Politics in the classroom.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Regulation

Background:

• The Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) in the UK regulates nursing and midwifery education.
• New standards, 'Future nurse: Standards of proficiency for registered nurses' (2019), are mandatory for educational programmes from January 2019 and for registration from September 2020.
• Section 7 of these standards introduces learning outcomes that necessitate addressing politically sensitive topics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the stance (neutrality or partisanship) educators adopt when discussing politically sensitive topics.
• To investigate how educators manage student speech and expression in these contexts.
• To analyze the implications of the NMC standards on pedagogical approaches to sensitive subjects.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative exploration of educator approaches to politicized discussions.
• Utilizing Pratt, Boll, and Collins' (2007) framework 'Towards a plurality of perspectives for nurse educators' to structure the argument.
• Analysis of learning outcomes related to handling sensitive topics within the NMC standards.

Main Results:

• The study identifies challenges and strategies for nurse educators navigating politically sensitive discussions.
• Findings highlight the tension between maintaining neutrality and fostering open student expression.
• The research underscores the need for clear guidelines on managing diverse viewpoints in nursing education.

Conclusions:

• Educators require support and training to effectively manage politically sensitive discussions and student expression.
• The NMC standards necessitate a pedagogical approach that balances professional conduct with the exploration of complex societal issues.
• Further research is needed to develop best practices for fostering inclusive and critical learning environments in nursing education.