Academic Nurse Educator Insights

Part A

1. What are the qualities most needed to be a successful academic nurse educator?

I have found that be a successful academic nurse educator, there are a wide range of skills that one should ideally have. One such skill is the ability to communicate with others in effective and clear formats. Without superior communication abilities, you are not likely to get your message across – which is crucial in this role. There are also chances that whatever it is that you attempt to communicate could be misunderstood or misinterpreted. This could be a major handicap in efforts to design educational programs. Next, success in this role also requires one to be an effective collaborator. This is more so the case given that as an academic nurse educator, you will be expected to routinely collaborate with interprofessional teams in not only the implementation, but also the evaluation of educational programs. I have also found out that to be a successful academic nurse educator, one has to be familiar with the relevant core competencies, as established by the National League of Nursing (NLN).

What are those competencies? Perhaps you could mention just a few.

Yes, there are a total of eight such competencies. They have all been established by the NLN which happens to be a national organization concerned with, amongst other things, the fostering of nursing education excellence. The said competencies are inclusive of: facilitating learning; facilitating learner development and socialization; use of assessment and evaluation strategies; participating in curriculum design and evaluation of program outcomes; functioning as a change agent and leader; pursuit of continuous quality improvement in the nurse educator role; engagement in scholarship; and functioning within the educational environment.

2. As a novice, what was the best advice you were given, if any? What advice would you give to a novice academic nurse educator?

Looking back, the best advice that I received at the onset was that I should be culturally competent. I regard this as the best advice because as an academic nurse educator, I routinely engage with students as well as colleagues drawn from a culturally diverse pool. If I had not made deliberate efforts to become culturally competent, I would not have been able to appreciate and/or embrace the various belief systems as well as cultures that differ from my own – which would have significantly hampered my performance and effectiveness as an academic nurse educator. This is the very same advice that I would give to a novice academic nurse educator. It is especially important now given that the world is now more of a global village. What this means is that going forward, the academic nurse educator is likely to interact even more with persons with remarkably different perspectives and attitudes about life based on their cultural background.

How then can an academic nurse educator promote his or her cultural competency so as to be able to perform effectively in this role?

Cultural competency begins with learning about oneself in relation to one’s values, beliefs, as well as roots. This could then be followed by learning as much as is possible about other cultures. Diverse cultural insights could be gathered by watching/reading the relevant materials as well as engaging persons who come from other cultures. This is especially important owing to the fact that one gets to understand that we all have differing opinions and perspectives based on our backgrounds. There is also the option of getting formal diversity training.

3. Have you participated in interprofessional educational activities? Provide an example.

Yes, I have indeed participated in multiple interprofessional educational activities. One such activity involves simulation. In this case, team interactions in health and patient care settings are imitated. It is important to note that in the past, this particular approach has been extensively deployed in the aviation industry. In the recent past however, it has continued to gain traction in the nurse education realm. In the interprofessional educational activities I have participated in, the said simulation has included electronic training manikins as well as human participants. Some of the crucial capabilities developed in this controlled and safe simulation environment relate to collaboration, teamwork, and improved communication. It is also important to note that one other interprofessional educational activity that I can recall relates to clinical observation. In this case, an actual interprofessional team in action in the relevant setting is closely observed by students. For instance, students could gain crucial skills in relation to chronic condition management by observing interactions bringing together interprofessional teams.

How important are these interprofessional educational activities?

It I were to answer this question with two words. I would say very important. In basic terms, interprofessional educational activities could be could be conceptualized as the working together of learners across disciplines with the aim of promoting or further advancing teamwork, collaboration, as well as interprofessional communication. In clinical settings, improved outcomes are only achieved when practitioners from different fields collaborate in an effective and meaningful manner. Further, collaboration of this nature enables such professionals to not only learn with each other, but also from as well as about each other. In the educational setting, students can comfortably and effectively exchange ideas and share experiences via interprofessional educational activities – later on supporting what I would call collaborative practice. Thus, if we really want to transform nursing practice, we must always strive to ensure that the nursing curriculum embraces the various formats of interprofessional education. This is more so the case given that this is the only way to ensure that future professionals in the realm of nursing are equipped with the skills necessary to interact with others from outside their profession in efforts to promote or enhance patient care. Thus, interprofessional educational activities could be deemed necessary in as far as the development of a collaborative culture is concerned.

