One of the degree programs that many people choose for job security and a good source of income is a bachelor of science in nursing. It provides the potential nurse the training and the education they need to become a qualified, certified registered nurse. Unlike many degree programs that strictly focus on academics and academic work, a bachelor of science is one of those degree programs that offer the people a chance to get workplace training in addition to the knowledge they need to carry out those functions. Also, since many of the demands of life require that students keep up with developments in their field to remain relevant, online learning methods are used as well. This combination of traditional academic school work, practical learning environments, and online education is called a blended learning environment. This kind of learning is better aimed at giving potential nurses practical knowledge of their field while helping them manage the demands of their day to day lives.
Nursing is not a homogenized field. Although a single degree is required for certification, there are many specialties within nursing and the degree program takes those specializations into account. For instance, nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists have their own coursework, and certified nurse midwives have their own specialized course of study. In this way, a blended learning environment really addresses the particular requirements of a specialization of study and allows the student to navigate the academic requirements at their own speed.
In studies that have been done about the effectiveness of blended learning approaches, it has been shown that people who use blended learning approaches perform better than those people who learn in just classroom scenarios. This was found to be so because people spent more time on their online learning tasks with fewer distractions. Also, a blended learning approach allows the student to reinforce what they have acquired in an online learning setting with a face to face meeting with an instructor. These studies have also shown that blended learning works very well in a nursing program. What this means for the nursing student concerned about getting practical knowledge and skills from their program is that a blended learning approach offers the student more of a chance to succeed in their program and not less.
The primary advantage that a blended learning approach offers to the potential nursing student and even the professional looking to keep abreast of knowledge and developments in their field is personalized approach. With a blended learning approach the student can tailor their curriculum to their academic needs. This can be as slow or as quick as a student desires, and with online learning, the instructor is always at hand, so to speak. With internet access and specialized programs and applications for educational delivery, blended learning offers the instructor the chance to expand their curriculum in a very personalized way, and the progress can easily be monitored by both the nursing student and the instructor. Since technology offers this ease of distribution, a blended learning approach in nursing is ideal for success.
Nancy Meyers writes for education blogs where you can read more about the Top 10 Online BSN Programs.
Leave a Reply