Answering Questions with Questions

Daybook December 19

Great nursing education is not about giving quick answers,
but about helping learners discover what they already know.
When educators guide learners to think through questions,
confidence, critical thinking, and clinical reasoning grow together.

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When I teach student nurses,
I rarely answer questions with answers.

Instead, I answer questions with questions.

I remind learners that they already have what they need
inside their own minds.
They are not empty vessels waiting to be filled.
They are thinkers who need guidance to bring their knowledge forward.

By learning how to answer a question,
rather than simply receiving an answer,
learners practice critical thinking,
revisit physiology,
and slowly build confidence in their own judgment.

Education is not about giving the fastest answer.
It is about helping learners trust their thinking.

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One Line for Nurses and Student Nurses Today:
The goal of teaching is not the answer, but the confidence to think.