BabyBoomer_Millenial21
Write a 500-1000 word paper, adhering to APA format on the following topics, using at least five references synthesized into your discussion: 1. Read the attached article ″Educating a new generation: Teaching baby boomer faculty about millennial students.″ (Mangold, 2007) What are your thoughts on this article? Do you think this is an accurate characterization of the faculty-student dyad? (the article is pdf file- is uploaded) 2. Visit Health Professionals Advancing LGBT Equality and discuss what lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons need to discuss with healthcare providers. How would you discuss LGBT issues with students in a class to promote unbiased patient care? 3. What is the current evidence regarding the use of learning style inventories? Describe how you might utilize such tools in your teaching approach in order to creatively develop your approach to student education. 4. What are several strategies that affect student motivation and what strategies can be implemented to overcome barriers to motivation? Textbook/Learning Materials: Billings, D. M. & J. A. Halstead. (2012). Teaching in nursing: A guide for faculty (4th ed.). St. Louis: Saunders. Chapters 2, 13, and 17. Utley, R. (2012). Theory and research for academic nurse educators: Application to practice. Boston: Jones & Bartlett. Chapters 2 and 3.
M
any factors influence a suc-
cessful outcome for the
undergraduate nursing stu-
dent; not the least of these is the
faculty-student relationship. A factor
that could potentially impact this rela-
tionship is the generational differences
that exist between most faculty mem-
bers and their student population. Each
generational cohort has a unique set of
life experiences that can lead to var-
iances in all aspects of life, including
teaching and learning.1 Furthermore,
individual generations will incorporate
similar life experiences differently from
those of other generations.2
The Generation Gap
Generally, a wide age gap exists
between nursing faculty and their nurs-
ing students. The average age of nursing
faculty members is 46.8 years, whereas
the reported age at graduation for a
baccalaureate nursing graduate is 26.2
years.3 These demographic figures
place most faculty members in the
‘‘baby boomer’’ generation (born be-
tween 1946 and 1964) and the majority
of students in the ‘‘millennial’’ genera-
tion (born between 1981 and 1999).1
While one must always practice
caution in overgeneralizing or catego-
rizing groups of people, certain char-
acteristics are shared by a common
generational cohort (ie, each cohort
has shared the same set of life experi-
ences and undergone events in society
at approximately the same point in
development). This sharing of key life
experiences has led to commonalties in
values, beliefs, attitudes, behaviors,
and perceptions of the world.1,4 For
example, because baby boomers have
a large peer group, they tend to be very
competitive. In contrast, millennials
have been exposed to technology for
their entire life, thus they tend to be
technologically savvy. The shared life
experiences unique to each genera-
tional cohort also influence the teach-
ing styles and learning preferences for
each generation.5
Nursing faculty is charged with
creating a learning environment that is
conducive to the students’ learning pref-
erences while still meeting the demands
of a rigorous program. Experienced
faculty may have developed teaching
styles that are preferable for a different
generation of learners, as the millennial
generation is just now beginning to
enter their college years. Nursing faculty
are seeking ways to modify their teach-
ing styles to fit the needs of students in
the millennial generation.
6
With the
shortage of nurses, faculty are develop-
ing nursing programs to attract, retain,
and educate qualified students. Becom-
ing attuned to the needs of the millen-
nial generation is imperative as this
generation represents the smallest group
of entry-level workers in recent history.6
Students have many options to consider
when choosing a career and are in high
demand for many professions.
Baby Boomers
To understand the teaching and learn-
ing characteristics of a group, it is
necessary to have some baseline knowl-
edge about that group. Most nursing
faculty members are in the ‘‘baby
boomer’’ generation. Baby boomers
are those who were born between
1943 and 1960, raised in an environ-
ment that was prosperous, and part of a
traditional nuclear family. When they
were children, man was traveling to the
moon and televisions were entering
homes across the country. As the baby
boomer came of age, the Civil Rights
Act was passed, Kennedy was assassi-
nated, and the Vietnam War was begin-
ning. In addition, this cohort is over 80
million members strong, so they have
been competitive from an early age.
Baby boomers tend to be ‘‘work-
aholics,’’ service oriented, optimistic,
and desire personal gratification.7
Baby boomers were educated in a
time when learners were dependent on
educators to give them information and
this usually occurred in the lecture
format. They sought a caring environ-
ment and responded well to positive
feedback. In general, baby boomers
see technology as something that is
‘‘nice to have,’’ but not necessary, as
they have gotten by without it in the
past. Because this group wants to know
the ‘‘what’’ and ‘‘how’’ before learning
the ‘‘why’’ in a new situation, they are
more process oriented than outcome
oriented. Baby boomers do not appre-
ciate a learning environment where any
Nurse Educator Volume 32 & Number 1 & January/February 2007 21
Nurse Educator
Nurse Educator
Vol. 32, No. 1, pp. 21-23
Copyright ! 2007 Wolters Kluwer Health |
Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Educating a New Generation
Teaching Baby Boomer Faculty
About Millennial Students
Kara Mangold, MS, RN, BC
This review examines the impact of generational influences on the faculty-student
relationship. Specifically, the baby boomer faculty-millennial learner dyad is
explored, as these two generations are most representative of the faculty-student
demographic. Teaching and learning preferences are emphasized, and implications
and recommendations for nursing faculty are presented.
