Learning Theories and Diversity
NURS FPX 6105 Assessment 1 Learning Theories and Diversity
The nursing educator has the fundamental responsibility of designing education programs for the effective learning of students. The educator applies different styles of learning and practical theories to create an influencing positive environment for the students learning. In nursing academics, the nursing educator teaches the nursing students about the proper nursing practice that will help them in the practical field to provide effective care to patients. While in the hospital environment, nursing educators teach the nursing staff about the implementation of best evidence-based practices and using different technologies in clinical practices. They also support nursing students in the development of their professional careers.
Nurse educators also interact with patients and teach them different aspects of their diseases and improve their health through different strategies. In short, nurse educators are the fundamental agents of change that have unique opportunities to influence the nursing youth and inspire them to work for the well-being of patients. Nursing educators adopt different learning theories to optimize these unique opportunities and apply these theories according to the nature and diversity of learners (Nurse Educ Today, n.d.).
Learning Theory Applied to a Selected Educational Topic and Education
NURS FPX 6105 Assessment 1 Learning Theories and Diversity
The best theory of learning that guides practice is the cognitive learning theory. It is one of the classical learning theories. The theory focuses on the development of a framework for constructive learning in which the knowledge presented to the learner enables him/her to broaden the perspectives about that particular topic and expand the knowledge by applying it in practical settings. As a teacher, I am assigned the task of conducting educational activities that will improve the experience of nurses in the labor and delivery ward ultimately improving the outcomes in patient health and safety. The learning program will be developed on the educational topic “Supporting the patients having labor pain and giving birth who are admitted to the hospital”. This chosen topic complies with measures of WHO which aim at reducing the ratio of cesareans who are having low health and giving birth for the first time. The goal of choosing this topic is to increase the skills and knowledge in nursing practice for mobilizing patients and managing pain in labor. Many aspects of adult learning theory will be included in the curriculum. These aspects include the motivation of adults when they perceive the motive of learning and understand the application of information and knowledge in practical terms. Another aspect is that adults express a great degree of engagement in learning when their life experiences are incorporated into the learning context (Winn et al., 2019).
Justification of Application of Appropriate Learning Theory
NURS FPX 6105 Assessment 1 Learning Theories and Diversity
The topic was chosen based on a written assessment of the education requirements of staff in the labor and delivery process and a meeting with the nursing leadership. The discussion with them concluded that learning about the methods of providing support in labor pain will enable the nurses to utilize various kinds of tools and strategies that will help the patient to cope with pain, positioning of the fetus, and labor leading to the delivery of the baby. Learners have expressed a great interest in this course and their expertise will be improved in it. This approach will make learning a relevant process and will enable the learners to listen and participate in the discussion about labor pain and management.
The integration of simulation in learning will be carried out in the curriculum of the class. The cognitive learning theory will be the most appropriate to fit in the framework of training based on simulation. It will enable the learners to process the received knowledge and information and incorporate it into the knowledge that they already had about the pain of labor and will apply the obtained knowledge in the practice of the classroom boosting their confidence about their skills and expertise about labor pain and its management. The cognitive theory addresses the efficacy of the individual learner that will broaden the learning and thinking perspective of the learner, and will boost up the self–motivation, and will enable them to take critical decisions on their own. The learners will observe the techniques as well as behaviors that need to be adopted for labor support and they will think that what needs to be improved for obtaining better outcomes in clinical settings so that they can help the patient in enduring labor effectively and patiently. This theory provides opportunities for thorough learning as it involves the integration of two approaches that are observations as well as cognition. The observation develops the roots of the learning process. The educator explains the adoption of new behavior and implements the new concepts of learning practically. It results in the self-regulation of the learner that allows him/her to apply the learned values in daily practices (Badyal & Singh, 2017).
Other theories can also be applied but they do not produce as many positive outcomes as the cognitive learning theory produces. The other theories that can be used include social theory, connectivism, constructivism, etc. The limitations of the social theory include the rise of inner conflicts, it is less authentic, the least innovative, unexpected hindrances can occur, and it also creates self-doubt in the learning process. The connectivism theory is also less applicable because critics say that connectivism is a pedagogical theory instead of a learning theory. The theory also becomes prone to vagueness because it is still in the phase of making. It is unable to provide detailed knowledge about specific content so it will not be suitable for learning about labor pain. The constructivism approach is also applicable but it is the learning that is based on trial and error which makes the learning a time-consuming and tiresome process. The educators, as well as learners, need to do a lot of preparations and it is the most difficult approach to apply (Gandhi & Mukherji, 2020).
