Collegian
Volume 17, Issue 1 , Pages 13-22, March 2010

Generating ideas for the teaching of nursing's history in Australia

  • McAllister Margaret, RN, MHN, BA, MEd, Ed D

      Affiliations

    • Nursing, University of the Sunshine Coast, Australia
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author at: School of Health and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Science, Health and Education, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore, DC, Queensland 4558, Australia. Tel.: +61 7 5456 5032; fax: +61 7 5459 4767.
    • ,
  • Greenhill Jennene, RN, MHN, BA, MSPD, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Clinical Education, Flinders University, Australia
    • ,
  • Wendy Madsen, BA, RN MHSc, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Central Queensland University, Australia
    • ,
  • Judith Godden, BA (Hons), PhD, DipEd

      Affiliations

    • History Department, University of Sydney, Australia

Received 4 February 2009; accepted 9 June 2009. published online 13 August 2009.

Summary 

Nursing's history is an important, yet overlooked component of the nursing curriculum. History learning offers an opportunity to develop nursing graduates as critical and constructive thinkers with a positive professional identity. An Australian national study of nursing academics conducted in 2008 found that even though participants valued history of nursing teaching, educators have difficulty finding a place for history in the crowded curriculum, due to an over-emphasis on technical skills. The study also found that history of nursing pedagogy is inconsistent and poorly developed, and teaching expertise is unevenly distributed and difficult to access. This paper is an attempt to advance nursing history pedagogy relevant to Australia, by promoting a transformative approach to curriculum design in history learning, considering issues of significance to Australian nursing, and creating exemplar activities.

Keywords: Australian nursing history, Curriculum, History, Pedagogy, Teaching

 

PII: S1322-7696(09)00060-2

doi:10.1016/j.colegn.2009.06.001

Collegian
Volume 17, Issue 1 , Pages 13-22, March 2010

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