(The Journal of mHealth, 2020)

Historically, nursing education has been heavy with the didactic pedagogy. However, Authentic Pedagogy is occurring today within nursing education. Authentic pedagogy empowers learners to collaborate with one another along with their teachers in order to solve real-world problems. Authentic pedagogy re-aligns the focus to the student, and aligns the role of the teacher as a facilitator or coach. The teacher can help design and facilitate problem-based environments for learners.

An example where Nursing Professors can have students interact with real world problems in an environment where the student can work through complex situations is within the clinical settings where students apply what they have learned in theory and care for patients, typically in a hospital setting. A study conducted by Chong, Lim, Liu, Lau and Wu (2016) found that learning outcomes were improved through authentic assessment pedagogy in the clinical setting. The clinical setting is a place where situational analysis and clinical judgments can be made. It goes beyond just knowledge and skills, but the application with higher ordered thinking.

Authentic Assessment Rubric:

(Chong, Lim, Liu, Lau & Wu, 2016)

The clinical setting allows the student to begin to practice at a higher level, and not just regurgitate information. Higher ordered thinking and reasoning is needed and seen within the clinical setting. The clinical setting reminds me of what Maria Montessori built with a school where students could have a hands on and tangible education. The clinical setting allows for hands on learning and application for nursing students.

Depending on what level the student nurse is, whether Sophomore, Junior or Senior level there are protocols in place with the level of autonomy the student can have. For instance, as a Sophomore level nursing student, the student has to pass all medications with their instructor. Whereas, as a Senior level student they have more autonomy to practice independently. The nursing instructor helps facilitate the learning by assigning appropriate patients to the students and interacting with the students and patients throughout the clinical day.

The student has to take responsibility for the care of the patient which can include many different tasks depending on what unit in the hospital and level they are at. If a student is having difficulty with a concept, they can utilize many different resources on the clinical floor to take responsibility for creating ownership and active learning with that concept. The student is able to accept the role as the professional nurse and have real life problem solving happen with the care of their patient. They are able to connect what they have learned in the classroom to the real world and work through problems within the clinical setting. Active learning is seen within the clinical setting where the students apply critical thinking and problem solving within the clinical setting with their assigned patients.

References

Chong, E.J.M., Lim, J.S.W., Liu, Y., Lau, Y.Y.L., Wu, V.X. (2016). Improvement of learning domains of nursing students with the use of authentic assessment pedagogy in clinical practice. Nurse Education in Practice 20, 125-130. doi: 0.1016/j.nepr.2016.08.002

The Journal of mHealth. (2020). Technology in nursing today. Retrieved September 15, 2020 from https://thejournalofmhealth.com/technology-in-nursing-today/