4. As an ANE, in what ways are you a change agent and how is this achieved within your organization?

As academic nurse educators, we tend to engage in research much more than nurse managers or staff nurses. This is more so the case given that in this role, we are expected to synthesize practical, credible, reliable, and relevant information in the development of crucial nursing skills. Further, we are also involved in not only the evaluation, but also the design of new curriculum. This calls for greater research use. Thus, as a change agent, I seek opportunities to recommend or incorporate research finding from various peer-reviewed sources – especially in relation to superior medical interventions. This way, I can contribute towards the attainment of better outcomes in clinical settings – which is why I consider myself to be a change agent as an academic nurse educator. In my organization, this is achieved via the embrace and advancement of evidence-based practice.

5. How has technology transformed nursing education and your role as an educator?

Over the last few decades, technology has transformed nursing education to a great extent. This is more so the case given that thanks to technology, the time and space boundaries that used to be limiting factors in many facets, including nursing education, are no longer a problem. For instance, today, students have instantaneous and convenient access to a wide range of educational tools and resources that could come in handy in efforts to further promote learning and skill enhancement. This is more so the case in relation to access to electronic textbooks and reference guides. Also, thanks to web-based simulations, it is possible for learners to engage in interactive learning activities in virtual settings – which happens to be a hugely convenient and effective way of learning various practical aspects of clinical practice. In my opinion, therefore, technology has to a large extent reinforced nursing education. I am convinced that my role as an educator in this case is largely facilitative and supportive. This is more so the case when it comes to researching and exploring opportunities whereby technology could be deployed in attempts to advance learning.

What challenges have you encountered in your role as an academic nurse educator?

There are a wide range of challenges that we encounter in this role. One such challenge happens to be failure to ensure that the curriculum is up-to-date with knowledge on various important aspects of the profession, i.e. in relation to the practice’s theoretical basis. This is especially crucial owing to the fact that we need to ensure that students have the most relevant and effective skills that can be deployed in practical settings. I have also established that most of my colleagues do not engage in continuous learning. Yet another challenge happens to be insufficient incentives for the role. This is more so the case when it comes to financial incentives. The role, in my opinion, does not attract financial incentives similar to other comparable roles. This is a concern that I have heard colleagues raise in the past. Although most of us are in this for the joy and fulfillment we derive from prepping the next breed of professionals, it is an undeniable fact that this is a factor that could get in the way of motivation for some. It could also trigger a shortage of academic nurse educators in the future.

Among the challenges highlighted above, which is the most critical challenge in your opinion? And what solution would you suggest?

I would say that failure to ensure that the curriculum is kept up-to-date with knowledge on various important aspects of the profession is the most critical challenge owing to the impact in could have on effective nursing education. This is more so the case given that nursing is an ever changing profession. Efforts must be made to keep up with new approaches, i.e. through constant updating of the curriculum. What was effective yesterday might not be as effective today owing to the development of better understanding of concepts or advances in technology. If we are to ensure that students are well-prepared to perform effectively in clinical settings, we must see to it that their skillset matches the most current knowledge in nursing. Academic nurse educators also need to update their knowledge and skills on a continuous basis by engaging in continuous education.

Part B: Presentation

Academic Nurse Educator Role and Setting

Following this particular engagement with an Academic Nurse Educator, I established that her primary role remains the facilitation of nursing student learning. She is charged with not only the teaching, but also the mentoring and inspiration of the next generation of nurses. In seeking to effectively perform this role, she relies upon the curriculum in place and ensures that the content and strategies embraced on this front are firmly rooted in both evidence-based practice and educational theory.

