Paper
Monday, November 14, 2005
This presentation is part of : Innovation in Teaching Nursing
The Family Nursing Pedagogy Model: Intentional Teaching-Learning Practices in Graduate Education
Sonja Meiers, PhD, RN, School of Nursing, Minnesota State University, Mankato, Mankato, MN, USA
Learning Objective #1: Identify essential elements of teaching-learning practices that will enhance graduate family nursing education
Learning Objective #2: Identify six suggested student outcome competencies for consideration in curriculum design for a master's program focused on advanced practice in the area of family nursing

Purpose: The purpose of this project was to develop a pedagogical model for teaching and learning family nursing in the graduate program of a Midwestern university preparing family nurse practitioners and clinical nurse specialists. Reflective and adult learning theories formed the study framework. Design and Methods: An integrated review of literature was conducted to discern essential model elements. Literature regarding phenomena of concern for family nursing practice, the state of family nursing science and teaching approaches to enhance graduate student experiences was analyzed. A qualitative data analysis software program was used to organize textual data from 25 articles. Findings: Essential elements of the resulting Family Nursing Pedagogy Model are the scientific foci for family nursing science, the praxis foci for family nursing science, intentional teaching-learning practices and outcome competencies. The model suggests six specific desired student outcome competencies to be attained by the conclusion of the master's program with a focus in family nursing, one of which is the ability to practice honoring of family diversity. Scientific foci corresponding to these outcome competencies are detailed in the model and include areas such as family-nurse interaction, family caregiving, and family ecology. Integration of the nursing process and tenets of reflective practice form the praxis foci for the model. Examples of intentional teaching-learning practices that support implementation of the model are family lived experience demonstrations, reflective journals in clinical practice, and praxis expert consultation. Conclusions and Implications: The resultant model suggests new areas for curriculum development in family nursing at the graduate level. It can be used to support moving graduate nursing education beyond the traditional boundaries of addressing the family as context. The Family Nursing Pedagogy Model supports course, curriculum and clinical care practice development that addresses the family as client and calls nurse educators to reconsider teaching practices.