assessment is a vital component of the coursework. Conducting a thorough community assessment gives the nurse critical information to conclude and address the community’s needs. The information essential to a community assessment includes population size, gender distribution, ethnic and cultural breakdown, and socioeconomic demographics. The United States Census Bureau is a good place for nurses to obtain health indicators for a specific community. Examples of health indicators found on the website are data on chronic illness, infectious disease, and infant mortality rates.
Epidemiology is vital in a community health course as it examines disease patterns and determines factors by identifying the causes of illness, transmission, and other risk factors for the disease. Through epidemiology, strategies for disease prevention are created and disseminated to the public. Nurses are a crucial component in the education and health of communities.
Health promotion through education is a crucial role of the community health nurse as modern medicine focuses on health promotion. This component in the course will provide the students with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to educate patients and communities to make informed decisions about their health. We provide our patients with the tools to improve their overall well-being. Health education can influence behaviors and a desire to change risky behaviors such as the use of recreational drugs, smoking, or engaging in unprotected sex.
Healthcare economics plays a vital role in determining the well-being of a community. It defines the availability of healthcare services, the quality of care received, and the overall health outcomes of the community. Students learning about the unfavorable impact economics can have on the health of a community is relevant to the professional nursing practice. Advocating for essential resources is a primary role of the community health nurse.
Family Health is included in the curriculum to provide a broader understanding of health within the community. This module would challenge students’ critical thinking to think of the patient holistically and how their health is affected by disparities within their community. Social determinants of health are crucial for the community nurse to consider when educating a patient about health promotion and disease management.
The homeless population, a grouping within vulnerable populations, is underserved and often faces negative attitudes and discrimination among healthcare workers, which has been identified by the homeless as a barrier to healthcare. Including this course will provide a forum for students to acknowledge preconceived biases about this population and develop a sensitivity to their challenges. The homeless population faces significant healthcare and social disparities as well as challenges in accessing care. Elimination of barriers can lead to improvement in the overall health of the communities served. The responsibility of nursing education is to create learning experiences that provide opportunities where students can become advocates for patients from all walks of life. They are in dire need of interventions that the community health nurse can address. The knowledge gained from this module will allow the nurse to develop culturally competent care, advocate for policies that address disparities in healthcare, and provide interventions to improve this population’s health outcomes and well-being.
Hospice Care is the last week’s module. Hospice nursing is one role a registered nurse may choose as a career. Including hospice in this course is essential and relevant to nursing because it gives students a comprehensive understanding of end-of-life care. They are providing physical comfort, managing emotional needs, supporting the patient spiritual needs and practices, and managing symptoms such as pain and grief as all part of hospice care. Offering support to the families as they grasp the loss of a loved one is an essential role as well. Hospice care requires an adequate skill set and knowledge of end-of-life care. Incorporating hospice care into the curriculum is relevant to nursing because it addresses the need for end-of-life care as the aging population increases.
In conclusion, nursing students will benefit from a community health course. The course provides knowledge and skills to effectively address health needs while promoting wellness in the surrounding community. It also gives students a comprehensive outlook on the challenges communities and specific populations face.
Cultivation of Course
The cultivation of an eight-week course in community health nursing involves selecting eight modules to address various topics relevant to the field. Each module covers specific issues that aim to provide students with a solid foundation in community health nursing, essential for their future roles as registered nurses. Through a combination of learning strategies such as lectures, group discussions, simulations, and problem-based learning, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the role and responsibilities of a community health nurse.
This course begins with a week one module on the foundations of community health nursing. This course will provide the student nurse with the history and evolution of community health nursing. Understanding the history of community health nursing is essential so students may develop a deeper understanding of the foundational principles that have shaped this area of nursing and respect for the legacy these great nursing leaders created.
The health of our population module, week two, discusses factors in the community that influence one’s health. Using the nursing process, the students will learn to research demographical and epidemiological methods within a specific community to assess its health. Students will learn how to conduct a thorough community assessment through team-based learning. They will be placed in teams to conduct a community assessment. They will identify a community concern from each group’s findings and work collaboratively to address the community health issue.
