Health Education Research Courses for Faculty And Students

Health Education for Nursing Faculty

Research Faculty Perspectives of What Does Not Work, Perspectives of What Teachers Do to Help Them Learn, Students' Perspectives of What Teachers Do That Does Not Help Them Learn, Students' Comments About Meaningful Advice Given to Them by Teachers.

    Research courses were comprised of both undergraduate and graduate courses taught in a traditional classroom format, in which the content was research methods. Faculty a responsible to provide tips and techniques for research courses, and also to indicate what does not work in teaching research courses. Students were asked what teachers do to help them learn and what teachers do that does not help them learn

Tips and Strategies to Help Students Learn

1. Ask questions rather than answering them
2. Attend to what students are saying
3. Be explicit in instructions at the beginning of the course about expectations and assignments
4. Be gently honest about less than excellent work of the students
5. Break the research process into smaller steps
6. Build a supportive network among the students
7. Creatively engage students in learning
8. Discuss critiques of articles openly in class
9. Distinguish between a clinical problem and a research problem
10. Empower students to learn
11. Encourage attendance at local research conferences
12. Encourage attendance at all research conferences
13. Encourage students to present at the school research day
14. Have students bring an article for discussion that uses the concepts they are interested in exploring
15. Have students develop a matrix to delineate the key concepts in a research study
16. Help students not be overwhelmed with lots of assignments
17. Include how to develop a poster
18. Introduce students to doctoral level faculty and their programs of research
19. Let students know research is a journey
20. Pay attention to critical evaluation in writing
21. Present the real with the ideal
22. Provide advice on career planning for graduate schools
23. Provide for student presentations
24. Provide opportunities for students to learn without fear of making mistakes
25. Provide opportunities for students to participate in small research projects with faculty guidance
26. Share challenges and rewards of research
27. Share personal stories about research
28. Stress the importance of research for the profession
29. Use a research utilization model for addressing course content
30. Use discussion techniques that challenge each student
31. Use evidence-based practice examples
32. Use exercises that accompany course content in textbook
33. Use humor
34. Use jump ropes, Lego building blocks, or jacks to describe different kinds of research
35. Use online, open book, open note exams
36. Use peer evaluation and peer grading
37. Use research critique assignment as the final examination
38. Use seminar approach rather than lecture to facilitate interaction

Research Faculty Perspectives of What Does Not Work

1. Requiring too many articles for critique
2. Requiring too many assignments, so that students think research is labor intensive and boring
3. Speaking over the heads of students
4. Straight lecture

Students' Perspectives
Perspectives of What Teachers Do to Help Them Learn

1. Answer questions in detail
2. Be approachable
3. Be understanding
4. Compare and contrast research articles
5. Concentrate on important points
6. Discuss real life research projects
7. Encourage attendance at research conferences
8. Encouragement questions
9. Encourage self-learning
10. Encourage students to read professional nursing journals
11. Explain information carefully
12. Explain research utilization
13. Explain the process of research in nursing
14. Give handouts to reinforce ideas
15. Give take-home exercises
16. Help students relate research to clinical applications
17. Make class interactive
18. Offer consistent enthusiasm
19. Offer practice questions, and review questions in class
20. Present material in a concise and interesting manner
21. Provide all assignments at the beginning of the course
22. Provide course textbook and all relevant course materials at the beginning of class
23. Provide detailed outline and course syllabus
24. Provide great slides
25. Provide guidance
26. Provide learning activities that are unique
27. Provide examples from personal research experience
28. Provide review materials prior to exams
29. Provide specific examples in class
30. Provide time outside the classroom for one-to-one involvement
31. Provide visual aids
32. Relate research concepts to everyday examples
33. Repeat important content
34. Review important material
35. Use active learning in the classroom
36. Use class discussions
37. Use clinical examples in teaching research
38. Use interesting and interactive material
39. Use Power Point slides judiciously and make these available to students
40. Use small group exercises
41. Use worksheets

