Nursing teacher in the twenty-first century

Nursing Journal of India, Sep 2003 by Prabhakar, Usha

The Twenty-first Century has witnessed phenom enal explosion of knowledge and application of communication-cum-information technologies, accelerating the access to knowledge.

The expanded quantum of Technology in Nursing profession has further redefined competencies generating opportunities for life-long learning, demanding purpose-oriented actions and commitment-driven society. Introduction of computer education in schools and colleges is a major step in the direction of preparing the next generation of high tech nurses. Thus a nursing teacher in an information age warrants to be equipped with the modern competencies to cater to the needs of the society.

Socially Responsible Teacher:

The prospective teacher in the information society is required to be trained and equipped with the techniques of coping with the problems of poverty, social inequality, unemployment, population explosion, castism, communalism, regionalism, gender, race ethnicity, socio-economic status consciousness, exceptionality and other social hindrances impeding nursing development.

Teacher of High Values and Morality

Nursing education to train nurses not only in teaching and in intellectual skills but also to inculcate moral, humanistic, ethical and spiritual values to serve humanity.

Teacher Managing Identity Crises

Technological revolution in the 21 Century is expected to be widening the identity crisis among the teachers working in the nursing profession. Teacher needs to be trained to enable their students identify their, roots, build references and gain strength to adapt themselves to the fast changing information society.

Learner-centered Teacher

Teaching methodology in the information and communication age focusses on learner-centered education. Therefore, to handle the evergrowing knowledge, the teacher in knowledge society requires to be trained to handle learner-centered pedagogy.

Accountability:

Accountability in the technological age will be an important attribute of teacher's success. The teacher has been made accountable by the Hon. Court, e.g. Redressal Commission (TOI, Jan 6 2001), has given signal for hauling up educational institutions for negligent service rendered. In other words, the service rendered by a teacher is accountable.

Professionalism

Every revolution is the outcome to professional approach and code of conduct by professionals. In a technological and communication age, professionalism is the prime mover to lead us to reach global society. Professionalism in a global society demands teachers to be innovative in their attitudes, flexible in their approach and reflective in their minds.

Teacher with the Best Talent

The mandatory and material gains in the teaching profession should commensurate with the higher educational qualification prescribed for the appointment of teachers in the profession, otherwise best talent will go for sectors where the rewards and working conditions are more lucrative.

Openness of a Teacher

Teacher in the technological age should be well versed to integrate technology tools in designing the contents of the curriculum in such a fashion that it may assist the teacher in teaching a subject effectively.

Teacher as a Good Communicator

A good communicator can be a good teacher. The teacher to be an efficient and effective communicator of knowledge, skills and attitudes, is expected to be equipped with modern communication skills and keep pace with the complex changes in communication strategies as per expectations of the students.

Teacher with Content Management Skills

The teacher is expected to be net savvy and visit different websites of academic institutions and surf their web-libraries, web-laboratories for information. The Education Institutions in the 21st Century will develop content site providers. The teacher will be supposed to learn to manage the site by content updating on the sites.

Teacher with Knowledge Management Qualities

The communication revolution has raised the importance of pooling the skills and knowledge of a workforce. Development of sophisticated database has made it possible for the institutions to build a reservoir of knowledge that can be drawn across the globe. Knowledge management is difficult work and it requires new sensitivity. Sensitizing teachers to share the database and share what is in their heads takes more than mere money or clever software although both can help to be effective in the information age.

Teacher with Leadership Qualities

Teachers in' the information age requires dynamic leadership.

Nursing Teacher in Progression

The role of teacher in the 21st Century will change drastically. Earlier, the teacher was the only source of information, but now he/she has to guide and facilitate students for information. Therefore, the teacher needs to be trained to use information technology to discharge his / her duties effectively as an assimilator, generator and facilitator of knowledge. The teacher is expected to produce dynamic students who have to work and compete in high tech areas and with rapidly growing number of highly qualified people from other countries. The essence of their work will be to innovate, develop, design, produce and deliver high quality, reliable, esthetic, energy saving and ecologically sound products. The computerized learning in nursing is much more effective that traditional blackboard and chalk teaching. Teacher Education in 21st Century will revolve around the educational system where most of the learning will be administered by the computer and carryout the computerized examinations. The interaction between the learner, his/her peers and between the learner and the pedagogues applied are of an utmost importance in the educational process. Isolated, sterile learner will not fit into the fabric of modern information society. The computer-facilitated teaching will replace the traditional classroom teaching and will leave more time for youth movement activities and thus provide more effective interaction between peers and pedagogues, which may have powerful influence on the upbringing of the young generation.