In week three module, Community Health Essentials examines the cornerstone of community health: epidemiology. This week, the learner will investigate epidemiological processes, infectious disease transmission and prevention, and their impact on communities through case studies. The learners will understand the difference between epidemic, endemic, and pandemic.
In module four, community health nursing toolbox, health promotion and education are explored. Health promotion and education play a crucial role in cultivating the development of the course. Integrating this module within the course curriculum will give students essential knowledge and skills to educate the public on healthy behaviors. Students will develop the necessary competencies to assess the health of diverse communities and design individualized health promotion plans. This module is relevant to the course as it equips students with practical tools to become change agents and improve the community’s overall health.
In module five, students will examine factors that influence the community’s health. This week will challenge nurses to re-evaluate last week’s health promotion plans in correlation with available resources, insurance limitations, and access to healthcare. Healthcare economics provides valuable insight into the financial aspect of healthcare delivery and the impact this has on community health. Understanding the economics behind healthcare gives the students an understanding of barriers influencing healthcare access, resource allocation, and healthcare disparities within communities. Integrating healthcare economics into this course is essential so that students understand the complexity of economic factors and their influence on health outcomes.
In module six, students will learn about aggregates in the community with a focus on family health. Including family health in this course is essential for students to understand the population’s overall well-being. For this week’s lesson, students will actively learn the overall scope of family health, including the importance of prenatal care, child development, mental health, chronic disease management, and the aging population. The curriculum will cultivate course development by providing students with a holistic approach to wellness that considers the relationships within a family unit through simulation.
Module Seven focuses on vulnerable populations and cultivates the development of the course by providing students with a comprehensive understanding of the unique challenges vulnerable populations face. Some of those challenges are poverty, homelessness, mental health issues, and limited access to healthcare. This course will support the development of empathy, cultural competence, and patient advocacy for the homeless population using problem-based learning.
The final lesson for this course, module eight, focuses on the Community Health Setting. This topic cultivates the development of the course by providing the student nurse with a comprehensive understanding of the various roles and settings in which a nurse can promote health within communities and support those coping with illness. Examples of community health settings include school nursing, community health clinics, and home health agencies. Another component of community health nursing is home hospice care, which will be discussed in detail in week eight. Nurses will inevitably care for dying patients; therefore, preparing them to provide end-of-life care is essential in cultivating this course’s development. End-of-life care is a stressful component of healthcare; therefore, it must be included in the nursing curriculum to better prepare nurses for real-life scenarios. Students will pull prior knowledge from week six, the family as a unit, to provide care to the patient and the family. Family is an integral part of the care of a dying patient and requires support (Rattani et al., 2020). A collaborative learning assignment will actively engage students to work together through various community health scenarios. Students will role-play as the registered nurse in a real-life scenario in the following settings: school nurse, clinic nurse, home health nurse, and hospice nurse. From this collaborative experience, the students will gain a comprehensive understanding of a nurse’s function in various settings while developing critical thinking, team collaboration, effective communication, and empathy.
Student-Centered Learning
In recent years, a revolution in teaching strategies has changed the focus from teaching to learning (Billings & Halstead, 2020). Lecturing in front of a classroom is no longer acceptable. Nurse educators are responsible for the active engagement of students, utilizing various evidence-based learning strategies to support learning objectives.
The key course concepts in the Community Health Nursing curriculum were developed with student-centered learning as the focus. Each week, students are expected to read or watch the material assigned to that week’s course prior to class to prepare them to participate actively.
Week one key concept introduces the history and evolution of community health nursing. This week, the active learning strategy is classroom discussion. A video presentation on the history will be used before the discussion to increase active participation in the classroom. The nurse educator will begin by asking stimulating questions. For example, what lessons can we learn from past public health crises, and what are some successes?
In week two, the key concept is community assessment, and the students will participate in a team-based learning activity to learn how to conduct a community assessment and identify health concerns within a community. Working collaboratively with one another to address community health concerns, the teams will identify and mitigate barriers. Team-based learning (TBL) is one of the leading methods for improving nurses’ ability to utilize the knowledge and skills they learned in clinical practice (Cho & Kweon, 2017). TBL promotes collaboration, communication, and critical thinking.
