Before the Alarm

Learning Science, Clinical Judgment, and AI in Nursing Education

Julia Kiss, EdD MSN RN NPD-BC CNE

Most nurses who become educators were never taught to teach. They were excellent clinicians — and they made the classic mistake of assuming expertise transfers automatically into the classroom. It doesn't. This book explains why, and what to do about it.

Drawing on cognitive science research and thirty years of clinical nursing experience, Before the Alarm maps the gap between what nursing programs deliver and what clinical practice actually requires — and gives educators the frameworks and tools to close it. Each of the sixteen chapters covers one foundational idea and closes with three practical tools you can use in your next class.

This book is for

• Nurses transitioning into faculty or educator roles who want a grounding in how learning actually works

• Experienced nursing educators who sense something isn't adding up — students passing but struggling in clinical

• Program directors building curricula around clinical judgment, the Next Generation NCLEX, and AI-integrated practice