Flipping the classroom: An innovative approach to graduate nursing education

Abstract

Nurse educators must be prepared to adopt innovative, evidence-based teaching approaches that, like the flipped learning method, improve student learning outcomes and better prepare the nursing workforce of the future. The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive plan and resources for faculty to transition a graduate nursing course from traditional lecture-based teaching to flipped learning. The flipped learning approach was fully implemented with 24 graduate nursing students in a primary care family nurse practitioner course. The process of transitioning from traditional lecture-based teaching to flipped learning is presented, including a detailed explanation of how flipped learning class sessions were facilitated. Nurse practitioner students who participated in the flipped learning course found that this method fostered engagement with the course content and improved students' confidence in their ability to apply knowledge and skills in clinical practice. The flipped learning method has the potential to increase active learning and student engagement, integration of classroom and clinical knowledge, and application of knowledge from the classroom to nursing practice.

Keywords: Family nurse practitioner; Flipped learning; Graduate nursing education; Innovation.