Teaching and Learning in Nursing
Volume 3, Issue 1 , Pages 11-15, January 2008

The coordination of clinical and didactic learning experiences to improve critical-thinking skills and academic performance

  • Cynthia L. Maskey, MS, CNE, RN

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. Tel.: +217 786 2436; fax: +217 786 2776.

Department of Health Professions, Nursing, Lincoln Land Community College, Springfield, IL 62794-9256, USA

Abstract 

Teaching strategies to improve critical-thinking skills and knowledge construction in associate degree (AD) nursing education are most effective when they actively engage the student. Faculty in an Illinois nursing program developed a schedule that correlated classroom content with clinical experiences for the predominant medical–surgical units. While planned didactic/clinical correlation yielded mixed results as a strategy to improve academic performance, providing students with active clinical learning experiences is reinforcing to adult learning styles of AD students.

Keywords: Clinical coordination, Critical thinking, Academic performance

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PII: S1557-3087(07)00071-6

doi:10.1016/j.teln.2007.07.011

Teaching and Learning in Nursing
Volume 3, Issue 1 , Pages 11-15, January 2008

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