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ABSTRACT
Staff nurses are currently being given the opportunity to present inservice offerings as a criterion for the professional performance evaluation. Unfortunately, staff nurses, even those with baccalaureate preparation, generally have not been prepared in strategies for effective teaching. Consequently, many staff nurses either avoid this opportunity altogether or may proceed with the "seat of the pants" approach, making learning a chance event. This article sets forth 10 commonsense teaching strategies for effective inservice education presentations with the goal of encouraging and empowering staff nurses to share their particular area of expertise with their peers.
Teaching has been a traditional role of nurses, whether within the context of the one-on-one nurse-client interaction, the community, or the classroom. A new teaching role is emerging for staff nurses - that of inservice educator. Staff nurses are currently being given the opportunity to present inservice education offerings as a criterion for the professional performance evaluation.
Unfortunately, staff nurses generally have not been prepared either in school or at work regarding effective teaching strategies. Without this preparation, the staff nurse may feel unqualified and elect not to teach, thus missing an opportunity for sharing and learning. Another undesirable outcome of lack of preparation is that a well-meaning and knowledgeable nurse may proceed with the "seat-of-the-pants" approach, making learning a chance event, thus setting the stage for an uncomfortable experience for both the presenting nurse and the audience.
Inservice education programs presented by staff nurses can be an ideal learning experience. Interest is stimulated when a nurse colleague presents. The audience likely will not feel mtimidated by a fellow staff nurse and may in fact be quite supportive. The important instructor task of gearing to the audience is greatly facilitated by the staff nurse's inherent identification with the audience.
In this article, ten common-sense teaching strategies for effective inservice education presentations are set forth with the goal of encouraging and empowering staff nurses, who possess a great wealth of experiential knowledge, to share their particular area of interest with their peers.
BACKGROUND
The professional plan in the health fields involves preservice as well as inservice education. Whereas preservice education involves acquiring the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to practice the elected profession, inservice education is designed to maintain and improve...