In week three, we will use two hours of class to delve deeper into epidemiology using case studies. Epidemiology is the scientific study of the distribution and causes or risk factors of health-related states and events in the U.S. and globally (Billings & Halstead, 2020). Epidemiology provides nurses with a systematic way to understand disease and their patterns (Billings & Halstead, 2020). Case studies bring real-life examples of how epidemiological principles are applied to everyday practice. Students will learn key concepts of epidemiology, such as the ten steps of an outbreak, passive and active surveillance, suspect cases and probable cases, cumulative incidence, primary and secondary attacks, incubation period, the different outbreak types, mode of transmission, and how to mitigate the spread. Students will next be placed into groups to analyze past case studies such as the acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2003, the Ebola epidemic in Africa, and the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020. Case analyses and data analysis exercises will strengthen their understanding of epidemiological characteristics and how epidemiological methods are applied at community health levels.
In the fourth week, the key concept focuses on health promotion through education, vital to the community’s health and well-being. The evidence-based active learning strategy used for this week will be case-based learning. Case-based learning is a student-centered approach to teaching and learning designed to connect theoretical and technical knowledge to real-world applications (Masko et al., 2020). This week’s activities will concentrate on assigning small groups of students to a community health patient scenario. The team aims to create an educational care plan for health promotion and disease prevention. The care plan must incorporate social determinants of health with ways to address them. This class engages students in an activity that develops critical thinking, team collaboration, and clinical reasoning.
The fifth week’s key concept addresses healthcare economics and its effect on community health nursing. Students will participate in a concept mapping activity to foster student-centered education. Concept mapping is a creative educational strategy that promotes critical thinking by rearranging and reordering conceptual understanding and meaning using deductive and inductive thinking skills (Binoy & Raddi, 2022). It is a visual tool that organizes material, breaks down concepts, and identifies the connection between broader topics and subtopics. Visualizing the mapping allows learners to examine their knowledge of the topic while expanding their thinking more complexly. Utilizing concept mapping will support the student’s understanding of the connection economics plays to the resources available to communities and the ultimate effect on the health of communities.
In week six, the key concept for this course is family health utilizing simulation. Understanding the effect family has on an individual’s health, whether from genetics or upbringing, is essential for the nurse to identify the impact. In this week’s course, the student will explore using simulation to conduct an in-depth health assessment of a simulated patient. Students will identify potential problems and create an individualized care plan to assist the patients in health promotion and manage illnesses if one is present during the exercise. Passing from one simulation with an adult patient to a second simulation experience with a child will allow students to experience situations where they can apply their theoretical knowledge to the simulation experience with two varying age groups. After the experience, students will debrief with the instructor to reflect on their experience. Debriefing can significantly enhance student performance by allowing students to reflect on their performance and analyze what they did well and what they could improve. It also provides an opportunity for constructive feedback from the instructor and peers.
In week seven, the key concept is the homeless population. The homeless population faces immense challenges. They often struggle with multiple health issues, including mental health, substance use, and chronic illnesses. They struggle with access to health care due to a lack of insurance, lack of transportation, or their lack of trust in health care. This week, the students will address the homeless population’s problems using problem-based learning (PSL). Since this population is faced with many challenges, students will break up into small groups, choose one problem, and brainstorm on how to address this problem. Problem-based learning is a widely used approach to education (Zheng et al., 2023). PBL is a learner-centered educational approach that challenges students to solve real-world problems through critical thinking, team collaboration, and clinical reasoning. With this learning strategy, students utilize their knowledge of nursing concepts and apply them to real-life situations, further developing their nursing skills and identifying the connection of health care issues.
Week eight the key concept covers end-of-life care with the hospice patient through collaborative learning. Students will first be placed into teams so that everyone has opportunities to participate in the activity. Each group will participate in a collaborative role-playing exercise where a student is the hospice patient, and others are the family of the terminal patient. This exercise allows students to develop strong communication skills, empathy, and interdisciplinary collaboration. The students can work through emotionally and ethically charged end-of-life care issues. Ultimately, the in-class student-centered learning process promotes students’ participation, critical thinking, and developing attitudes and skills essential for effective community health nursing practice.
