The Introduction of a Collaborative Classroom in Mental Health Nursing Education

Challenging to teach and difficult to master, the art of nursing is complex and multidimensional. Critical empathy is discussed as integral to the art of nursing, particularly in the increasingly demanding healthcare environment. Supported by design thinking and critical pedagogy, a theoretical framework for the collaborative classroom is proposed as a foundation for teaching critical empathy. As an initial prototype, a mental health nursing course for prelicensure undergraduate nursing students has successfully been converted to the collaborative classroom pedagogy. Preliminary outcomes and initial challenges are discussed. Critical empathy is demonstrated, taught, and refined through the collaborative classroom with nursing students.