Active Learning Strategies

Purpose: The purpose of the internship is to implement active learning strategies into Nurse Residency Program courses and seminars for novice nurses, demonstrating competency in the facilitation of learning, participation in curriculum design, and engagement in scholarship. Through these activities and teaching experiences, the internship aims to enhance the student’s confidence and competence in the educational environment, preparing them for a career as a hospital-based nurse educator. Methodology: The internship was completed at a community hospital in Glen Burnie, Maryland, where active learning strategies were implemented into Nurse Residency Program courses and seminars. Activities included role plays focusing on sterile procedure, stroke assessment, and medication preparation. Educational games were implemented into novice nurse courses on dysrhythmia and evidence-based practice. Additionally, a quality-focused residency seminar was created in collaboration with content experts to include “Quality Olympics” activities. Direct observation showed high learner engagement and verbal appreciation of role play activities. Survey responses indicated educational games enhanced learning. While most courses lacked formal assessments of learning, the dysrhythmia course achieved a 95% pass rate. Results: The implementation of active learning strategies into Nurse Residency Program courses and seminars successfully met the internship objectives of facilitation of learning, participation in curriculum design, and engagement in scholarship. The master’s student developed skills in creating and implementing active learning strategies, assessment of learner engagement, public speaking, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Discussion: The internship aligned with the master’s competency of translating scholarship into practice by implementing evidence-based teaching strategies into the educational environment. The activities strengthened core competencies as a nurse educator and gained experience educating novice nurses. These are essential skills for nurse educators working in the hospital environment.