Professional Standards and Guidelines
Curriculum development and design remain a focal point for educators in nursing (Billings & Halstead, 2020). Faculty are expected to develop an effective and efficient curriculum that prepares graduates to achieve professional practice standards and improve their communities’ well-being (Billings & Halstead, 2020). Although the course aligns with many professional standards, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2021) aligns with the weekly concepts from the course outline for Community Health Nursing (AACN).
Critical Concept Alignment with Professional Standards and Guidelines
Weekly Key Concepts
Competency
Alignment Explained
Week 1:
History and Evolution of Community Health Nursing
Domain 1: Knowledge of Nursing Practice
Domain 1 aligns with this week’s course of study. The student will learn about the history and evolution of community health nursing.
Week 2:
Community Assessment
Domain 3: Population Health
Domain 3 aligns with this week’s key concept, community assessment. The community assessment includes assessing population health data and comparing local, regional, national, and global benchmarks to identify patterns that give a broad overview of the population’s health in that community.
Week 3:
Epidemiology
Domain 5: Quality and Safety
This domain aligns with this week’s learning of epidemiology.
The student will learn about epidemiological processes, infectious disease transmission and prevention, and their impact on communities. The nurse will be able to educate the public so they may remain safe from transmittable illness and prevent the spread.
Week 4:
Health Promotion Through Education
Domain 6: Interprofessional Partnerships
Domain 6 aligns with this week’s coursework. The domain identifies the importance of solid healthcare partnerships in promoting positive
health outcomes in communities, which is part of this week’s coursework.
Week 5:
Economics of Healthcare
Domain 7: Systems-Based Practice
Domain 7 aligns with this week’s key concept because economics aligns with the complexity of healthcare systems due to local, federal, and global influences. The economics of healthcare directly affects patient outcomes.
Week 6:
Family Health
Domain 6: Interprofessional Partnerships
Domain 6 aligns with this week’s study of family health in the community. Interprofessional partnerships promote collaboration across the continuum among patients, caregivers, and other healthcare team members to enhance patient outcomes and experiences.
Week 7:
Homeless Populations
Domain 3: Population Health
Domain 3 aligns with this week’s coursework because it incorporates managing a target population, developing an action plan to meet an identified need, engaging in effective partnerships to address population issues, and considering socioeconomic impacts. For this week, the target population was people experiencing homelessness.
Week 8:
End-of-life Care
Domain 2: Person-Centered Care
Domain 2 aligns with this week’s course activities for end-of-life care with hospice patients.
The competency identifies that care is person-centered, holistic, individualized, and compassionate.
Alignment of Weekly Key Concepts to Overview
The course overview provides a broad summary of the content and structure of the course and insight into the concepts learned in community health nursing. The educators are responsible for ensuring that the key concepts support the students in meeting the course objectives. The course overview lists the weekly modules in the eight-week course. The key concepts, which are a small topic under the broader scope of the week’s module, were selected based on the module topic to ensure they interrelate.
Week one, the key concept, History and Evolution of Community Health Nursing, aligns with the course overview because we will discuss community health’s foundations.
In week two, the key concept is for students to learn how to conduct a community assessment, which aligns with the course overview because we will be discussing the health of our population. The results of the community health assessment will provide the students with an overview and an understanding of the health needs and challenges of the population in that community.
In week three, the key concept of epidemiology aligns with the course overview because we will be learning about community health essentials this week.
In week four, the key concept is health promotion through education. This concept aligns with the course overview as we discuss the community health toolbox.
In week five, the key concept is economics in healthcare. This week’s learning aligns with the course overview as we discuss the module’s factors that influence the community’s health.
Week six, this week’s key concept is family health. Family health aligns with the course overview as we discuss aggregates in the community.
Week seven, this week’s key concept, the homeless population, directly aligns with the course overview as the course work focuses on vulnerable populations.
Hospice care is the key concept for week eight. This concept aligns with the course overview as we discuss community health settings.
The weekly key concepts align with the course overview, which is a broad summarization of what the course entails. The eight key concepts listed in the course overview cultivate the course design and are subtopics within the course overview. This approach provides students with a structured and organized approach to learning.
