Chapter 5. Teaching methods and techniques in Advanced Practice Nursing education
Authors:
Josefin Bäckström, Associate Professor, Senior Lecturer,
Hanna Hopia, Principal Lecturer, Associate Professor
Susanne Friis Søndergård, Professor
Introduction
APN education requires pedagogical approaches that support deep understanding of the advanced nurse role, critical reasoning, and the ability to act autonomously in complex clinical settings. Contemporary higher education emphasises learner-centred approaches, positioning students as active participants in knowledge creation. In APN education, this orientation is closely linked to the development of advanced clinical competence, reflective practice, interprofessional collaboration, and professional identity.
This chapter offers a theory-informed and practice-oriented overview of key teaching methods in APN programmes. It introduces core principles of learner-centred and active learning and focuses on three central strategies: simulation-based learning (including the Objective Structured Clinical Examination, OSCE), virtual reflection groups, and structured self- and peer reflection. Each method is discussed in relation to educational theory, with examples and considerations of strengths and limitations. While these approaches are widely used, they represent only a selection of relevant pedagogical strategies within APN education.
Keywords: active learning, simulation-based learning, reflective practice, objective structured clinical examination (OSCE)
