Transformative teaching in nursing education: leading by example

This is the second in a pair of articles exploring critical education, an illuminating philosophy relevant to practice development facilitators, clinical teachers, academics, clinicians and others involved in the rethinking of nursing practice. I argue that critical education and its practice equivalent-transformative teaching and learning, can restore optimism in those who feel that longstanding practice problems have become insoluble. It can provide clear direction to assist new nurses, students and lifelong learners to become strategic about change, aware of the rich and varied history of their profession, critical thinkers and creative solution generators. In this article, I move beyond the forming phase of the teacher-student relationship to the building, or working phase of learning. Two particular ways of encouraging critical thinking are emphasised: reflective practice and dialectical critique. In order to move beyond the purely abstract, I draw on my experiences teaching undergraduate and postgraduate students, and clinicians working in education, practice and research.