Nursing Education in the Technology Age - Will Teachers Become Obsolete?

 “The students of tomorrow need to be able to think creatively: they will need to learn on their own, adapt to new challenges and innovate on-the-fly." - Anthony Chivetta

We are witnessing a transformation of nursing education in the 21^st century! This is an exciting, transitional period in nursing education where the use of technology is supporting a student centric, active learning environment. Technology is a tool that can assist inquiry-based learning and help students handle the huge amount of information that is available for nursing care. In this new environment, the teacher guides and facilitates learning as students actively build their own knowledge. This approach helps students develop skills in critical thinking, clinical reasoning and clinical judgment that are crucial for 21^st century nursing practice.

As my understanding develops about the importance of technology in nursing education, I have been wondering if it would eventually replace the teacher? I couldn’t shake the nagging thought that somehow educators would eventually become “obsolete”! I found an excellent article by Bellack & Thibault (2016) that discusses the value and implementation of educational technology in nursing education and nursing practice. Two important recommendations emerged from this article: 1. Technology should be viewed as a resource for the teaching-learning process. 2. Technology cannot replace faculty but instead, should be valued as a resource that gives teachers and learners more time to engage with each other to achieve successful learning. There’s the answer to my concern! Teachers can do what technology can never do: care about students and find new ways to inspire them.

 

I envision my nursing classroom as an interactive, student-centered environment where teaching/learning strategies include the use of technology to give students the skills needed for nursing in the 21^st century. I would enjoy including simulation experiences, virtual clinical practicums, e-portfolios, short video clips and many other resources to provide an engaging learning experience. Most of all, I will strive to be a source of hope, guidance and caring for my students - things that technology can never replace!