Nurse educators and the future of nursing.
Calls for transformation in nursing education and practice abound. Nurses are part of a trusted profession, but they have been under-represented in conversations about health care compared with other, more vocal professionals. Nurses may not consider that they already have many leadership skills, and nurse educators in staff development roles are positioned to foster growth in other nurses. The relationship between nurse educators and their constituents provides the context for support that can motivate staff nurses to move beyond their concerns and accept challenges that may cause them some discomfort, such as writing for publication or public speaking. The leadership of nurse educators is essential to support colleagues who will shape the future of nursing.
Nursing Students' and Novice Clinical Instructors' Experiences With Clinical Instruction and Assessment
Nursing Students’ and Novice Clinical Instructors’ Experiences With Clinical Instruction and Assessment by Bridgett A. Jackson MSN, Walden University, 2007 BSN, Troy University, 2002 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Walden University June 2015 Abstract Adjunct faculty members make up a growing proportion of nursing school clinical faculty in the United States due to a nurse educator shortage in higher education. Many of the nurses hired as clinical faculty members have years of experience providing patient care, but they lack experience in clinical instruction and assessment. At a state community college in the southeastern United States, nursing students have expressed dissatisfaction in their course evaluations with inexperienced faculty in clinical programs. The experiences of both nursing students under the guidance of novice clinical instructors and clinical faculty were examined in this case study. The National League for Nursing’s (NLN) standards for practice for academic nurse educators served as the conceptual framework for this study and was used to develop research questions related to clinical practice and assessment. Data were collected from 9 students and 6 clinical nursing faculty members who participated in anonymous, open-ended electronic questionnaires regarding use of the standards in instruction and assessment. Student clinical experience collective evaluations from 3nursing programs across the state were also used for data collection and analysis. Data were coded and themes were identified and verified through triangulation. Themes were inconsistent with the NLN standards and included no formal orientation, no preparation for the clinical instructor role, use of subjective instructor evaluations, and lack of instructor feedback. Results were used to develop a professional development program to prepare novice clinical instructors for the clinical environment according to the NLN standards. This study may result in positive social change by improving clinical experiences for nursing students in community colleges, resulting in better patient care as they assume their roles in the larger medical community.Adjunct faculty members make up a growing proportion of nursing school clinical faculty in the United States due to a nurse educator shortage in higher education. Many of the nurses hired as clinical faculty members have years of experience providing patient care, but they lack experience in clinical instruction and assessment. At a state community college in the southeastern United States, nursing students have expressed dissatisfaction in their course evaluations with inexperienced faculty in clinical programs. The experiences of both nursing students under the guidance of novice clinical instructors and clinical faculty were examined in this case study. The National League for Nursing’s (NLN) standards for practice for academic nurse educators served as the conceptual framework for this study and was used to develop research questions related to clinical practice and assessment. Data were collected from 9 students and 6 clinical nursing faculty members who participated in anonymous, open-ended electronic questionnaires regarding use of the standards in instruction and assessment. Student clinical experience collective evaluations from 3nursing programs across the state were also used for data collection and analysis. Data were coded and themes were identified and verified through triangulation. Themes were inconsistent with the NLN standards and included no formal orientation, no preparation for the clinical instructor role, use of subjective instructor evaluations, and lack of instructor feedback. Results were used to develop a professional development program to prepare novice clinical instructors for the clinical environment according to the NLN standards. This study may result in positive social change by improving clinical experiences for nursing students in community colleges, resulting in better patient care as they assume their roles in the larger medical community. Nursing Students’ and Novice Clinical Instructors’ Experiences With Clinical Instruction and Assessment by Bridgett A. Jackson MSN, Walden University, 2007 BSN, Troy University, 2002 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Walden University June 2015 Acknowledgments First and foremost, I would like to thank the omniscient, omnipresent, and sovereign God for allowing me to achieve my goal. I have felt Your presence every step of the way. I would like to say a special thank you to my husband Cedric, and my daughter Morgan, for your love and support throughout this journey. To the best parents in the world, Dan and Sarah Davis, thank you for your motivation for as long as I can remember. To Reba, James, Jarrod, Vanessa, and J.J. Best, thank you for your words of encouragement. To Shelly Holt, thank you for your continued confidence in my abilities. To my extended family and New Bethel SDA church family, thank you for your prayers. Thank you to my wonderful committee, Dr. Edward Garten and Dr. John Johnson. I am eternally grateful for your support, encouragement, and guidance throughout my journey. Finally, to my mentor and the most humble man I have ever known, Dr. James Lowe, Jr. Your Christ-like character and words of wisdom have made such an impression on my life. God has allowed you to rest from your labor and fall asleep until his Son’s soon return. Until then, I will follow your advice and use this achievement to be a blessing for others. May you rest in peace until that great resurrection day.
What is Enlightenment
Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-imposed nonage. Nonage is the inability to use one's own understanding without another's guidance. This nonage is self-imposed if its cause lies not in lack of understanding but in indecision and lack of courage to use one's own mind without another's guidance. Dare to know! (Sapere aude.) "Have the courage to use your own understanding," is therefore the motto of the enlightenment.