Write a 6 page essay on Mentorship in Nursing.Download file to see previous pages My roles included facilitation of learning, supervising and assessing students in a practice setting. All midwives are

Write a 6 page essay on Mentorship in Nursing.

My roles included facilitation of learning, supervising and assessing students in a practice setting. All midwives are required by NMC to be sign-off mentors particularly to those under training.

This essay is a reflection on my teaching session and focuses on the aspects of my teaching session. It critically analyzes how educational theories underpin the facilitation of learning in clinical practice.

Teachers and other educators are faced with numerous situations where they have little or no idea on how to handle them. It would be much easier if there were evidence-based guiding principles for these teachers. Fortunately there is a set of theories that can greatly inform the teaching practice and avoid such situations (Andrews and Wallis, 1999).

According to Malcolm Knowles, Andragogy refers to the science and art of assisting adults to learn (Knowles et al, 1984). Andragogy has its base on five key assumptions about how adults are motivated to learn, their attitude towards learning and how they learn. (Candy, 1991)

However, there is a wide gap between practitioners and academics, leading to the belief that theories are irrelevant to practice. First, the theory assumes that adults have a sense of independence and self direction. This in itself is an assumption that these learners are already motivated enough to carry on with the learning process.

Second, the theory assumes that these adults have a lot experience, which could turn out to be a rich learning resource. They can easily compare their experience to the theories being learnt, leading to a better grasping of what is being taught. Experience and theories complement each other in enhancing the learning process.

Third, the theory assumes that adults greatly value learning that is capable of integrating with their daily lives' demands. Fourth, the theory assumes that adults prefer immediate and problem centred approaches to learning as opposed subjected-centred ones. Finally, the theory is of the assumption that adults derive their learning motivation through internal drives as opposed to external ones.

The adult learning theory has seven principles derived by Knowles and commonly referred to as principles of Andragogy. The first principle calls for the establishment of an effective climate of learning, where the learners can feel comfortable and safe and can express themselves. The second principle calls for the involvement of learners in mutual planning of curricular content and relevant methods.

Thirdly, learners should be encouraged to devise their own objectives of learning in order to give them more control over their own learning. Fourth, learners should be encouraged to devise strategies to use the resources in achieving their objectives. The fifth principle proposes the involvement of learners in the diagnosis of their own needs, a step that helps in triggering internal motivation.

The sixth principle supports learners to carry out their plans of learning. The seventh principle demands the involvement of learners in the evaluation of their learning in order to develop their critical reflection skills.