The Teaching Process

 Imagine you're a young person and want to learn a new skill. Let's say you're going to help your parent put together a table and chairs of the new dining room set. As a child, you're new to using screwdrivers, but are eager to learn. You go with your parent to the place where the assembly will take place. 

However, you're surprised when your parent doesn't hand you a tool. Instead, they open up their laptop and proceed with a history or tools, especially screw-driving tools. 

How exciting. Sigh.

Or, scenario B: 

You start opening boxes with your parent, who shows you first how to use a box-cutter knife by demonstrating it, then hands it to you or you do it hand-over-hand and then you get to do it by yourself. Then you get the parts sorted and start assembling; again, your parent demonstrates where the screw goes and how to use the screwdriver, then you do hand-over-hand, and eventually you get to turn it yourself a few times until it gets too hard and your parent does the last few turns. 

Which was a better learning experience?

This is my criticism of my nursing program education. We're definitely doing some hands-on in our first weeks, but the book starts off with history and national organizations. Sure - we need to understand HIPAA since we are going into healthcare settings to do clinical rotations. Otherwise, we need to focus on what to do when we get there! Then, you can interweave standards of practice, scope of practice, and the like. But starting us off with Florence Nightingale? I mean, I'm a history guy, but SNOOZE.

I look forward to learning more about her later. In the meantime, teach me how to be a nurse!