The ANE pointed out that the number of students enrolled for the program she teaches has significantly increased over the last three years. More specifically, she notes that her school has witnessed higher enrolment rates for this particular program during the current COVID-19 pandemic – specifically baccalaureate nursing programs. At present, she estimates the total student population to be at 650 students.

Some of the courses that she presently teaches are inclusive of, but they are not limited to; community and public health nursing, nursing leadership and management, and nursing research. She observes that she works in a hugely collaborative environment. She is also categorical that her school is more of a multicultural setting – bringing together persons from diverse ethnicities and cultures.

Role of an ANE

Facilitator of Learning

As a facilitator of learning, the ANE I interviewed actively engages in curriculum development, support of the learning process (i.e. by deploying the relevant strategies to aid knowledge acquisition), monitoring of student progress, and ensuring that nursing students are well-equipped to deploy nursing theory to practice settings. Her mandate as a facilitator of learning further extends to the provision of ongoing mentorship to nursing students. She also offers the relevant feedback to learners in an attempt to reinforce their foundational knowledge as well as experience.

Communicator and Collaborator

The ANE made an observation to the effect that one of the skills deemed most crucial in efforts to become a successful academic nurse educator is the ability to communicate in clear and effective formats. This crucial ability/skill comes in handy in instruction settings as an ANE should be able to engage students and ensure that they get to comprehend the relevant content. Effective communication skills also aid collaborative efforts with peers. As a collaborator, it would be prudent to note that the academic nurse educator does not function in a vacuum. This is to say the ANE continuously engages other peers in not only curriculum design, but also knowledge dispensation. It is only through meaningful collaboration that the quality of nursing education can be improved going forward.

Professional Development Activities

Nursing, like any other professional field, experiences some changes over time. This is to say that the knowledge and skills that an ANE possesses at a particular point in time should ideally be updated and further enhanced going forward. For an ANE, this is particularly important owing to the fact that he or she is charged with the noble role of ensuring that the future breed of nurses is equipped with modern and effective skills to make a difference in the clinical realm and, thus, champion better patient outcomes. Some of the activities that an ANE could engage in, in efforts to promote professional development are inclusive of, but they are not limited to; obtaining additional professional certifications, attending the relevant seminars and workshops, keeping abreast with the latest in the nursing realm by reading the relevant nursing literature (i.e. peer-reviewed journal articles, etc.).

Change Leader

Academic Nurse Educators also champion the need to further advance nursing education and ensure that it serves as an ideal basis for future nursing practice. The ANE, thus, seeks to shape future nursing practice by amongst other things suggesting, formulating, and implementing creative and innovative practices in the academic realm.

Educational Advocate

Academic Nurse Educators also play a crucial advocacy role by promoting or backing policies meant to further enhance the conduct and method/convention of nursing education. This they do in efforts to ensure that nursing education is responsive to the future needs of the profession. In seeking to play this role, they could to reach out to the relevant stakeholders with the relevant suggestions. They could also pen articles on contemporary nursing education concerns.

Impact of Interview

Thanks to the interview that with the ANE, my perception about the responsibilities as well as roles of Academic Nurse Educators has significantly changed. Most importantly, I have come to the realization that the said roles and responsibilities are much broader. For instance, I got to learn that in addition to directing student learning, they also get to serve as mentors and role models to learners. This is more so the case in relation to encouraging and supporting learners to be active participants or partners in the educational process. On this front, an ANE could offer a broader perspective of the practice environment and seek to ensure that learners maximize their potential so as to promote career satisfaction. The ANE mentioned that as an Academic Nurse Educator, she is routinely called upon to help students with goal setting. It is also important to note that I got to learn that the role of Academic Nurse Educators extends to curriculum development. This is more so the case in relation to engaging in efforts to ensure that the curriculum is reflective of the ideal philosophy of nursing and is in line with the relevant standards and outcomes.

