Raymonta Green

June 24, 2023

NURS 7874 – Nurse Educator Practicum II
WellStar School of Nursing
Dr. Anne White

Reflective Journal 2

Critical Thinking:
Throughout this journal, practicum hours were gained from classroom lectures,
classroom lecture preparation, teaching presentation preparation, and exam review. Lecture
topics that were focused on during this journal were transcultural nursing, infectious diseases,
sexual abuse nursing, family nursing, and home health nursing. Family nursing was the most
important and exciting to me of the topics discussed. Nursing acknowledges that the health and
well-being of people are directly connected to the dynamics and support systems of their
families, which is one of the primary reasons family health plays such an essential part in the
profession. The knowledge that an individual's family may substantially impact a patient's
physical, emotional, and mental health is common knowledge among registered nurses. When
patients are treated as individuals within the context of their families, nurses can better offer
complete and holistic care that goes beyond the needs of individual patients. They evaluate the
family's general health, determine any possible health hazards, and implement actions that
promote wellness and the prevention of illness. Nurses contribute to the overall development of
family health and create a supportive environment for people to flourish by addressing familial
dynamics, encouraging open communication, and promoting healthy habits. In doing so, nurses
also build a supportive atmosphere. When nurses acknowledge the importance of family health,
they can make solid connections, improve patient outcomes, and contribute to developing
healthy communities.

Another interesting point during this journal was sitting in on exam evaluations with
students. Professor Rush and Zeigler's standard policy for grades are waiting to release them
after forty-eight hours. This is an effort to allow students to relax and relieve the adrenaline they
may feel from just taking an exam. Once grades are released, interested students can schedule
one-to-one meetings with them to review exams and go over missed points, as well as give the
student a chance to explain their rationale for selecting their answer choice. It was interesting to
see student perspectives, sit on the other side of the spectrum as a potential educator, and explain
things in a simplified format. Having gone through nursing school and taking the NCLEX, I
know many of the concepts that seemed so foreign at the time were much more simplified and
easily understandable. Knowing that, I gave a sense of connection to the student that the battles
they are going through are not new, and as educators, we have all been there and can relate and
help connect the dots to make the impossible much more possible.
 Personal Objective
Identify topics that are current and
based on evidence and create
relevant material that are supported
by the curricula to study and
advance the field of nursing.
Demonstrate the ability to lead a
group of students in a presentation
or open group discussion.
Coordinate with other experienced
nurse educators on the different
roles and avenues within the nursing
profession.
Course Objective
Apply leadership concepts to the
nurse educator role to advanced
practice
Demonstrate the ability to integrate
nursing education theories and
teaching/learning strategies to
facilitate assimilation of knowledge
and safe clinical practice
Use established and innovative
educational processes to design and
implement education offerings that
incorporate the promotion of critical
thinking and creative use of
resources
Progress
Meeting with Professor Rush prior
to lecture to share thoughts and
ideas on material that is to be
presented during lecture.
Working on my presentation for
later in the semester that will
involve “Disaster Preparedness” to
the lecture on
Networking with other nurse
educators in the Kennesaw State
University School of Nursing for
different avenues and perspectives.
Progress
Continually assess my foundation of
my leadership style as well as my
philosophy in education to ensure
that my goals are still in line.
Working on my presentation for
later in the semester that will involve
“Disaster Preparedness” to the
lecture on. When given the
opportunity, lead group activities.
Working on my presentation for
later in the semester that will involve
“Disaster Preparedness” to the
lecture on. When given the
opportunity, lead group activities.
Continuing Development
Reviewing weekly readings and
updating myself on objectives of the
chapter as well as familiarizing
myself with concepts that are to be
evaluated on.
Continue to identify and evaluate
different learning styles and
approaches for interactive
discussion and presentation for
effective learning.
Continue to network with other
practicing nurse educators and
classmates for opportunities to upon
graduation.
Continuing Development
Continue to provide resources and
mentorship to student nurses and
have a line of open effective
communication.
Continue to assess the culture of
nursing students to evaluate different
learning styles and approaches for
effective learning.
Continue to assess the culture of
nursing students to evaluate different
learning styles and approaches for
effective learning.
 Analyze current health care,
nursing, and nursing education
issues, interprofessional, trends, and
standards for relevancy to nurse
educator roles.
Observe members of the nursing
education team within the School of
Nursing on staff meetings that
address current gaps in nursing
education, social mobility of
nursing, and areas to improve within
nursing education.
Continue to read the material on
different trends of nursing, changing
nursing practices, changes in
educational requirements, and new
graduate nursing competency.

Personal Reflection:
While going over exam reviews with students this week, a student was sitting silently.
Even though they did not say anything, their facial expressions and demeanor illustrated that the
world was weighing heavy on their shoulders. I approached the student and asked if everything
was fine, and initially, they said that thing was OK. My subsequent response was, “Are you
sure” in which they broke down into tears. The student explained the stressors of outdoor life,
balancing work, as well as balancing school full-time. They stated that they had just been going
through the motions trying to take one day at a time, and it was heavy because they didn’t feel
like family, friends, or faculty understood where they were coming from. I listened and
connected with them with tears in my eyes because of everything they were going through. I
disclosed to them the lack of motivation and unnecessary stress I put myself through to advance
my career and how I feel as though my life is passing by while dedicating my time to something
I am not even sure is for me. I expressed the constant external voices of people rooting for me to
the finish line of graduation, all while those same people do not understand how stressful and
taxing the race is. We connected, and the student stated that they felt much better talking to
someone who understood things from their perspective. Sometimes a simple talk or check-in
with someone is all they need to keep them from the ledge and have them remember that they are
not in the fight alone.

Application:
As a nursing educator, demonstrating compassion and empathy is of the highest
significance in impacting the future generation of nurses. By establishing these characteristics in
our lives, we may motivate and direct students toward developing a profound awareness of and
connection to their patients. Compassion allows us to create a teaching setting that is loving and
helpful, one in which our students may grow to feel appreciated, respected, and encouraged. It
entails being aware of the specific challenges, feelings, and experiences associated with each
student and giving them the essential assistance to ensure their success. On the other side, having
empathy enables us to put ourselves in our student's shoes, comprehending the obstacles that
students face and offering assistance that is suited to the specific requirements of each. Nursing
teachers foster compassion and empathy in our students by setting a good example. This helps
students develop the skills necessary to provide care focused on the patient and positively
influence the lives of the people they serve. As I continue to move forward in my life, whether
inside or outside of nursing, I want to approach everyone with compassion and empathy because
you never know how a small gesture can change your day.