Course Outline Relevance
Developing a course outline is crucial in implementing the course successfully and meeting the course objectives. The course outline serves as a roadmap for educators and students. According to Billings and Halstead (2020), course design requires a deliberate and thoroughly organized effort that requires attention to various matters. The outline contains valuable information such as course description, course schedule, learning outcome, due dates, and exams. The outline also clarifies expectations, offers structure to the course, and guides the weekly classes. Utilizing the course outline, the educator can ensure that the material for the course is included in each week’s lesson. Overall, a course outline is a valuable tool to help ensure the educator maintains organization, covers relevant information, and supports the student’s success.
Learning Strategies
Collaborative Learning
Active class participation and discussion are essential learning techniques that boost student participation and generate teamwork. Collaborative learning, which focuses on periodic, small group-size learning, brings the idea of active participation to life and instigates interaction among learners from diverse backgrounds. These strategies allow students to present their points of view and experimental enlightenment regarding various topics in community health nursing. This creates a positive learning atmosphere in which other student’s personal experiences, inventiveness, and modes of thinking contribute (Shorey et al., 2021). Collaborative learning addresses the diverse needs of learners by offering a platform where students from diverse cultural, economic, and educational backgrounds can share experiences and learn from one another. Students can gain a different perspective on the topic.
Case Studies
Case studies are an engaging learning strategy that empowers students to practice what is taught with real-time scenarios, improving their analytical and problem-solving skills. Following a set of cases within community health nursing, students understand practical critical thinking concepts through complex situations, identifying critical issues, and suggesting solutions based on evidence. Through this hands-on strategy, students can link their learning to real-life situations, preparing them to tackle the problems they may face in their professional nursing experience. Furthermore, students can use case studies to consider patient-related, environmental, cultural, social, and economic pressures that affect community health. Through experiencing a variety of case study examples, learners get to know the complexity of community health problems and interactions. They acquire cultural competence, empathy, and sensitivity to deal with various population groups.
Simulation
Simulation can provide an intra and interprofessional collaboration experience within a controlled setting. Simulation has been recognized as a learning strategy in nursing curriculum that efficiently fosters learning, competence acquisition, self-assurance, and safety of students (Ablao et al., 2023). Simulation meets diverse learning needs by providing an interactive learning experience that caters to various learning styles. Simulation can be devised to meet the learning needs of an individualized student or a group of students. Allowing students to retrieve material at their own pace. Simulation exercises address all learning style preferences but primarily cater to kinesthetic learners. Simulation also provides auditory and visual cues to accommodate other learning styles. Using simulation exercises, learners can interact with real-life scenarios by applying theoretical knowledge to real-world contexts. Many simulation exercises call for the students to work in teams using communication and collaboration skills to manage the scenario successfully.
Implementation of Learning Strategies
Nursing education has moved from conventional methods to more interactive strategies, which yield a positive response from the students. Simulation exercises, one of the learning strategies discussed, allow students to interact with one another while addressing real-life scenarios within the simulation lab. Simulation has the potential to engage diverse learning styles. Simulation offers a dynamic and interactive learning experience in which students from various cultural, socio-economic, and religious backgrounds participate in collaborative real-life scenarios, leading to a robust educational opportunity. Diversity allows students to see other perspectives and thus build upon cultural awareness and competence. Simulation is a valuable tool for addressing diverse learning needs due to the interactive nature of the simulation experience. Simulation meets the visual, auditory, and kinesthetic style of learning.
ASSESSMENT OF LEARNING NEEDS AND STYLES
Assessing students’ learning needs and preferred learning styles is critical to a successful student-centered approach. Educators aim to create a learning experience that cultivates students’ success in the community health course. Understanding students’ unique learning needs and abilities is indispensable when developing a community health course curriculum.
A critical component the educator must consider when designing the curriculum is the learning styles of each student. According to Bastable, 2021, there are three mechanisms for determining learning styles: observations, interviews, and administration learning style instruments. Observations are the educator’s assessment of students. Interviews are conducted when educators speak with the students and inquire about their learning style preferences. Most administering learning style instruments ask the learner which learning method they prefer. The VARK learning style assessment is based on the learner’s ability to receive and repeat information (Bastable, 2021). The instrument has sixteen questions with four options for learning modalities. It identifies which learning styles the learner prefers, helping the educator select strategies to achieve the best learning results for the community health course.
