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According to Garner, multiple intelligence (MI) refers to the abilities, skills, and talents individuals have in abundance or deficiently. In this case, the theory provides that learners have varying learning styles and educators, mentors or instructors apply different mentorship or instruction styles to accommodate learner needs. MI theory allows students to understand their strengths and weaknesses which are crucial in enhancing their learning (Cherry, 2021). Multiple intelligences are crucial in nursing since they help the nursing staff to apply their various skills while making clinical decisions. This paper will discuss the importance of MI, how various types of MI apply to nursing practice, the impact of utilizing MI in nurse mentoring, and how to improve mentoring and learning process using MI concepts. No AI-generated content.
Importance of Understanding Multiple Intelligence
Understanding multiple intelligence concepts can help instructors/mentors and learners to improve the learning/mentoring process. For instance, MI allow mentors to understand learners cannot comprehend concepts the same way (Zobisch et al., 2015). In this case, educators or mentors are able to understand that learner abilities differ. This is crucial since it helps the mentors and instructors in instruction or mentorship plans appropriate for each learner. The other importance is that MI awareness allow different learners to understand their weaknesses and strengths and build on the strengths to specialize in the areas they are good at (Zobisch et al., 2015). This way, learners gain an understanding of how they learn best, understand their emotions, needs and how to take care of others. For instance, nurse mentors with an understanding of multiple intelligence help the mentees to acquire crucial critical thinking and decision making skills to help attend to diverse needs of patients.
Four Types of Multiple Intelligence
Linguistic/Verbal Intelligence
This refers to learners/mentees skilled in writing, speaking, and understanding meanings of words. They are people talented in memorizing, reading, and writing stories and have well developed verbal skills as they can utilize language to express themselves verbally or in writing effectively (Cherry, 2021). As a nurse, I believe that I require verbal/linguistic intelligence to effectively communicate and interact with their mentors, doctors, and patients (Ilievova et al., 2021). For instance, the ability to express oneself, manage communication with the mentor or the patient is dependent on having excellent verbal/linguistic intelligence.
Logical/Mathematical Intelligence
This MI element is found in people with the ability to reason use logic to analyze problems and recognize/differentiate patterns (Singh et al., 2017). People with this skill/bility have an excellent understanding of mathematical concepts and can work well with numbers. In this case, such people have high problem-solving capability since they can conceptualize problems logically, identify patterns and relationships to develop solutions. (Sub & Kretzschmar, 2018). In the nursing practice, this MI element can be utilized to plan nurse intervention, assess the patient, and anticipate potential complications. These abilities are also applicable in nursing while calculating the correct drug doses for patients, and while analyzing lab tests to determine test results’ variability.
Visual/Spatial Intelligence
People with this type of MI are talented in visualizing things and managing tasks that require manipulation of imaginative objects (Ilievova et al., 2021). In this case, this intelligence is crucial when determining the relationship between objects and space. In nursing, a nurse or nurse student may apply virtual/spatial intelligence while inserting the IV needle, catheter, feeding tubes and during the collection of blood samples for testing. These tasks require imagination related to the anatomy of human body
Interpersonal Intelligences
Individuals with this ability ability can recognize and react to other people’s emotions, moods, motivations and intentions (Cherry, 2021). In this case, such people are good at interacting or developing conversations with other people. Nurses require interpersonal intelligence to promote emotional intelligence, communicate effectively and create positive relationships with patients and colleagues.
Positive Impact of Using Multiple Intelligence to Mentor s
Multiple intelligence concepts play a crucial role during nurse mentorship. For instance, MI improves nurse confidence allowing them to make accurate clinical judgments during patient care. For instance, the mentee nurse can utilize the concepts to improve their ability to provide the required care based on the set standards after finishing the mentorship program. As discussed, mentors with an understanding of multiple intelligence concepts focus on individual nurse mentee learning strengths and help the nurse build on these strengths to improve learning and gain the required skills and knowledge (Ilievova et al., 2021). Lastly, MI concepts promote flexibility needed to guide different nurses with varying intelligence. For instance, mentors learn new ways of guiding nurses with different intelligences to help them attain their goals
Improving Learning/Mentoring Using Multiple Intelligence Concepts
The concepts of multiple intelligence play a key role of improving learning and mentorship in different ways. For instance, understanding MI allow individuals to develop performance goals, raise self-awareness and identify the best course of action to achieve these goals. In this case, individuals, especially mentee nurses utilize their MI strengths to identify what needs to be done and how to proceed to gain knowledge and skills needed in nursing practice. Mentors can also utilize MI concepts to nurture nurses’ clinical judgment and critical thinking abilities through identification of their type of intelligence and working on those MI elements that they desire to improve (Sheahan et al., 2015).
Improving multiple intelligence of learners/mentees can also be done through training to promote skill development. For instance, mentors can dedicate more time to train or develop skills in linguistic and verbal intelligence, logical/mathematical intelligence, special/virtual intelligence and other forms of intelligences. For instance, improving mathematical/logical intelligence could involve a mentor assigning problem-solving activities to the nurse mentee to help them investigate patient case mysteries (Sub & Kretzschmar, 2018). Also, interpersonal intelligence can be developed by giving nurse mentees the opportunity to interact with other people or patients to understand their needs. Also, the mentors/educators could utilize MI concepts to tailor their instructions or mentorship plans towards the mentees’ or learners’ intelligences.
Conclusion
Multiple intelligence helps address the interests and needs of different learners with varying learning styles. In most cases, mentors and educators utilize their strengths to equip learners/mentees with knowledge and skills needed to perform specific tasks. However, applyinh MI concepts allows the educators and mentors to understand novice nurses’ strengths to develop an appropriate mentorship approach that meet their needs.
References
Cherry, K. (2021). Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences. Very Well Mind. Retrieved from https://www.verywellmind.com/gardners-theory-of-multiple-intelligences-2795161
Ilievova, L, Demuthova, S., Vavrova, M., & Poliakova, N. . (2021). Analysis of the Intelligence Structure in Nursing Students. Revista Romaneasca Pentru Educatie Multidimensionala, 13(2), 206-222. https://doi.org/10.18662/rrem/13.2/418
Sheahan, L., While, A., & Bloomfield, J. (2015). An exploratory trial exploring the use of a multiple intelligences teaching approach (MITA) for teaching clinical skills to first year undergraduate nursing students. Nurse education today, 35(12), 1148-1154.
Singh, Y., Makharia, A., Sharma, A., Agrawal, K., Varma, G., & Yadav, T. (2017). A study on different forms of intelligence in Indian school-going children. Industrial Psychiatry Journal, 26(1), 71–76. https://doi.org/10.4103/ipj.ipj_61_16
Sub, H. M., & Kretzschmar, A. (2018). Impact of cognitive abilities and prior knowledge on complex problem-solving performance – empirical results and a plea for ecologically valid microworlds. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 626. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00626
Zobisch, P. J., Donald, G., & Swanson, A. (2015). The theory of multiple intelligences and critical thinking. Glokalde, 1(1).
