A full-fledged nurse is a product of theories, research and practice. These three factors can also be combined to fast-track nursing education, enabling students to spend a shorter time studying without limiting the possibility of emerging fully prepared.
By combining theory with practical experience, an accelerated program enables students to master the core concepts of nursing within a shorter period. Complementing their theoretical knowledge with first-hand experience of their real-life applications makes key concepts stick more easily.
Not only are nurses equipped with the know-how, but they also develop a deeper understanding as the theories take on deeper levels of meaning.
The combination also harnesses their problem-solving and critical thinking skills, filling any gaps in their classroom studies.
Also, since the two-pronged approach requires leaning on both first-hand experience and the works of others, it offers more mental resources to truly master a nursing specialty.
In the following sections, we’ll explore why theory and clinical practice are of vital importance to an accelerated nursing program. We’ll highlight the benefits in explicit terms.
What is an accelerated nursing program?
For the sake of the uninitiated, an accelerated nursing program cuts down the period of studies for nursing by building on students’ prior knowledge of the sciences. It’s designed for people who’ve already bagged a bachelor’s degree in any discipline, transferring credits from subjects, like biology, microbiology, organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry and statistics, to their nursing program so the students don’t have to start from scratch.
Students still need to put in roughly similar amounts of study hours, and the rigor is as intense as that of a full Bachelor of Science in Nursing. The difference here is that students can skip non-nursing-related coursework, which cuts off years of study, so they can jump straight into the clinical coursework.
In other words, an accelerated program can be as good as a traditional BSN. Where students do not meet the art and science credit requirements, they can undertake the prerequisite courses at the same institution.
In the end, ANP students will be placed in the same room along with BSN students to sit for their National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN), to earn a license to practice.
In many instances, employers prefer nurses with an ANP degree because of their prior career experience. This further underscores the importance of combining theoretical knowledge with practical work.
Combination of theory and clinical placement is important in accelerated nursing programs
Preassembled knowledge from generations of nursing practice is only one side of the coin in an ANP. The other side is the hands-on experience that students must acquire themselves in a real-life setting.
These two facets feed into each other, with theoretical knowledge guiding practical experience, and the experience strengthening the understanding of applicable theories.
Theories highlight the precepts and principles on which nursing is built, and clinical placement not only helps validate existing theories but also paves the way for new theories to emerge.
Together, these two factors can better equip nurses to enhance the health and quality of life of patients.
In more explicit terms, here’s how theory and clinical placement combine to help students in an ANP:
- Filling classroom gaps
The gap between a student’s performance in classes and in real-life practice has been a perennial issue facing nursing education. Sometimes, students often face a different set of challenges requiring different skill sets and a different language during real practice. The combination of theory and clinical placement is helping bridge this gap.
- Nurse educators vs. practicing specialists
Also, during studies, students often sit under the influence of nurse educators and not the real nursing experts practicing in real life. Clinical placement takes students away from the scholarly domain, where theories are explored in a controlled environment, into real-life settings where the theories are tested and validated.
- Neither theory nor practice can make a good nurse on their own
It’s possible to learn nursing through real-life practice alone. Some institutions have such severe shortages of nurses that they train aspiring nurses in real time, only. And, in other cases, securing a clinical placement could be so challenging for students, licensing programs do not mandate them.
However, the best outcome is possible only when the theory is combined with real-life practice. With the short study period of an ANP, this two-pronged approach enables students to get the best of both worlds and master their courses quicker.
The benefits of combining theory with clinical placement in accelerated nursing programs
- Enhanced understanding of theories and concepts
By combining theory with practical work, ANPs enable students to master key concepts and principles at a faster rate. Students will understand theories much faster when they experience how they pan out in real life.
- Opportunities to learn more
Students also get more opportunities to ask questions and get feedback to consolidate their understanding of key concepts. This helps them gain more clarity and fill gaps in their class studies.
- Expanding their knowledge and skills
The dual-faceted approach also expands the context of learning. Students not only learn from class instructors in a class setting but are also exposed to a variety of healthcare settings and real-life specialists. For instance, the accelerated nursing program online from Baylor University sets students up for clinical rotations in a variety of clinical sites. It also arranges for a preceptor that provides more guidance to help students succeed.
- Improving critical thinking skills
Nursing theories and concepts often overlap, and real-life practice enables a clearer distinction. Clinical placements enable students to draw finer lines in their theoretical knowledge, enhancing their ability to analyze situations and choose the best course of action.
- Improving self-confidence
Lastly, clinical placements can make students feel more confident going into practice. It helps them eliminate any self-doubts, making them better prepared to take on real-life challenges.
Conclusion
Combining theory and clinical experience can help fast-track the learning curve for nursing students, especially in an accelerated program, which is designed to be completed in quick time.
The combination also helps students fill any knowledge and skill gaps in class studies, imbuing them with the experience and confidence needed to launch successfully into full-time practice.