Methods for Teaching - Essay Example

Nursing al Affiliation) Introduction Teaching attempts to shape and influence peoples thoughts and action. In order to offer successful teaching services as a nurse educator one must have knowledge on the methods of teaching. This paper discusses how lecturing, simulation, and group discussions apply in teaching mental illness.LectureIt is the most common primary method used in teaching that I have identified for this research. It involves coming up with a schedule for a particular lesson and selecting a relevant title to teach.

Method used includes narrating and providing information to students. The lecturer then winds up the lesson with an expanded explanation and demonstration concerning the topic to accomplish assimilation and understanding (Mertig, 2003). A good example is a teacher preparing to lecture on a topic on mental illness. The teacher will ensure that he or she provides adequate information to the students inform of narrating and demonstrations. Demonstrations include showing pictures of a mentally ill patient and showing their symptoms through a picture or video while teaching.

Lecturing involves defining mental illness, stating the possible causes of mental illness in the society then providing methods of managing mental illness, which can be drugs or therapies. The students will take notes and ask questions at the end of the lecture before the teacher comes up with a test to determine whether his or her students understood what mental illness is all about. SimulationSimulated practices offer students with opportunities to be involved in patient care experiences they may not have an opportunity to encounter in actual clinical settings for example coming across a patient with mental illness.

These patient situations may have high impact events they may not experience in their normal classroom learning. Simulation offers an opportunity to assess clinical verdict of a mentally ill patient. It gives an opportunity to students for them to critically analyze their actions, reflect on their own set of skills, and assess the clinical verdicts of others (Davis, 2007). Simulation promotes active learning and participation because it allows the students to participate in taking care of the mentally ill patients and be able to identify their strengths and weaknesses while handling the patients.

It is through participation that they are able to judge and analyze critically whether class work is what happens in the mental institutions. Simulation provides a new avenue for educators and researchers to improve nursing education and practice as well as advance the field of nursing as a whole(Minden & Gullickson, 2005).Group DiscussionThis is a formal or voluntary gathering of people with the purpose of exchanging information for mutual benefit. Group discussions are one of the methods used by a nurse educator in teaching.

Students form study groups of a certain number then the teacher provides them with topics of discussion for them to come up with answers. For a group to be successful there has to be a group leader who represents his or her members and a set of rules and regulations (Minden & Guillickson, 2005). In case of a topic on mental illness the teacher will ensure his or her students have formed groups. The teacher will then divide the topic on mental illness into four categories depending on the number of groups formed by the students.

These subtopics can include definition of mental illness, causes of mental illness, prevention of mental illness and management of people with mental illness. Group discussion aims at ensuring each student contributes to the topic of interest by participating in coming up with answers in their groups.ReferencesDavis, A. (2006). Essentials of teaching and learning in nursing ethics: Perspectives and methods. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier.Minden, P., & Gullickson, C. (2005).Teaching nursing care of chronic illness a storied approach to whole person care.

New York, NY: Springer Pub.Mertig, R. (2003). Teaching nursing in an associate degree program. New York: Springer Pub.