Teaching Philosophy

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Philosophy of Nursing Education

Malinda P. Burnash

Doctors Noreen C. and Peter A. Facione (1994) state, Students must learn how to
learn, and learn how to think. I credit my philosophy of teaching to these two well-
renowned, researchers, scholars and teachers of critical thinking. In order for any
student to learn and understand, it takes the student opening the door to enter the
educational arena and taking the steps toward their educational endeavor. I welcome that
student into the educational arena as much as I welcome them through my door. I utilize
my values and skills to positively engage in any students academic preparedness and
success. In order that we may both be fruitful, I believe that the following components
are imperative in explaining the philosophical framework to my teaching and nursing
education.

Before anything else, I think my philosophy and teaching have really developed
over the last 20 years. I am passionate about teaching. I believe that creativity, flexibility
and a commitment to lifelong learning is needed in the scholarly development of any
discipline, most especially nursing. Whether I am teaching a nursing fundamentals lab
or lecturing med/surg, my teaching plays a very significant role, given the modulation of
new evidence-based medicine, teaching methods and curriculum changes. I need to
know my craft well. I need to teach nursing in a commendable manner while attending to
all learning styles. It is my goal to make their education relevant to the real nursing
world. Students learn in order to apply their knowledge and skills to real life situations.
Actively teaching these concepts is a way for the information to live and be useful. It is
thrilling to see how students learning goes from very concrete, tangible thinking to very
formal abstract, critical thinking. As students begin to think critically, their questions
and instruction becomes more complex and interesting. My expectation is that students
will rise to the occasion or rise to the high bar that I have set for them because our goals
are mutual.

Secondly, students come from an array of settings. I do take an individual


approach in working with students to provide educational opportunities that promote
student accomplishment and individual growth. This includes students that come from
various socio-economic backgrounds, different social settings and other special
populations. At times there have been gaps in the students academic preparedness with
regard to educational advantage. I have to practice equanimity yet be mindful of all of
my students. I have to use the objective and subjective evidence in a students strengths,
weaknesses, potentials and limitations to increase their benefit of learning. I do respect
any individuals sexual orientation, cultural beliefs, or ethnic background. There is no room
for any sort of discrimination in my professional or personal life. I hope my desire to serve
all people will be the desire of my student as I begin to influence attitudes with my
behavior.

A third point that I would like to share is that I am not alone in my endeavor as a faculty,
role model and professional nurse. I am a part of a great college where the goals of a
program go beyond the goals of a course. Different classes contribute to the whole in

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different ways just as different faculty members contribute their individual strengths. I
believe that faculty collaboratively embarks on great partnerships in the interest of
education. My motivation and I believe that of my colleagues, is the desire of an
exceptional nurse as the end product. We, as a group want to see our nurses be ethical,
responsible, holistic, compassionate, and knowledgeable. We want patient advocates and
those who will be multi-collaborative in integrating other disciplines to achieve
excellence in patient care. I believe these attributes are continuously aligned with the
Michigan Board of Nursing and the National League of Nursing.

Lastly, my students have met the rigor of the classroom, laboratory and clinical
experiences. My students have risen to every challenge that has been introduced. They
have sought higher education in order to enter into an ever demanding work place. I
encourage my students to cultivate relationships with institutions and grow partnerships
with higher learning centers. My hope for them is a well-rounded, extraordinary nurse.

Mark Twain said, Dont let schooling get in the way of education. Hes right.

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