Reflection on the Development of a Nursing Teacher Essay

Reflection on the Development of a Nursing Teacher - Essay Example This paper describes the highlights from an individual analysis of my competence as a preceptor (Forest, 2004:77-78). Different students have varying learning styles and this gives me the impetus to assess whether I have been able to address the needs of each student (Black, 2004:68). I have to discern the abilities of the students carefully in order to determine whether they have gained the relevant skills. Using the John’s reflective model, I embarked on a reflection to identify my progress as a nurse playing the assessment role. Guided by this model, I related to experiences in the workplace, their consequences, and influencing factors and highlighted how such experiences have improved my learning process. Due to the varying learning needs of students, I have allocated different sessions for each student whom I should assess. I give attention to first year students who are new in the course and are taking their first clinical practice. Understanding their personality is ess ential as it helps me determine the best approaches to use to impart skills in each student. (Fleming, McKee, and Huntley-Moore, 2011:450-457). In addition, students need guidelines to help to help them run activities on their own. Understanding the different learning styles and designing appropriate assessment skills will help me become a better preceptor (McDonough and Osterbrink, 2005:89-90). In the future, I should be able to assess each student extensively and help him or her improve in learning the relevant nursing skills. From my own learning orientation, I can present concepts effectively and then advance to giving details of the concepts. However, I realize that this puts off analytic learners who expect a stepwise presentation of ideas so that they can construct the complete picture. I have to broaden my assessment methods and rise above the challenge. Experience has taught me how to address the different personality types in assessment. Endowed with characteristics of an introvert, it becomes demanding to design effective modules for students who are extroverts, as they need more interactive sessions (Li, Chen and Tsai, 2008:71-74). However, I have been trying to give students group work tasks on critical issues at times in order to address the needs of judging extroverts. Feelers need a more sensitive approach that will create a favorable learning environment. Understanding the varying needs prompts me to use a more integrative assessment approach. Through this understanding, it becomes easier for me to develop strategies and standards of assessment. A nurse preceptor has the responsibility of nurturing the traits of a good nurse in the learners. I realize the importance of this and I have been presenting them with tasks that build patience and compassion. Nurses should be able to nurture well and possession of this trait prompts many students to take up nursing after their personality type tests (Li, Chen and Tsai, 2008:71-74). As an assessor, I s hould complement this trait with a critical understanding of the nursing practice in the students. An efficient nurse should be able to make critical judgment on different occasions. In order to build this criticality in making judgment, i present my students with critical tasks each week in which they describe their actions and ethics and values that dictated their decisions in each task. The most important aspect I have learned as a nurse teacher is that facilitation of the learning process is more effective