Students' Perspectives of What Teachers Do That Does Not Help Them Learn

1. Assigning a lot of reading without noting what is important in the reading
2. Being unapproachable
3. Covering material too quickly
4. Displaying lack of enthusiasm for the subject
5. Not providing connections between key concepts
6. Not providing time for questions or discussion
7. Expressing dissatisfaction with having to teach the class
8. Failure to answer questions
9. Failure to explain the information
10. Failure to explain theories
11. Failure to provide adequate explanations
12. Going too fast
13. Lack of coordination among professors teaching different sections
14. Lack of emphasis on application of research
15. Lack of opportunity to participate in research
16. Lack of respect for students and their questions
17. Lack of specificity about course material
18. Lack of visual aids
19. Long class periods
20. Long reading assignments
21. Monotonous voice
22. Moving too slow
23. No variation in the way material is presented
24. Not enough emphasis on research implementation in the clinical area
25. Not enough interactive assignments
26. Not providing opportunities for self-learning
27. Providing disorganized and unclear lecture
28. Providing same material as presented in the book
29. Providing too much detail about the research
30. Reading from the text, Power Point slides, or other course materials
31. Shoot down answers
32. Too many students in the class
33. Using only lecture format
34. Using only Power Point to teach with; no group participation

Students' Comments About Meaningful Advice Given To Them By Teachers

    However, the majority of examples given by students fell into a broader category of “life advice.” This latter category provides support for the mentoring that is occurring between nurse faculty and students

Meaningful Advice Given to Students by Teachers
Meaningful Life Advice

1. Apply what you have learned
2. Appreciate diversity
3. Ask colleagues for help or advice
4. Ask questions when you do not understand
5. Be enthusiastic
6. Be kind and respectful to others
7. Be open and receptive to learning every day
8. Be patient
9. Be patient and compassionate with others
10. Be prepared
11. Communication is essential
12. Consider different perspectives
13. Do not swallow elephants or choke on gnats
14. Don't take yourself too seriously
15. Do the best you can
16. Giving up will do you in
17. It's OK not to know the answer
18. Keep learning
19. Learn from mistakes
20. Learn something from every experience
21. Love what you do and develop your full potential
22. Never assume anything
23. Never give up on your dream
24. Never underestimate yourself
25. Organization is important not to lose your mind
26. Pursue higher education
27. Reach for the stars
28. Remain open-minded
29. Slow down
30. Strive for excellence
31. Take advantage of every aspect of learning possible
32. Take as much as you can from your current experience
33. Take each day as a new day
34. Take things one day at a time
35. The journey is as important as the destination
36. There is never a dumb question; to be dumb is not to ask the question
37. Think critically
38. Think with an open mind
39. Have faith in yourself and trust your judgment
40. Never give up on yourself
41. Touch the lives of people.
42. Use reasoning, common sense, and critical thinking skills
43. When you do not succeed the first time, do not settle for less the second time
44. Your response is your responsibility
45. Your work is not your worth

Meaningful Nursing Practice Advice

1. Apply theory to clinical practice
2. Assess and reassess your patients
3. Do not expect to be an expert about nursing right away
4. Document accurately
5. Each patient is a unique individual having had different life experiences from all
6. others
7. Every nurse contributes to health care
8. It is important to care
9. Listen carefully to the patient and family
10. Listen to patients and be an advocate
11. Listen to patients and be compassionate
12. Never let the rules of systems get in the way of excellent nursing practice
13. Nurses make a significant difference in someone's life
14. Nursing care is important and influences the lives of patients
15. Nursing requires flexibility, skills, and confidence
16. Performing skills and genuinely caring for patients are important acts
17. Realize differences between ideals being taught and the reality of nursing practice
18. Teamwork is essential for good patient care
19. The art of caring is being truly present
20. The rewards of nursing are outstanding
21. Things will not always go your way so go on the best way that you can
22. Treat patients how you would treat family members
23. You can best help a patient when you listen and hear what is said