Nursing programs are challenging for a reason. But in order for the student to benefit from the program, it has to be challenging in a constructive way. If it's not, students will lose focus and fail to graduate with the learning outcomes needed to be successful.

4 Ways to Improve Outcomes

For several years now, nursing programs have faced enrollment issues. New enrollment stagnation coupled with an aging boomer generation has led to critical understaffing in many states and clinical areas. 

States like Missouri, Iowa, and Hawaii have been affected the most, though almost every state has experienced some degree of a shortage. (The COVID-19 pandemic made this overwhelmingly clear.)

To make matters worse, many nursing programs aren't doing an adequate job of fully preparing nursing students for life after graduation. As a result, the nurses who are entering the workforce are doing so with fewer skills and less experience than ever before.

From an educator's perspective, it's imperative that we proactively work to improve nursing education outcomes. In doing so, we'll be able to better prepare nurses for their careers and play a small role in addressing local shortages. 

Here are a few practical ways to make sure this happens:

1. Speed Up the Program

Want to simultaneously improve learning outcomes and supercharge enrollment? Try speeding up your program so that students can finish in less time.

"Consider redesigning programs to lower cost and time to completion, allowing students to join the nursing workforce more quickly," higher education expert Lauren Edmonds writes. "Adult learners are extremely pragmatic and seek to earn their degree as quickly and inexpensively as possible. Demonstrating how your program will allow students into the workforce as soon as possible will encourage enrollments."              

There are obviously certain restrictions on how fast a program can be. However, you'll find that many individuals would like a condensed version where they're able to speed up the time to graduation - even if it means a more intensive learning experience.

2. Introduce More Hands-On Learning Experiences

Very few students learn best in an academic setting with lectures and textbooks. Yet if you study most programs around the country, this is exactly what exists. Anything you can do to make your program more hands-on is going to do wonders for your program. 

For best results, implement as many nursing simulation activities as you can. Better yet, use a video recording system for nursing simulation training to allow students to go back and review past sessions.

Students learn best when they're able to connect "head" knowledge with "hand" knowledge. If you have a two-hour class, you might spend the first hour instructing/lecturing and use the second hour to implement what was just learned in a simulation. 

3. Use Role-Playing

Role-playing is another excellent option. While students might feel uncomfortable at first, this is a good thing. You want to break them out of their comfort zones and make them go through the motions. When real-world clinicals aren't an option, role-playing in the classroom is the next-best option. You can use it in tandem with simulations to create powerful learning experiences that prepare individuals in ways that textbooks simply can't.

4. Create (And Encourage) Group Learning

Collaborative learning is extremely helpful in the pursuit of enriching nursing education outcomes. Whether in-person or virtually, there's a lot to gain by putting students into groups and encouraging them to work together on group projects and/or study sessions.

The power of group learning lies in numbers. Each respective student brings strengths and weaknesses to the group. Where one student has a weakness, there will most likely be a student who is strong. The student with the strength gets to help the student with the weakness (which further cements the idea in their own mind). As a result, both individuals benefit from the group. 

Adding it All Up

You don't have to revamp your entire nursing program. The key is to address the learning experience in a way that makes individual students more receptive to the education being provided. Start with the tips outlined above and see if you're able to make some progress toward superior nursing education outcomes. 

After several months of implementation, you should have enough data to further iterate and evolve your approach.