Author Affiliation: Staff RN, Department of
Nursing, Mayo Clinic Hospital, Phoenix, Ariz.
Correspondence: Mayo Clinic Arizona-Mayo
Clinic Hospital 5777 East Mayo Boulevard,
Phoenix, AZ 85054 (mangold.kara@mayo.edu).
Copyr ight © Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Unauthor iz ed reproduction of this article is prohibited.
Copyr ight © Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Unauthor iz ed reproduction of this article is prohibited.
kind of discomfort is present and ap-
preciate a personal touch from their
educators.7
Millennials
The millennial generation was born
between 1980 and 2000 and make up
the majority of the student body at most
colleges and universities. They repre-
sent the most culturally diverse genera-
tional cohort, as 34% of millennials are
black, Hispanic, Asian, or Native Amer-
ican.8 One third of them have been
raised by a single parent.4 They grew
up in a period with a technological
boom, the Monica Lewinsky scandal,
the Oklahoma City Bombing, and
school shootings. Millennials are com-
ing of age in the post 9/11 era and a
time of potential economic downturn.
4
Therefore, this cohort values public
safety as well as saving money. Millen-
nials are very technologically literate
and see technology as a necessity. A
civic-minded group that values diver-
sity, millennials were traditionally
raised by a group of parents referred
to in the public press as ‘‘soccer moms,’’
or parents who were very involved in
their children’s lifestyles. These children
were kept very busy as they were
growing up. They participated in multi-
ple activities such as sports, music, and
clubs. In addition, it has been suggested
that due to the very active role that
millennials’ parents played in their
lives, sometimes educators not only
have to please the student but they also
need to please the parents.7
Implications for Nursing
Education
It is evident that there are stark con-
trasts between these two generations,
not only in life but in educational
experiences and preferences as well.
The literature suggests a number of
methods for accommodating the mil-
lennial learner. Embracing these meth-
o d s a n d a d a p t i n g t h e m t o a n
undergraduate nursing curriculum can
help attract the millennial learner.
Millennial Mindset
The fact that the millennial generation
has always been digitally connected has
led to a mindset unlike any that nursing
faculty have generally seen. Frand9 has
summarized the attributes of this mind-
set. Computers are not seen as technol-
ogy but as tools and devices that are
necessary for everyday life. Further-
more, millennials prefer the interactive
nature of the digital media available. For
this reason, the millennial generation
will choose the Internet over television
as the Internet not only provides infor-
mation but also the opportunity for
e-mail and chat rooms. The millennial
generation also values doing rather than
knowing. Being able to search and
manipulate information to generate
knowledge is more important than the
attainment of knowledge.9
The millennial generation is accus-
tomed to doing things differently than
previous generations. They have
learned through trial and error (ie, video
games), where persistence pays off and
reading the manual is not very helpful.
The key to winning a video game is trial
and error, not reviewing information
contained in a manual, if there even is
one. Millennials have grown up in an
environment that is enhanced by multi-
ple forms of media so they have
become adept at multitasking. It is not
unusual for this group to surf the
Internet, listen to music, and talk on
the phone all at the same time.9 This
environment has accustomed them to a
different way of life, where there is a
need to stay connected and a limited
tolerance for delays.9
This way of thinking leads to some
specific preferences in learning. This
generation prefers, expects, and appre-
ciates technology in learning and ex-
citedly anticipates what will come next.
In fact, the pace at which this savvy
generation can assimilate technology
exceeds the ability of faculty to maintain
and integrate technologically enhanced
education.2 To achieve technological
integration, nursing faculty have to con-
tinually strive to incorporate technology
into curriculum and teaching plans.
Simulations
The millennial generation expects learn-
ing to be fun and interactive, preferring
to work in teams as current technology
is integrated into their learning environ-
ment.4,10 These aspects make nursing
simulations ideal. The interactive nature
of simulations allows the nonlinear way
of learning at which millennials excel.
