Alumni Guest Lecture Series - 01/2026

The Department of Child Health Nursing, Manipal College of Nursing (MCON), Manipal, organized a guest lecture on “Family‑Centred Care and Team‑Based Learning (TBL)” on 16th February 2026 in collaboration with Pillar III: Expanding reach Internationalization. The session was conducted in two parts—from 11:00 AM to 12:00 noon and 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM.

The resource person was Dr. Anice Kavathekar, Course Director (Children’s Nursing, Chelmsford), Senior Lecturer in Nursing, Early Career Researcher, and a proud alumnus of MCON Manipal (MSc Nursing 2001–2003 batch).

Dr. Kavathekar delivered an insightful talk on the importance of Family‑Centred Care (FCC) in pediatric nursing. She emphasized that FCC is a holistic approach that recognizes the family as an essential partner in the child’s health journey. Key points discussed included:

• The role of parents in shared decision‑making.
• Creating a supportive environment that respects family values, culture, and preferences.
• Effective communication strategies to strengthen trust and collaboration.
• Benefits of FCC in improving health outcomes, emotional well‑being, and treatment adherence.
• Practical examples of integrating families into care planning and daily clinical routines.

In the second part of the lecture, Dr. Kavathekar explained the principles and implementation of Team‑Based Learning (TBL) as an innovative pedagogical strategy. She discussed:

• The structure of TBL, including pre‑class preparation, readiness assurance tests, and application exercises.
• How TBL promotes deeper understanding, teamwork, accountability, and critical thinking among students.
• Challenges faced during implementation, such as group dynamics, facilitation difficulties, and ensuring active participation.
• Practical suggestions for overcoming these challenges in nursing education.

A total of 60 VI‑semester BSc Nursing students, 20 MSc Nursing students, and 15 Post Basic BSc Nursing students attended the session. The interactive lecture provided a platform for students to clarify doubts related to both clinical practice and learning methodologies.
Participants also sought guidance on higher education opportunities, including emerging areas such as data science, where Dr. Kavathekar shared valuable insights on interdisciplinary career pathways.