The predominant learning style addressed by simulation experiences benefits kinesthetic learners. Kinesthetic learners prefer active actions like simulations, experience learning, or physically based activities (Haleem et al., 2022). Kinesthetic learners learn best from doing.
Clinical Reasoning and Self-Reflection Skill
Clinical reasoning is the cognitive process healthcare professionals use to gather and analyze information and make clinical judgments. According to Billings & Halstead 2020, adequate clinical reasoning is developed from knowing the patient, capturing baseline data, and understanding the patient’s response to the condition. Self-reflection allows students to analyze their feelings, thoughts, and performance. The reflection process is for the learner to strengthen their self-awareness and reinforce professional growth.
Simulation exercises facilitate students’ clinical reasoning and self-reflection development by providing an interactive and engaging environment. Through simulation, real-life scenarios are created where students engage in hands-on learning experiences, developing critical thinking and clinical reasoning. Students make quick critical decisions under pressure with the clinical information provided but do so in a simulation-controlled environment. Self-reflection is the end component of simulation. Students must reflect on their performance, acknowledge strengths and weaknesses to improve their decision-making skills and become more confident in their practice.
Learning Environments
When seeking to maximize the learning experience, providing a favorable condition for learning must be considered regardless of the learning environment. Different learning environments are paramount in this case, considering the students’ various learning needs and creating engaged learners in community health nursing education.
Face-to-Face Learning
A classic setting in which learning takes place is a class with face-to-face interaction between students and professors, where they can participate in discussions and be actively engaged. Such classroom conditions contribute to student active involvement, cooperation, and instantaneous feedback, enabling students to internalize the course material quickly. Students in a classroom setting develop professional relationships and interworking partners with fellow students and faculty. Community health nurse education is built on these inter-professional collaborations and teamwork. Via class discussions, group functions, and collective projects, students learn how to hold each other to high standards through teamwork; there comes a time when students feel confident enough to contribute their respective strengths and skillfulness toward addressing diverse healthcare issues. Such collaborative work makes learning fun and ensures that the students are ready for the workforce, which requires them to interconnect and creatively apply their skills and knowledge.
An example of how a nurse educator can promote interprofessional collaboration and teamwork in a face-to-face learning environment is through simulation. In this scenario, students will work alongside an epidemiologist to work through an outbreak within a simulated community. The epidemiologist will provide the students with the scenario, the expectations, and the goal of the simulation experience. The expert will guide the students through the experience and give tips during the simulation. Together, the students will manage the simulated outbreak, communicating throughout the exercise and collaborating on decision-making alongside the epidemiologist. This collaborative learning experience promotes the development of clinical skills, critical thinking, teamwork, and interprofessional communication. After the simulation experience, the students will have an opportunity to reflect on the experience. The epidemiologist can offer insight and advice based on the scenario and the student’s performance, helping the students further develop their strategies and critical thinking.
Online- Learning
In the online learning environment, supporting students’ achievement of learning outcomes and being interprofessional, collaborative, and cohesive requires a deliberate design and facilitation process (Goncalves et al., 2021). Nurse educators can effectively promote student-centered outcomes and foster interprofessional collaboration and teamwork through online collaborative tools that facilitate the cooperation and engagement of students from different backgrounds. Online group discussion forums and virtual group projects or assignments are examples of how the nurse educator can foster student-centered outcomes in the online learning environment to promote teamwork and interprofessional collaboration. There will be opportunities for the students to collaborate virtually with the advancement of modern computer-based technologies. Conveying online activities where students are part of the interprofessional collaboration team contributes to a comprehensive insight into the other colleagues’ professions and perspectives.
As the top priority, implementing student-centered instruction online implies providing students with individual learning support and advice. Educators use various platforms such as email, instant messages, Zoom meetings, and telephone calls in the online teaching environment. As a supplement, using interactive platforms with virtual simulations and case studies allows students to bridge the gap from theory to practice, further developing thinking and problem-solving skills. By establishing a learning environment that nurtures an online community supportive of e-students who feel valued and ready to take control and manage their learning, nurse educators can create a safe environment where students learn how to work with other health professionals in real life.
