Free Example of Education for Diversity Essay

Nurses fulfill an essential role in the personal care of patients. For one to practice nursing he/she has to be a registered and certified nurse. The certification is awarded by the relevant agency (nursing council) that sets standards for the nursing profession.  Nurses form a very significant component of the healthcare system health care team; as they are involved in the delivery of precautionary and recuperative health care services to individuals. Nursing education programs should prepare students for delivery of effective health care. This can be accomplished via mastering nursing theories, computer skills, clinical skills, critical judgment, observing personal and work ethics. Nurses also need to appreciate that education is a continuous process and this calls for  the grasping of all education opportunities. 

There is great need for effective learning   strategies in the delivery of nursing knowledge.  Some of the outstanding strategies are based on nursing theory. A good example is simulation which is based on Self efficacy as envisioned in Bandura’s theory. Various studies have proven the efficacy of simulation in heightening the confidence of nursing students. Simulation prepares the nursing students to handle complexities presented by the clinical environment.  The visual auditory kinaesthetic(VAK) theory highlights the importance of recognizing the learning needs of individual students.  Critical thinking is also incorporated as it promotes an active learning atmosphere.

Simulation is an effective learning strategy that entails amplification and/or replication of real situations. This is a highly interactive process where participants are carefully taken through work place experiences. The choice of simulation tool is guided by the following principles. First, each simulation strategy should fully address the desired education objective. Secondly the selected strategy should allow for proper matchmaking of skills in line with the student’s ability. The third principle emphasizes on the highest degree of realism as a means of ensuring maximal student engagement and hence participatio.

Nursing care is aimed at providing safe and accurate services to patients. Simulation enables nursing students to carry out practice in an environment that is not threatening. In addition, simulation is credited as the best strategy of preparing students for the complicated clinical experience. It aids immensely in the process of self reflection and critical thinking.  Mock disasters just like in other professions, helps the nurses to gauge their efficacy in a real situation. Due to international and national demands on quality health care, the practice of simulation has gradually increased in the nursing profession.  The element of realism enhances simulation as compared to mere reading.

The VAK model allows for the utilization of an aggregate of learning styles.  In accordance with this theory, the nursing teaching regime puts the students’ personality, strengths and preferences into consideration.  Therefore this model serves as a reference for the design of learning strategies as well as experiences that will match individual preferences. The visual component refers to observed things and these include: diagrams, pictures, displays, demonstrations, flip-charts, hand-outs, films etc.  In addition, the auditory style incorporates all information that is conveyed via spoken words. Kinesthetic covers physical experiences and this mainly entails practical experiences.

VAK enriches the nursing learning experience since training addresses individual needs. This strategy thereby succeeds in the creation of skilled and competent nurses. The revelation of individual qualities and experiences ultimately results to diverse learning strategies.  Upon implementation, these styles foster the learning process since the learners are allowed to operate within their comfort zones.  It is essential for management, to recognize and eradicate factors that serve as an impediment to learning.  Consequently organization leaders will be more proactive in creating ideal learning environments. The nursing profession yield better services when nurses are allowed to practice in a supportive environment where there are elaborate mentorship and supervision structures.

Critical thinking is incorporated into nursing education for the purpose of bolstering nursing skills. In this respect critical thinking is defined as “the process we use to make a judgment about what to believe and what to do about the symptoms our patient is presenting for diagnosis and treatment”. The nursing profession is based upon a philosophy that is conceptualized via critical thinking. Routine critique, care and vigilance successfully avert negative consequences in the clinic environment. In essence, a student nurse develops a skillful and intuitive performance via critical thinking. Thereafter, the nurse is expected to routinely apply reflective thinking in all nursing situations. The critical thinking process allows for professional growth as nurses continually increase their reasoning expertise. Great intellect and critical thinking is required in overcoming the challenges encountered in the nursing practice. The process requires nurses to recognize and shun impediments to critical thinking and these mainly stem from sociocentric and egocentric thought.

Nurses play a crucial role in patient care and the lives of patients depend on the competent reasoning of healthcare providers.  Consequently health care practitioner especially nurses are morally obliged to improve their professional judgment and reasoning.  The clinic environment continuously requires nurses to engage in critical thinking. For instance, internal thoughts and external protocols come into play in the process of problem diagnosis.  External protocols allow for the institution of elaborate standards especially with regard to safety.  Internal, reflective thought is still relevant in the choice of appropriate protocols.