The Nurse Educator in the 21st Century

The nurse educator in the 21st century learning environment is an individual that literally holds the future of the nursing profession in his/her hand. This individual must be focused on not only teaching and training but also shaping the minds of future nurses.

 

Nurse educators are the nucleus of the profession's survival. The preparation of a nurse who can function effectively and efficiently within a rapidly changing health workplace relies heavily on educational preparation that includes the development of knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate for the role [1]. 

                                                          

 The cadre of individuals seeking higher levels of education has evolved from the high school graduate, seeking tertiary level education and training to the adult learner, who may be changing professions or achieving a lifelong goal. This mix of individuals range from the Gen X'er, who is from a generation focused on learning and structure to your Gen Z'er who is considered a member of the "techie" generation. 

As a result of this combination there are challenges that may arise for the nurse educator. Some of these challenges include:

 a) Lack of Resources: Faculty shortages can lead to increased workloads for educators causing a strain on faculty to manage programs from admission to instruction.

 b) Curriculum Challenges: Changes in healthcare require constant re-assessment of nursing curriculums leading the nurse educators to adapt new knowledge and technologies. 

 c) Fostering and Maintaining Student Relationships: Nurse educators must balance their clinical roles and responsibilities with mentoring and providing support for students. 

 d) Pay Inequality: Pay disparities among nurse educators can impact the retention of experienced and qualified nursing education faculty.

 e) Training and Professional Development: It is essential for Nurse educators to receive ongoing continuous professional education to remain current with advancements in healthcare as well as exposure to various technological and instructional contexts to enhance the learning environment and teaching content.

f) Adjustments in Modes of Delivery: Educators must adapt from face-to-face modes to online or blended modes of instruction.  This requires the nurse educator obtaining instruction in technology and the use and familiarity of the various applications used for teaching.

 Nurse educators must be prepared to serve as educators, researchers, and to have experience in a clinical specialty area. Graduate-level knowledge of evidence-based research and practice, teaching methods, and curriculum design and development form the foundation for academic practice [2].

Today's nurse educator must be open to change and progressive as they are faced with the dynamics of technology innovations, various modes of delivery, not just face-to-face and even the culture of the learning environment.  Hence it is important that the nurse educator must navigate these factors by not only adjusting instructional content but also being creative in their delivery of instruction.

The future of nursing education, to improve and promote the nursing profession, nurses should practice to the full extent of their education and training, they should achieve higher levels of education and training through an improved education system that promotes seamless academic progression, and they should be full partners with other healthcare professionals [3].

Some factors that can assist the nurse educator with adapting to the 21st century learning environment involves an understanding of the following:

a) INSTRUCTIONAL CONTEXT & DESIGN MODELS

• Adjusting Teaching Strategies: Teaching and instruction should be diverse and tailored to meet the individual needs of each learner. Nurse educators should be flexible in their teaching methods to ensure that every learner benefits.
• Accommodating Diverse Learners: The learning environment should be culturally sensitive and cater to the various learning styles and abilities of the learners. Educators should cultivate an environment that is unbiased and supportive of all.
• Integrating Technology: Understanding the instructional context equips nurse educators with the knowledge and skills to effectively integrate technology into their teaching content.

b) LEARNING OBJECTIVES

• Curriculum Design: Learning objectives serve as a blueprint for developing nursing curricula. It outlines the programs' goals and what is the anticipated student outcome.

• Focused Teaching: Clear objectives help educators stay focused during instruction. 

• Assessment and Evaluation: Learning objectives provide a basis for assessing student performance. 

• Promotes Student Engagement: When students understand the purpose of their learning, they become more engaged.

• Promotion of Lifelong Learning: The nurse educator fosters a mindset of continuous learning by emphasizing the importance of learning objectives. This encourages students to focus on acquiring knowledge and skills that will help them adapt to the ever-evolving nature of the nursing profession.

c) LESSON PLANS

• Facilitating Learning: By lesson planning the nurse educator can incorporate activities and use various teaching strategies that align with the objectives of the lesson plan.

• Adapting to Diverse Learners: Lesson plans allow educators to tailor content, methods, and assessments to meet the needs of diverse students. This can include the use of technology, games, etc.

• Integrating 21st-Century Skills: Lesson planning helps nurse educators integrate skills such as problem-solving, critical thinking activities, and technology into teaching.

•  Curriculum Changes: Today's healthcare environment entails rapid changes and is very dynamic which requires continuous re-assessment of nursing curriculums.

In conclusion it is vitally important that nurse educators evolve and "roll" with the changes that can impact the teaching/learning process and environment.  Today's nurse educators must remain on the "cutting" edge to ensure that the learner is not only instructed in theory and practice but is prepared to meet the holistic needs of the client by providing care that leads to better client outcomes.

1.      Smedley A. Developing the nurse professional and nurse education for the 21st century (Doctoral dissertation).

2.      Booth TL, Emerson CJ, Hackney MG, Souter S. Preparation of academic nurse educators. Nurse Education in Practice. 2016 Jul 1;19:54-7.

3.      Isik B, Jallad ST. Future of nursing education: changing values, educational paradigm and learner-educator profiles and roles. New Trends and Issues Proceedings on Humanities and Social Sciences. 2019;6(1):165-74.