Clinical
A nurse educator can foster student-centered outcomes during clinical rotations by supporting student participation during each clinical experience and promoting collaboration and teamwork. One way to support student growth regarding collaboration and teamwork is to provide an opportunity for interprofessional team interactions. An example is having students attend interdisciplinary rounds to see the active exchange of information amongst the various healthcare team members. Encouraging students to speak to physicians and other disciplines regarding patient issues is another way to promote interprofessional collaboration in the clinical setting. Fostering teamwork with peers is also a crucial component. Providing an opportunity for team-based care in which two students are assigned to a complex patient in community health facilitates collaboration. Conducting a debriefing session after each clinical rotation allows for a real-time reflection on the clinical experience. The focus is to discuss individual experiences, teamwork dynamics, and collaboration. This will enable students to discuss strengths and weaknesses and opportunities for improvement. Besides real-life scenarios within a hospital setting, nurses can utilize the simulation lab to create scenarios and practice teamwork and collaboration.
Nursing Students’ Experiences
The nursing students’ experience is the product of many things, including emotional, social, physical, mental, and educational elements. Past experiences, including previous academic accomplishments, personal experiences, and healthcare exposure, contribute to students’ learning and growth as medical professionals. Students from areas with minimal educational resources and limited access to such facilities might face the same challenges as others. Likewise, healthcare workers who have experienced the challenges may bring valuable experiences and perspectives into the classroom to enrich classroom discussions and collaborative learning opportunities. Furthermore, a student’s background will ultimately contribute to forming different learning styles, preferable communication methods, and problem-solving methodologies. Educators should become familiar with the various dimensions of students’ experiences and strive to develop an environment of acceptance in which every student can succeed. In addition, learning is affected by social status and financial well-being. The fact that poor students and those of different social classes often have a lower educational background contributes significantly. Learners from low socio-economic strata might be limited to resources. Low-income students have a higher chance of low academic achievement, low literacy, and high susceptibility to illness, adverse health outcomes, and inadequate support systems (Bastable, 2021). This can affect the student’s attentiveness and ability to perform well. Recognizing the gaps in education, teachers can determine what programs and resources are needed in the workplace to facilitate equal learning and create chances for success for students regardless of their background. Another factor that influences the student’s learning experience and should be considered is the generation of Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z. Each generation’s learning style and preference is heavily influenced by the era they were born. Generation X was born between 1965 and 1980 when both parents worked and were raised to be independent; it was the generation before technology existed. They learned by traditional means. The Millennials were born between 1981 and 1996. This generation was influenced by the expansion of technology, including social media. This generation is tech-savvy; they expect information to be easily obtainable. Generation Z was born between 1997 and 2009. Various kinds of technology heavily influenced this generation. They have access to information instantly through the web and social media. Recognizing the societal and technological advancements that influenced each generation will provide educators with insight into the learning preferences when creating learning plans.
In conclusion, nursing students’ experiences are complex, and their learning abilities are affected by their background, past experiences, socioeconomic status, and culture (Walden, 2020). Acknowledging and improving these factors is crucial in developing an inclusive and encouraging academic environment where everyone’s learning needs are supported and students can grow professionally.
Learning Theories
Constructivism is a learning theory that supports learning as an internal active process where new knowledge is built upon one’s past knowledge. The constructivist learning theory is associated with developing knowledge through experiential, hands-on activities and reflections instead of passive learning (Chaung, 2021). The theory suggests that students are more likely to absorb and retain knowledge when presented in the context of real-life problems. When the theory is applied to the development of nursing education courses, the nurse educator will utilize active learning strategies to enhance student engagement throughout the weekly modules. An instructor’s role is like a mentor or facilitator who helps learners to form meanings of new information and relate new ideas to old ones (Chaung, 2021). Since this theory supports learning as an active process when cultivating the community health course outline, it is vital to utilize learning strategies that align with the constructivism theory, such as problem-based learning (PBL), collaborative learning, and simulation exercises.
References
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