Addressing Barriers to Implementing Problem-Based Learning

Problem-based learning (PBL) allows students to address knowledge deficits by providing them with a clinical case so that they explore all aspects of patient care. The advantages of PBL for students include improving critical thinking skills, increased clinical reasoning, and exposure to self-directed learning. Although PBL is commonly used in medical education, it seems to be seldom used in nurse anesthesia education. An evidence-based review was conducted to identify barriers to implementing PBL and methods to address these barriers. Common barriers to PBL implementation were categorized as faculty resistance, student concerns, and resource limitations. Interventions to help address these barriers were presented to aid nurse anesthesia educators in incorporating PBL into the curriculum.