Teaching Philosophy

As a nurse educator, I recognize not everyone has the ability to access educational content they are enthusiastic about. I hope to minimize this gap through recognizing how to circulate my content in an accessible way to all. Unfortunately, I witness people withhold information from others to obtain higher acuity patient assignments or try to work their way up the employment ladder. The problem with this is when those people with all the knowledge are gone, there is no one to fill the empty roles. The existing gaps become a larger issue. I hope to encourage and cultivate an environment where experiences and teachings are openly shared for the better of the populations we serve. 

I think incorporating theories of adult learning into my teaching is essential to allow for clear communication and smooth practice transitions. These theories create the foundation for my curriculum, allowing my educational content to impact a broader population of learners. One theory I embrace in particular is the “Expert to Novice” idea. It is common for nurses to struggle with starting over or in a new environment, despite this role's innate ability to adapt and learn quickly. If learners knew this is a normal feeling, I think they would be less hard on themselves and trust the growing process. 

I do my best, as a person, to take considerations of culture, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging into my everyday life. I hope this also translates into my teaching. I believe everyone has the right to learn. This is key to bettering ourselves and society. The opportunity for my created curriculum will be equitable to ensure learners have reasonable means to participate. Participation, on the other hand, is up to the learner. In order for my education to be well rounded and all encompassing, considerations for culture should be accounted for. Learners should also have exposure to diverse viewpoints of the material.  I will hold myself accountable for these actions by periodically reviewing course content myself and involving outside reviewers. I will challenge myself to stay open minded and to learn from others. Specifically those with different viewpoints and experiences than me. 

One of the most daunting parts of being an educator is I will never know everything, and I probably will not be the expert in all the topics I teach. These ideas drive my desire to continue to develop and learn in nursing and education. I plan on doing this by collaborating with other educators, attending conferences and events to continue educating myself from clinical experts, staying connected to bedside patient care by rounding on my nurse learners, and continually reviewing my content to ensure it is up to date and the best I can provide.

Big picture goals for technology-enhanced education involve creating content in multiple formats, encouraging learners to explore possible tools to use in their practice, and collaborating with other nurse educators on what would work best for our environment. I want to be aware of technological applications and advances in my teaching work in order to embrace when appropriate. I also want to ensure my learners are set up for success. In order to do so education should be a team effort; therefore, I will not be the only one looking into and embracing technology. I am lucky to work with many clinicians who have a passion for the health technology field and consider them my content experts for where to spend my energy. This isn’t to say I couldn’t discover something on my own, but it is only one portion of my overarching job.