Guiding dialogue in the transformation of teacher-student relationships

The National League for Nursing at its 1989 biennial convention resolved that nursing curricula be revised to reflect enriched caring practices through egalitarian teacher-student and teacher-to-teacher relationships that reflect cooperation and a sense of community. The distribution of power relationships between student and teacher, teacher and teacher, and teacher and administrator must be reconceptualized and realized before any significant change in nursing education's curriculum can occur. Revising curricula to incorporate such a change in teacher-student relationships begins with dialogue with teachers that is authentic. Authentic dialogue will cause examination and reexamination of assumptions and ideologies about teacher-student relationships.