Discussion paper: Conceptual comparison of student and therapeutic engagement

Nurses as faculty teaching undergraduate students, require a diversity of skills to ensure that students engage in achieving the desired qualification. While it is anticipated that students have a degree of motivation to reach this goal, their varied backgrounds often mean they require additional support to assist them to engage with the learning process. It is anticipated that the tertiary institution or learning environment will have strategies to support the student from a broader perspective, but much of the engagement relies on the skill and knowledge of the nurse faculty. This discussion paper aims to promote an understanding of student engagement and argues that using aspects of therapeutic engagement can support nurse faculty to enhance the students' learning experience. Key concepts from both student and therapeutic engagement will be reviewed to provide implications, particularly for novice nurse faculty.