Dear Students,
I will start by saying that this journey through nursing school will not be easy but it will be worth it. You will experience moments of excitement, success, fear, and defeat. Rest assured that I will be there for you every step of the way; to celebrate your triumphs and pick you up when you’ve hit rock bottom. Trust me when I say that if you would have told me 10 years ago that I would be where I am in my career, I wouldn’t have believed you. I will gladly share my story with you as our time together ensues. You will soon learn that you too can and will be successful.
Prior to entering into the Masters in Nursing Education program, I was truly unaware of the theories, philosophies and teaching strategies that encompassed nursing education and the nursing curriculum. My knowledge in nursing education was limited to my personal perceptions of the experiences I encountered as a student. I have now learned the importance of student-centered teaching and acting as a facilitator who engages students in active learning rather than a lecturer who solely dispenses knowledge. I have a better understanding of the different learning needs and intelligences of students and have found that there is a great need to create a learning environment that addresses the needs and intelligences of a variety of students.
I have come to realize that there is so much more to nursing education than following checklists to ensure competency in skills or memorizing facts and information to simply pass a test. To provide you with a fun and meaningful education that promotes deep learning, I envision using several different techniques to teach you the knowledge and skills necessary to function in the nursing role. I will incorporate the use of case studies, reflection journals, simulations, skills labs, interactive games and more. I hope to inspire your learning by sharing humorous examples that have happened to me during my 10 years of clinical practice; after all I’ve made my share of mistakes. These methods will help you to build upon existing knowledge and apply that knowledge to your clinical practice as well as provide you with an avenue to develop clinical judgment, clinical reasoning and critical thinking skills that will be necessary as you transition to practice. Using a variety of assessment techniques will ensure that learning is occurring and will be used to revise and enhance the learning process as needed. Trust in me. I promise you that our time together will indeed be educational, but will also be filled with fun, brain stimulating activities that will help to provide you with a deeper and more meaningful understanding of the nursing profession.
As you will come to find out, learning does not end upon graduation. I am willing to learn, and grow, right alongside you and ask that you be patient with me as I embark on this journey with you. After all, teamwork makes the dream work! I am deeply committed to your success. As your educator, I will strive to be honest, approachable and open minded. I am patient, kind and understanding. Just as I am willing to provide you with constructive feedback in order to help you reach your fullest potential, I am receptive to receiving constructive feedback. Please feel comfortable to approach me if you feel that I am not effectively helping you learn. Above all, remember that I was once in your shoes. I can relate to you and I am here to help guide you.
Your decision to embark on this journey has led you straight to my classroom, where my passion for the art of nursing meets my passion for educating future nurses. I hope to serve as your inspiration to not only gain the necessary knowledge and skill to safely care for your patients but to allow you to connect with yourself and reflect on the journey that led you to the bedside. I look forward to assisting you and watching you transform into competent, caring and passionate nurses.
Sincerely yours,
Mrs. McEntee
I will start by saying that this journey through nursing school will not be easy but it will be worth it. You will experience moments of excitement, success, fear, and defeat. Rest assured that I will be there for you every step of the way; to celebrate your triumphs and pick you up when you’ve hit rock bottom. Trust me when I say that if you would have told me 10 years ago that I would be where I am in my career, I wouldn’t have believed you. I will gladly share my story with you as our time together ensues. You will soon learn that you too can and will be successful.
Prior to entering into the Masters in Nursing Education program, I was truly unaware of the theories, philosophies and teaching strategies that encompassed nursing education and the nursing curriculum. My knowledge in nursing education was limited to my personal perceptions of the experiences I encountered as a student. I have now learned the importance of student-centered teaching and acting as a facilitator who engages students in active learning rather than a lecturer who solely dispenses knowledge. I have a better understanding of the different learning needs and intelligences of students and have found that there is a great need to create a learning environment that addresses the needs and intelligences of a variety of students.
I have come to realize that there is so much more to nursing education than following checklists to ensure competency in skills or memorizing facts and information to simply pass a test. To provide you with a fun and meaningful education that promotes deep learning, I envision using several different techniques to teach you the knowledge and skills necessary to function in the nursing role. I will incorporate the use of case studies, reflection journals, simulations, skills labs, interactive games and more. I hope to inspire your learning by sharing humorous examples that have happened to me during my 10 years of clinical practice; after all I’ve made my share of mistakes. These methods will help you to build upon existing knowledge and apply that knowledge to your clinical practice as well as provide you with an avenue to develop clinical judgment, clinical reasoning and critical thinking skills that will be necessary as you transition to practice. Using a variety of assessment techniques will ensure that learning is occurring and will be used to revise and enhance the learning process as needed. Trust in me. I promise you that our time together will indeed be educational, but will also be filled with fun, brain stimulating activities that will help to provide you with a deeper and more meaningful understanding of the nursing profession.
As you will come to find out, learning does not end upon graduation. I am willing to learn, and grow, right alongside you and ask that you be patient with me as I embark on this journey with you. After all, teamwork makes the dream work! I am deeply committed to your success. As your educator, I will strive to be honest, approachable and open minded. I am patient, kind and understanding. Just as I am willing to provide you with constructive feedback in order to help you reach your fullest potential, I am receptive to receiving constructive feedback. Please feel comfortable to approach me if you feel that I am not effectively helping you learn. Above all, remember that I was once in your shoes. I can relate to you and I am here to help guide you.
Your decision to embark on this journey has led you straight to my classroom, where my passion for the art of nursing meets my passion for educating future nurses. I hope to serve as your inspiration to not only gain the necessary knowledge and skill to safely care for your patients but to allow you to connect with yourself and reflect on the journey that led you to the bedside. I look forward to assisting you and watching you transform into competent, caring and passionate nurses.
Sincerely yours,
Mrs. McEntee