Nursing education experienced many changes during the pandemic from traditional, didactic classroom learning to web-based instruction involving case studies, videos, and simulation. The transition continues and educators are using strategies to engage students and set them up for success (Rao, 2019). I had the opportunity to observe my preceptor teach an ACLS class. With the new guidelines by the AHA regarding COVID-19 precautions, much of the course work is now done online and there are very specific instructions that the students need to follow. In a recent class, only half of the students in attendance came prepared with the necessary pre-course work completed. One of the students insisted that she completed the work she just forgot to print out the certificates. She was allowed to stay for the class but struggled with the simulations at each station.
The instructor pulled her aside during a break and asked her to be honest about her pre-course work as it was obvious she was struggling with heart rhythms and algorithms. She got very defensive and blamed the instructor for not being clear in the instructions on how to prepare for class. During the megacode practice, the educator provided a formative evaluation and debriefed with the student to discuss areas that she struggled and needed to master before the final testing. After lunch, the student did not return for the megacode testing or the written exam. The instructor followed up with her manager and she said that the student said she was sick and had to go home.
There is a lot that can be learned from this scenario. There are two strategies that could be used when dealing with such a situation. The first strategy would be for the educator to send an email with all of the specifics of the pre-course work to the attendees that included a “read receipt” to ensure that each student opened the email. The educator could also follow up prior to the class with each student to ask if they have any questions about the pre-course work. When educators have well-written learning objectives and expectations, this establishes a positive tone for the course by establishing clear guidelines (Cannon & Del Pratto, 2016). Another strategy that the educator could use is talk to the student before the simulations and ask about her preparedness by showing concern and trying to build a relationship with the student beyond educator/evaluator (Walden University [Producer], 2020).
A nurse educator’s ethical standards shape how the nurse educator will relate to him/herself, to students, and to colleagues (Salminen et al., 2016). Nurse educators need to demonstrate how they respect a student’s rights, deal with students fairly, and not allow incivility to enter the classroom (Rao, 2019). Two ethical considerations to help guide the educator are professionalism and equality. The role of the educator is to maintain a professional demeanor while maintaining a professional atmosphere in the learning environment. Equality is just as imperative in the classroom and is closely related to professionalism. It is the role of the educator to ensure that all students prepare for class, attend class, stay attentive, and complete the work. When an instructor makes exceptions, the students notice this and this can lead to disrespect, incivility, and bullying (Salminen et al., 2016).
References
Cannon, S., & Del Prato, D. (2016). Social media and incivility. In S. Cannon & C. Boswell (Eds.), Evidence-based teaching in nursing: A foundation for educators (2nd ed., pp. 111–128). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Rao, B. J. (2019). Innovative Teaching Pedagogy in Nursing Education. International Journal of Nursing Education, 11(4), 176–180. https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.5958/0974-9357.2019.00114.4
Salminen, L., Stolt, M., Metsämäki, R., Rinne, J., Kasen, A., & Leino-Kilpi, H. (2016). Ethical principles in the work of nurse educator-A cross-sectional study. Nurse Educ Today, 36:18-22. https://doi-org. 10.1016/j.nedt.2015.07.001.
Walden University (Producer). (2020). Identifying and managing learner performance [Video]. Walden University Blackboard.
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