LTAP Assignment: Applying Nursing Theories to Student Mentorship

This essay explores the application of various learning theories—behaviorism, cognitivism, pedagogy, and andragogy—within the context of nursing education and mentorship. The author discusses how these theories can be utilized to develop effective learning, teaching, and assessment strategies for nursing students, particularly those who may be underachieving. The essay emphasizes the role of mentors in identifying students' learning styles, providing tailored support, and fostering their development in clinical practice. Specific examples are provided to illustrate how each theory can be applied, such as using mannequins for hands-on skill development (behaviorism), facilitating information processing and problem-solving (cognitivism), engaging students in group activities (pedagogy), and promoting self-direction in adult learners (andragogy). The essay highlights the importance of mentorship in guiding students through their clinical placements, addressing challenges, and ultimately helping them achieve successful outcomes, with a focus on how mentors can apply these theories to create supportive and effective learning environments. The assignment references relevant literature to support its arguments and concludes by considering how the insights gained would apply to the author's future practice as a mentor.

Running head: THEORIES
Theories
Name of the student:
Name of the university:
Authors note:

1THEORIES
The theory of Behaviourism focuses on the objective of observable behavior and
discounts, which are independent activities in mind. The behavior theorist defines the
learning theory as just the question of the new behavior, which is based on the
environmental condition. In teaching the nursing students, it can be applied. In nursing
education, this theory can be used to deliver new access to the skills, which is by
performing the procedures in the mannequins (Raiola, 2014). Therefore by using this
trial and the error method in nursing, students will be able to gain the desired skills.
The cognitive theory is most successful for teaching and witnesses the
information processing in the application of the principle of the Learning, which is
meaningful and, in turn, will be equipping the learners to solve the problem and the
inquiry skill in the students (Chen, 2015). This theory can be used especially while
teaching the nursing students (Resnick, 2017). For example in the initial years the
nursing student will be instructed about a distinct characteristics of a diabetic patient
thorough the course the student will experience this characteristics in the patient which
the student can apply in accessing patient in the final year.
Pedagogy is the approach in the teaching and refers to the process of the
learning. Application of this theory helps in engaging students with the activities, writing
discussion as well as problem solving. This model is also used in the cooperative
learning which promotes active learning among students. (Bishop,2014).This theory can
be applied among the first year student as they are very new in the field. The students
can be given be given task in group to access the symptoms of the patients which will
help to access the student group working techniques and collaborative skill of the
students.

2THEORIES
This theory andragogy is the science of adult learning (Cochran & Brown, 2016).
This theory holds number of assumptions on the application of the adult learning and
emphasise the value and the process of the adult learning. The theory uses the
approaches to learn that are based on the problem solving technique and collaborative
technique and is not based on the didactic technique. With application of the theory
teachers can support the nursing student in the third year and can give them an
effective technique to maximize the benefit of the knowledge and the experience in
which independence and self-direction can be fostered among the nursing student

3THEORIES
References
Bishop, E. (2014). Critical literacy: Bringing theory to praxis. Journal of Curriculum
Theorizing, 30(1).
Chen, M. F. (2015). Self-efficacy or collective efficacy within the cognitive theory of stress
model: Which more effectively explains people's self-reported proenvironmental
behavior?. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 42, 66-75.
Cochran, C., & Brown, S. (2016). Andragogy and the adult learner. In Supporting the Success of
Adult and Online Students. CreateSpace.
Hagen, M., & Park, S. (2016). We knew it all along! Using cognitive science to explain how
andragogy works. European Journal of Training and Development.
Raiola, G. (2014). Motor control and learning skills according to cognitive and ecological
dynamic approach in a vision on behaviorism, cognitive, Gestalt and phenomenology
theories. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 5(15), 504.
Resnick, L. B. (2017). Toward a cognitive theory of instruction. In Learning and motivation in
the classroom (pp. 5-38). Routledge.

4THEORIES