Number of Pages 11

This research paper: This is an 11 page paper discussing the importance of student autonomy in the education of health care professionals. Health professionals within the health care environment are expected to handle autonomous decisions, independent problem solving and administration throughout their careers. When students enter medical or nursing programs however, they have had little or no exposure to student-directed learning or autonomy but instead have relied on teacher-directed or teacher-controlled education. The transition between the teacher-directed student and the autonomous professional must therefore occur throughout the medical and health care higher educational programs. Several studies have reported that medical students in particular have had little autonomous learning prior to entering medical school and throughout medical school they undergo certain psychiatric pressures which they find are contradictory and become very disillusioned. It has been found however, that teacher/clinicians and students both benefit mentally and professionally the more student autonomy is used within the educational process. Teaching physicians are slowly being taught themselves to restructure their traditional teaching practices to those which include increased student autonomy. This not only increases the students’ knowledge, confidence and social skills with their colleagues, patients, and members of the community but also helps with time constraints placed on physicians. Studies of students within health care education programs and professionals in the field also have shown that learning and career satisfaction increases with autonomy thus leading to better retention within the programs and within the field. Student autonomy also allows for differences found within students in regards to learning strategies and future professional specialties. Since autonomy is expected within the professional environment, programs which include student autonomy as part of the learning process produce graduates who are more experienced in independent professional situations, better problem solvers, are interactive, confident and satisfied with their chosen careers. Bibliography lists 11 sources.

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