Diversity of the Intended Group of Learners
NURS FPX 6105 Assessment 1 Learning Theories and Diversity
The audience for the class of support in labor management is quite diverse in terms of age, culture, and experience in the labor process. The age category of participants includes Gen X ( 42-57 years), Millenials ( 26- 42 years), and Boomers ( 58-67 years). These age groups have different kinds of beliefs as well as approaches to learning theories and processes. The age category of boomers considers the value of long-term learning for improved outcomes and they choose a well-structured environment with a set of concise guidelines. Gen X considers education as the most basic requirement of life to succeed in life. They are keen on the application of their expertise in the process of learning and want efficiency in time and relevance of the knowledge which is presented in practical settings. Millennials are the most technology-loving group that prefers to use technology and focus on perfection by working in a group and learning through the process of trial and error.
NURS FPX 6105 Assessment 1 Learning Theories and Diversity
There are various cultural groups in the labor and delivery section of the healthcare center that include white Americans, Asians, Hispanics, and other western groups, etc. The learning way of each group varies from the other group. There are four main learning styles which are auditory learning, visual learning, learning through reading/writing, and kinesthetic. Asians prefer to learn through visual aids in a highly organized environment. African Americans prefer to learn through kinesthetic with the help of colleagues and teaching staff. Hispanics learn in a highly organized environment utilizing kinesthetic resources (Aral et al., 2021).
Diversity is important and nursing educators should consider this diversity while delivering knowledge. The educator must teach according to the knowledge, level, and cultural values of each learner. They should teach in a way that the sentiments of any ethnic group should not be hurt. Although the nurses present in a class of labor and birth are experienced ones and their experience level varies ranging from a year to twenty-five years of experience. Therefore, the exposure and knowledge level of every nurse is different from others and should be considered by educators.
Evidence-based Strategies for Managing Conflicts
NURS FPX 6105 Assessment 1 Learning Theories and Diversity
It is a significant challenge for a nursing educator to teach a class having diverse cultural and ethnic groups and deliver their own ideas effectively. The educator needs to consider the age, culture, and ethnic beliefs of each cultural group. He/ she should consider the individual preferences of each learner. The educator will use emotional intelligence and will apply the approach of cultural sensitivity in the assessment of the learning style and behavior of each participant. The educator can review the experience and skills of learners through the past record and applications present about each participant. It is the responsibility of educators to provide an equal learning environment for each individual and provide opportunities to learners so that they can learn effectively without facing any barriers of culture and religion. The cognitive learning theory will enable the learners to observe and learn each minute thing using simulation and minimize the chance of any kind of conflict utilizing the collaborative approach to learning. The educator can utilize the Thomas-Kilmann Conflict Mode Instrument to manage any kind of conflict in such a diverse classroom (Hansen, 2017).
NURS FPX 6105 Assessment 1 Learning Theories and Diversity
The model states the following strategies:
- Collaboration
- Competition
- Avoidance
- Accommodation
- Compromise
The educator will identify the possible conflicts that can arise and will minimize them and the negative impacts associated with these conflicts. It will result in a better exchange of knowledge and promote an effective learning environment for learners. The learners will be able to focus the labor pain and management efficiently without fear of any biases and favoritism.
Conclusion
The nursing educator has the fundamental role of teaching learners and providing them with opportunities to excel in their professional careers. Labor pain and management is the most important unit of hospitals that provides support to the patient for effective management of the pain and delivering the baby easily. The cognitive theory has provided opportunities for learners to effectively learn about labor pain and birth. The educator should consider the preferences of each learner and provide an equal environment for learning to achieve better outcomes.
NURS FPX 6105 Assessment 1 Learning Theories and Diversity
References
Aral, T., Schachner, M. K., Juang, L., & Schwarzenthal, M. (2021). Cultural diversity approaches in schools and adolescents’ willingness to support refugee youth. British Journal of Educational Psychology.
https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12458
Badyal, D., & Singh, T. (2017). Learning theories: The basics to learn in medical education. International Journal of Applied and Basic Medical Research, 7(5), 1.
https://doi.org/10.4103/ijabmr.ijabmr_385_17
Gandhi, M. H., & Mukherji, P. (2020). Learning theories. PubMed; StatPearls Publishing.
NURS FPX 6105 Assessment 1 Learning Theories and Diversity
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK562189/
Hansen, T. (2017). Evidence-based conflict management practice. Journal of Conflict Management, 5(1).
http://jocm.net/v5/no.1/v5n1_Hansen.pdf
Nurse Educ Today – Latest PubMed articles. (n.d.). NCBI. Retrieved from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/search/journals/8511379/?utm_source=gquery
Winn, A., DelSignore, L., Marcus, C., Chiel, L., Freiman, E., Stafford, D., & Newman, L. (2019). Applying cognitive learning strategies to enhance learning and retention in clinical teaching settings. MedEdPORTAL, 15(1).
https://doi.org/10.15766/mep_2374-8265.10850
