Transforming Nursing Through Dialogical Relationships: A Pedagogy of Connectedness

Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to describe a pedagogy of connectedness for nursing education designed to increase personal transformation by teaching a caring ethic. Based on dialogical existentialism, nursing education can become more meaningful and engaging through attention given to the nature of relationships. Qualities inherent in a pedagogy of connectedness include discomfort, quietude, contemplation, and surrender. By attention to these qualities, students and educators can increase the likelihood that educational experiences will be more personally meaningful and transformative. The pedagogical challenge for faculty is to increase attention to these qualities and create the conditions for internal self-discovery and care for others through connectedness.

Nursing students’ experiences on blogging in the classroom: Linking between ethics and pedagogy

“…Caring can be expressed in relationships in both formal and informal ways (e.g. caring for and caring about [36] to better relate to others [37][38][39] . For example, on the one hand a teacher using blogging needs to include clear expectations and written instructions on grading (formal caring).…”

“…Garno [38] suggested one method of encouraging a caring presence is through connectedness, paying closer attention to differences between and among people. Garno [38] suggested educators must surrender some control over the learning environment.…”

“…Garno [38] suggested educators must surrender some control over the learning environment. This is consistent with our findings that students wanted more control over the blog, such as giving them more options and choices in terms of timing of blogs, their desire for anonymity, and wanting marks for blogging.…”