Part C

Section 1

It is important to note that the relevance of quality education cannot be overstated in efforts to assure the competence of the next generation of healthcare professionals. In the absence of the relevant skills, capabilities, and knowledge, nurses cannot be able to effectively execute their mandate in clinical settings – especially when it comes to the delivery of quality and safe patient care. Nurse educators come in handy in the appropriate and adequate preparation of future nurses. For instance, in the words of Ezzeddine (2017), nursing educators ought to ensure that they “encourage students to develop the critical thinking skills essential in the nurse’s ability to identify current or potential problems or risks that impact upon patient safety” (p. 47). In practice settings, nurse educators happen to be, amongst other things, advocates for ongoing professional development. Indeed, according to Utley (2010), in such settings, nurse educators actively foster “staff in their continual growth and development to improve care decisions by serving as role models for evidence-based decision making” (p. 112).

Section 2

There are a number of roles that the ANE plays within the parent institution. In basic terms, however, the primary role happens to be the instruction of nursing students. In playing this key role, the ANA not only engages in the design and evaluation, but also in the implementation of nursing educational programs. To a large extent, the ANE could focus on two broad areas of instruction, i.e. specialized instruction or general nursing class instruction. The former relates to teaching specialized courses, i.e. in relation to nursing informatics, pediatric nursing, etc. From time to time, ANEs are also involved in efforts to revise nursing curricula. This is especially crucial owing to the fact that nursing education has to integrate new knowledge and technologies. Thus, for ANEs, the relevance of staying up-to-date and current on the various issues of relevance to nursing education cannot be overstated. This is more so the case in relation to the new technologies, developments, as well as methods and trends of relevance to nursing.

Section 3

There are a number of stakeholders that are instrumental to the responsibilities as well as role of a nurse educator. Some of the stakeholders that were mentioned in my interview with a nurse educator (as has been referenced elsewhere in this exercise) are inclusive of; peers, program faculty and administrators, practicing nurses in various clinical and healthcare settings, and the students themselves. Two of the external stakeholders that could be deemed vital to an academic nurse educator’s roles and responsibilities are; practicing nurses in various clinical and healthcare settings and professional associations such as ANA. To begin with, professional organizations such as the American Nurses Association (ANA) provide limitless opportunities for continuing education. The nurse educator needs to keep up with the various trends and new knowledge in the field so that he may build up his own competence and pass on the relevant information and skills to students. On the other hand, as external stakeholders, practicing nurses in diverse clinical and healthcare settings could provide very useful insights regarding the changes, adjustments, and inclusions that ought to be made in curriculum to ensure that learners are equipped with practical skills to promote their success in real-life clinical settings. These ideas and suggestions could further buttress the role of the nurse educator as an educational advocate.

There are various strategies that could be deployed in attempts to promote communication with external stakeholders. These are inclusive of penning articles to be published in nursing publications and attending seminars and workshops bringing together nurses sourced from diverse practice settings. In penning articles for nursing publications, the nurse educator would be inviting various perspectives from peers and promoting further discussion on issues of relevance to nursing education. Feedback sourced on this front could be vital to the role and responsibilities of the nurse educator. On the other hand, attending seminars and workshops would provide a more direct opportunity for the nurse educator to communicate with peers and other professionals in the field, and thus exchange ideas and viewpoints about a wide range of issues relating to nursing education.

Section 4

A nurse educator could facilitate the development of interprofessional collaborative efforts by embracing a team-based approach. This is to say that the nurse educator should be aware of the fact that he works in a setting that demands the input of various stakeholders, i.e. program faculty, learners, institutional leadership, practicing nurses, etc. Indeed, according to Utley (2010), the orientation of a nurse educator should be that of a team player. Teamwork also happens to be crucial in the realm of interprofessional education. In basic terms, interprofessional education could be defined as the teaming up of learners from different professions with the intention of learning together. Diggele, Roberts, Burgess and Mellis (2020) point out that interprofessional education is of great relevance in efforts to cultivate collaborative practice. There are a number of approaches that could be embraced in efforts to foster collaboration as well as teamwork among students. One such approach involves the deployment of virtual reality (VR) technology. In this case, VR simulation becomes a crucial teaching-learning tool owing to its ability to leverage technology and bring together students from diverse specializations in settings that mimic real-life patient settings. For instance, through the utilization of electronic training manikins as well as human participants, VR simulation could be used to promote understanding of the roles of various occupations in ER, i.e. in relation to the role of burn center nurse, triage nurse, code nurse, trauma nurse, etc. One other approach that could come in handy in efforts to engage students from various disciplines in collaboration as well as teamwork is role play. In essence, this involves the acting out of various scenarios. An example of a scenario where role play could be utilized in interprofessional education is exploration and resolution of ethical problems or concerns. Here, learners from various disciplines (i.e. geriatric, psychiatric, and critical care nursing) could act out an ethical dilemma (i.e. on an issue relating to patient autonomy) and apply the relevant ethical theories in efforts to find the most viable solution.

