Here’s What Matters Most in Nurse Training According to ChatGPT
If you haven’t heard of ChatGPT by now it’s only a matter of time. This chatbot has taken the world by storm and touched many industries already, particularly education.
The platform, developed by Microsoft-backed OpenAI, an artificial intelligence research lab, and launched in November 2022, is known for its ability to mimic (and even, dare we say, exceed) human capabilities depending on what prompts are entered into it. It is even being named as an author on research papers, much to the chagrin of scientists. For now, the tool is public and free to use.
Though the bot is making waves in education for some of the wrong reasons, it did get us at Jones & Bartlett Learning thinking: Can ChatGPT provide sound guidance for people who are actively teaching nursing right now? We plugged in a few queries, and the results were interesting but incomplete. Read on to find out what we learned, or rather, what ChatGPT told us you should learn about teaching nurses.
(Questions were asked by JBL Editor Bret Silverberg, hence the initials "BS" in the queries.)
Thinking we would give it an easy one off the top, we asked:
Here's what ChatGPT said:
Nursing education covers a wide range of topics, but some of the most important ones currently include:
- Evidence-based practice: Encouraging nurses to base their clinical decisions on the best available evidence to provide the highest quality of care to patients.
- Patient-centered care: Emphasizing the importance of treating patients with dignity and respect and involving them in their own care.
- Technology and informatics: Integrating technology and digital tools into patient care, such as electronic health records, telehealth, and other health information systems.
- Cultural competence: Preparing nurses to provide culturally sensitive care to patients from diverse backgrounds.
- Interprofessional collaboration: Fostering teamwork and collaboration among healthcare professionals to improve patient outcomes.
- Quality improvement and safety: Addressing the importance of continuously evaluating and improving the quality and safety of patient care.
- Leadership and management: Providing nurses with the skills and knowledge necessary to take on leadership roles in healthcare organizations.
- Ethics: Addressing ethical dilemmas that may arise in patient care, such as confidentiality, informed consent, and end-of-life decisions.
These topics reflect the current priorities and challenges facing the nursing profession and aim to prepare nurses with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide high-quality, patient-centered care.
Next, we wanted to get ChatGPT to dive a little deeper. We asked:
Here's what we got:
There are several ways that people who teach nurses can improve their teaching:
- Stay current with developments in nursing education and healthcare: Regularly reading relevant research, attending conferences, and participating in professional organizations can help keep educators informed of the latest developments in their field.
- Incorporate technology and interactive learning techniques: Using technology and interactive learning techniques, such as simulations and virtual patient scenarios, can make the learning experience more engaging and relevant for students.
- Encourage active learning and problem-solving: Encouraging students to participate in group discussions, role-playing, and other active learning activities can help them retain information and develop critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.
- Foster a positive and supportive learning environment: Creating a positive and supportive learning environment can help students feel comfortable asking questions and sharing their ideas, which can lead to deeper learning and understanding.
- Encourage clinical practice: Incorporating hands-on clinical practice into the curriculum can help students apply what they have learned in the classroom to real-world situations.
- Provide meaningful feedback: Providing students with meaningful feedback on their progress and performance can help them identify areas for improvement and stay motivated.
- Continuously evaluate and improve teaching methods: Regularly evaluating teaching methods and making adjustments based on student feedback can help ensure that the teaching is effective and relevant.
By incorporating these strategies, people who teach nurses can create an environment that supports student learning and prepares them to provide high-quality patient care.
Finally, we asked what resources people who teach nursing could use (we are an ed-tech company, after all, so we were naturally curious on this one).
Here's what we got:
People who teach nursing can use several resources to improve their teaching and stay current with developments in the field:
- Professional organizations: Joining professional organizations, such as the National League for Nursing (NLN) or the American Nurses Association (ANA), can provide access to resources, research, and networking opportunities.
- Online communities and forums: Participating in online communities and forums, such as those hosted by professional organizations or dedicated to nursing education, can provide opportunities to connect with other educators and share ideas and best practices.
- Research journals: Reading research journals, such as the Journal of Nursing Education or the Journal of Professional Nursing, can help educators stay current with the latest developments and research in nursing education.
- Continuing education and professional development opportunities: Participating in continuing education and professional development opportunities, such as workshops, webinars, and conferences, can help educators stay current with new teaching methods and technologies.
- Textbooks and instructional materials: Reviewing current textbooks and instructional materials can provide ideas for teaching and assessment methods, as well as stay informed on current best practices and standards in nursing education.
- Online courses and training: Taking online courses and training, such as those offered by professional organizations or online platforms like Coursera or Udemy, can provide in-depth education on specific topics and enhance teaching skills.
By utilizing these resources, people who teach nursing can continuously improve their teaching methods and stay informed on the latest developments in the field.
Our final assessment: ChatGPT is certainly impressive. Just watching our prompts answered in real-time is a sight to behold. But the content is very broad. The bottom line is there is still no replacement for human experience, excellent books, educational materials and learning modules and, of course, great teachers.