NR 621 Education Practicum Project Ideas

Grace J.
August 29, 2025August 29, 2025
CU MSN, NR-621

Student Name

Chamberlain University

NR-621: Nurse Educator Concluding Graduate Experience I

Prof. Name

Date

Introduction to the Education Practicum Project Paper

The objective of this practicum project is to explore a significant educational issue within the field of modern nursing education. The discussion will focus on the reasons this concern has become increasingly relevant, the impact it has on both students and educational institutions, and an evidence-based strategy that can be applied to address it. A PICOT question will be formulated to provide direction for this project, supported by a theoretical framework that validates the selected intervention. The central emphasis is on enhancing nursing students’ learning experiences while ensuring that teaching practices meet current educational and healthcare demands.

Educational Issue Description

Nursing faculty in advanced practice education face persistent challenges when engaging diverse groups of learners. Among the most notable concerns today is the difficulty in engaging Millennial and Generation Z (Gen Z) nursing students. Millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) and Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012) now comprise the majority of higher education learners and represent an expanding part of the professional nursing workforce (Beresford Research, n.d.; NJSNA Nurses Weekly, n.d.).

Traditional lecture-style teaching methods have often proven less effective with these groups. Research highlights that these generations prefer learning methods that are technology-driven, interactive, and participatory (Shatto & Erwin, 2017). When exposed only to passive teaching, students tend to experience reduced engagement, low motivation, and weaker application of knowledge in practice. In contrast, interactive and experiential strategies significantly improve student participation, knowledge retention, and critical thinking abilities (Watson et al., 2019).

Engagement is not only important for learning outcomes but also for developing professional competence. Millennial and Gen Z learners expect active involvement in the classroom, and their educational success is highly dependent on innovative teaching strategies that reflect their learning preferences.

PICOT Question

Question:
In Millennial and Gen Z nurse learners, will role-playing compared to traditional classroom lectures improve learner engagement in the learning process within four weeks?

PICOT Breakdown

Component	Description
P (Population/Problem)	Millennial and Gen Z nursing students facing challenges in engagement
I (Intervention)	Role-playing used as an instructional strategy
C (Comparison)	Conventional lecture-based teaching methods
O (Outcome)	Improved engagement, reflected through positive student feedback and evaluations
T (Time Frame)	Four weeks

This structured PICOT format provides a systematic approach to evaluating the effectiveness of innovative learning methods, specifically role-playing, in comparison to conventional lectures.

Theoretical Framework

The framework supporting this project is Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory (ELT). ELT outlines a cyclical process of learning composed of four phases: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation (Watson et al., 2019). This framework emphasizes that learners grasp knowledge more effectively when they are actively engaged in real or simulated experiences.

For Millennials and Gen Z learners, strategies such as role-playing are particularly well-suited, as they involve collaboration, experiential problem-solving, and application of theory to real-life situations. Fewster-Thuente and Batteson (2018) note that role-play offers opportunities for active participation, reflection, and development of competence in authentic clinical settings. By applying ELT to this project, the transition from passive listening to active engagement is encouraged, ultimately promoting deeper learning and higher satisfaction among students.

Proposed Intervention

The intervention proposed to improve learner engagement is the integration of role-playing activities in nursing education. Role-playing creates realistic scenarios that simulate clinical practice, allowing learners to engage actively with theoretical concepts. It also helps them develop essential professional skills such as communication, teamwork, and problem-solving.

Evidence suggests that role-playing significantly enhances performance, confidence, and critical thinking in nursing education (Dorri et al., 2019). For Millennial and Gen Z learners—who place high value on interactive, hands-on learning—role-playing provides a structured opportunity to practice clinical decision-making. By bridging the gap between theory and practice, role-playing enables learners to apply academic knowledge to real-world contexts, preparing them more effectively for professional roles.

Conclusion

In nursing education, student engagement is a critical factor in determining the effectiveness of learning outcomes. The challenge of engaging Millennial and Gen Z learners highlights the need to adopt strategies beyond traditional lecture-based teaching. Evidence indicates that passive instructional approaches fail to align with these generations’ preferences and learning needs.

The use of role-playing, supported by Kolb’s Experiential Learning Theory, provides a promising method for addressing this gap. Compared to conventional lectures, role-playing fosters critical thinking, builds learner confidence, and promotes active involvement in the educational process. Through the application of the PICOT framework, this practicum project provides a structured means of assessing the impact of role-playing, with the potential to guide best practices in nursing education and enhance learning experiences across academic programs.

References

Beresford Research. (n.d.). Age range by generation. Retrieved March 9, 2022, from https://www.beresfordresearch.com/age-range-by-generation/

Dorri, S., Farahani, M., Maserat, E., & Haghani, H. (2019). Effect of role-playing on learning outcome of nursing students based on the Kirkpatrick evaluation model. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 8(1), 197. https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_138_19