Part D

The interview that I conducted with the nurse educator was quite informative and in addition to highlighting various issues relating to nursing education, it also identified certain challenges in the realm of nursing. Two of the said challenges are; the need for culturally competent care and the shortage of nurses. In this discussion, I will concern myself with the need for culturally competent care.

Section 1

According to the nurse educator I interviewed, there is a growing need to ensure that nursing students are equipped with cultural competency skills owing to the fact that the world is increasingly becoming a global village – effectively meaning that people from all walks of life now relate and interact on a more consistent basis. Without cultural competence, nurses cannot be able to perform in an effective manner in practical settings. As a matter of fact, as Linda (2018) points out, cultural competence ought to be seen as the foundation of effective nurse-patient relationships. With this in mind, it is clear that the relevance of culturally competent nursing education cannot be overstated. It therefore follows that the nurse educator ought to ensure that he or she acquires the essential cultural competence skills so as to be able to equip nursing students with the same. This is in addition to serving as an advocate for the inclusion of cultural competency concepts in nursing education curriculum.

Section 2

It is important to note that according to Linda (2018), “not all nursing educational practices are culturally competent” (p. 20). This, according to the author, is despite the fact that there is sufficient evidence indicating increased diversity in the U.S. population. This is an assertion that is further advanced by Shin, Fine, and Chen (2016) who make an observation to the effect that the health needs of the increasingly diverse U.S. population will only be fully addressed if deliberate efforts are made to ensure that nurses are culturally competent. Towards this end, the authors further observe that there is need for strategies to be implemented to guarantee cultural competence education in nursing. One way to achieve this, according to the authors, is by ensuring that the nurse educators themselves are culturally competent. As a matter of fact, in the words of the authors, “having culturally competent nurse educators is crucial to preparing future nurses to meet the health needs of a diverse and multicultural United States population” (Shin, Fine, and Chen, 2016, p. 225). In the final analysis, it would also be prudent to note that according to Kaihlanen, Hietapakka, and Heponiemi (2019), patients have become more linguistically and culturally diverse than was the case several decades ago. As a consequence, the authors call for nursing education and training efforts to be appreciative of this reality. Thus, according to the authors, increasing the cultural awareness of nurses is instrumental in efforts to promote nurse-patent engagements and communication – which are in themselves key features of quality healthcare.

Section 3

One solution that could be adopted in attempts to promote cultural diversity in nursing education is increasing faculty diversity (Linda, 2018). Indeed, according to the author, at present, the diversity of students (as well as communities) is not reflected by the faculty diversity levels. Enhanced diversity at the cultural level is of great relevance because as Linda (2018) points out, learning happens to be a contextual undertaking. Faculty diversity could be achieved via the adoption of the appropriate recruitment, selection, and retention strategies. Secondly, there is also need to modify learning as well as evaluation approaches to ensure that they are reflective of the scenario on the ground. Teaching and learning techniques, thus, ought to be reviewed and adapted when (and if) necessary to ensure that nurses of the future are culturally competent.

Part E

Section 1

In as far as teaching is concerned, I will ensure that I faithfully execute the responsibilities expected of me in this particular role. It therefore follows that in addition to being actively involved in the design of curricula, I will also be engaged in the basic role of teaching and evaluation of students. It is also important to note that I am fully aware of the fact that in this role, I will also be called upon to serve as a mentor and role model for learners.