They can discuss, go back and forth,
and work through the simulation. The
millennial generation learns best by
doing and discovering the answer
through collaborative work. Simulations
also support learner-centered education
where learners can actively work
through situations and problem solve
with the faculty member facilitating the
experience. A simulation of a nursing
event, such as taking care of a patient
who is having trouble breathing, can
involve all of these aspects, thus a
preferential environment for the mil-
lennial learner is created. In addition,
after the simulation is complete, a short
debriefing session can be held to help
the nursing student analyze the facts,
synthesize learning, and examine ac-
tual outcomes.2,6,11 Simulations also give
the faculty member an opportunity to
provide the immediate feedback and
support that the millennial generation
desires.5
Although there are challenges to
simulations in higher education, such
as limited time and resources, there are
ways to work around this. Nursing
faculty may be able to adapt existing
materials, such as case studies, to fit the
simulation model. Faculty can consider
collaborating with other healthcare dis-
ciplines in budgeting for and using
simulation equipment. Partnering with
medical centers is another possible ave-
nue for acquiring simulation equipment.
Some of the time traditionally spent in
lecture could be reserved for student
interaction through use of simulations.
Incorporating simulations into the
curriculum may limit the time available
for traditional didactic learning; how-
ever, the millennial student would con-
tinue to be responsible for learning the
material and held to evaluation stan-
dards. In fact, this group likes to read
and is independent by nature, so if
given the proper resources, may be very
successful in learning ‘‘textbook’’ infor-
mation on their own.4-6 Use of digital
media and e-learning programs to facili-
tate this learning is ideal for the millen-
nial generation.5
Mentoring
Millennial nursing students enjoy being
mentored by older generations and
this may be an option for their clini-
cal experiences. Mentoring provides a
22 Volume 32 & Number 1 & January/February 2007 Nurse Educator
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customized learning environment for the
student, an expectation of the millennial
generation. If feasible, consider placing
a student in a clinical area where they
have an interest. This placement would
have to fit with the course objectives but
it provides options for the student. A
close partnership with an experienced
nurse mentor provides the student with
immediate response and feedback from
the mentor.2,5 Mentoring also provides
the opportunity for a student to have
some flexibility in choosing a schedule
for clinical hours, another desirable
feature for the millennial student.
12
Both simulations and mentoring
incorporate many of the aspects that
today’s university student desires. These
include integration of technology, a fun
and interactive learning environment
that provides the opportunity for group
work, and learning by doing. Students
are able to learn by discovery, analyze,
and synthesize information during the
experience as well as see clear out-
comes. Supplementing this learning
with reading materials and course work
provided in an e-learning setting further
enhances the attainment of nursing
knowledge and skills.
Research
There is very little research, nursing or
otherwise, that has tested the recom-
mended teaching methods for the mil-
lennial generation. Marshall13 found that
using the mandala (development of
designs in a circular formation) in a
mental health nursing course provided a
creative, active learning strategy that
helped millennial students meet course
objectives. Arhin and Johnson-Mallard14
modified the end of course synthesis
project used in their obstetrics course to
fit the needs of a new generation of
learners. Instead of having the students
present a comprehensive document,
they allowed students to decide how
to present their projects in an open
forum. This gave the students a choice
in how to synthesize and present infor-
mation, both characteristics that are
desired by the millennial learner. Arhin
and Johnson-Mallard14 found that the
students not only preferred to use this
method but also excelled at it. The
course requirements have since been
modified to include this design.
The millennial generation wants to
feel a ‘‘personal touch’’ from their
educators and desires a supportive,
encouraging learning environment.2,5
Wieck6 affirms this in a study regarding
changes needed to attract the emerging
workforce into nursing. She found that
the top 6 traits the emerging workforce
(ie, the millennial generation) preferred
were nursing faculty who were
approachable, good communicators,
professional, supportive, understanding,
and motivating. Therefore, it appears
necessary that nursing faculty not only
have to assess their teaching strategies
but also reflect on what may be long-
held interpersonal skills and ways of
interacting with students. The educa-
tional environment places emphasis on
the student being self-motivated, self-
reliant, and responsible for learning the
material with faculty acting as a re-
source and expert. However, today’s
nursing student may want faculty who
gets to know them and takes an interest
in their lives.
12
Conclusion
The nursing profession needs to attract
and retain qualified professionals in a
time of nursing shortage when many of
today’s youth have seemingly endless
career options. Although incorporating
new strategies and approaches is chal-
lenging, faculty have little choice if we
wish to recruit, educate, and retain an
adequate professional workforce. Tradi-
tional approaches to delivering nursing
education do not fit the needs and desires
of today’s student and tomorrow’s work-
force. Faculty are playing a vital role in
recruiting the next generation of nurses
as they strive to reinvent the learning
environment and themselves.
Acknowledgment
The author thanks Diane Forsyth, PhD,
RN, for general support and assistance
during the publication process.
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Nurse Educator Volume 32 & Number 1 & January/February 2007 23
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