Nurse Educator Competencies: Creating an Evidence-Based Practice for Nurse Educators - Essay Example

? Competency criteria of Introduction This paper will discuss the different nurse teacher competencies and using them to assess the nursing teaching faculty in areas of mentoring, scholarship and duty. It is necessary that any faculty of any discipline carrying out assessments frequently, to ensure that they assess their goals (theirs and their students). This can be achieved by determining how well students are achieving the set goals. This provides an opportunity for the faculty to assess its mission; for the benefit of their students and staff. This is also a chance for them to review the requirements for tenures and / or promotions in areas of teaching, scholarship and service by the person’s competence in teaching, research, scholarly activities, clinical competence and community service. Faculty evaluation also provides an opportunity for change in the process of teaching, handing of student diversity, curriculum development among other relevant areas incompetent instruction. Assessment 1. Facilitate learning This is the most important competency for all nurse educators. The faculty should be able to make the learning process possible by; A. (Task requirement: show enthusiasm by teaching). The faculty should make learning exciting to the learners by being enthusiastic about teaching. An enthusiastic teacher passionate about teaching and take pride in passing on information to their learners. An enthusiastic educator passes on his morale to his students who end up liking the learning process, and therefore, learning more. B. (Task requirement: Show an interest in a learner’s progress and activities). The faculty should also demonstrate an interest in the learner’s actions. The educator must be available to assist learners in their time of need and offer solutions to their problems. A learner should know that they can always get help in their educational and personal support from their faculty. C. (Task requirement: Show understanding to all learners). The faculty should be able to provide for their learner’s unique needs in terms of gender, experience, and multiculturalism among other differences. Every learner is different from the other in one way or the other, and the all should feel at home being a part of the nursing faculty without discrimination or abandonment. D. (Task requirement: Facilitate tutor and learner interaction). The faculty should increase cooperation between educators and the learner. Learning can only take place if there is information. This is facilitated by teacher learner communication as the educator will know the level of understanding of the learner and also identify individual differences in the learners through cooperation. 2. Facilitate learner development and socialization Nurse educators have the responsibility to help students develop to become professional nurses and integrate the values and performance required in the role of nursing (Meyer & Van, 2008). The faculty can do this by; A. (Task requirement: Show students demonstrations). Providing students with demonstrations and examples on just how they are required to do things as professional nurses. The faculty should ensure that the learners have the necessary skills needed to use resources to learn and improve themselves as potential nurses. B. (Task requirement: Meet individual learner needs). The faculty should use the required resources to diverse learners to enable them meet their unique needs. These can be in terms of extra tutorials for learners who are using English as a second language or have different programs to cater for a wide range of students, for example; those who need evening classes. C. (Task requirement: Encourage group discussions). The faculty should encourage learning through discussions as they create an opportunity for the learner to improve their communication and interpersonal skills as they interact with one another. Discussions can also be in the form of private talks with the educators where the students are offered a chance to set their own personal goals. D. (Task requirement: encourage the real-life practice experiences). The faculty should model professional action in the learners by involving them in professional organizations in their area of nursing, engaging them in lifelong learning activities that will be beneficial to them and enabling them to disseminate information through publications and presentations. 3. Use assessment and evaluation strategies Many times the evaluation can be influenced by the faculty’s perspective in order to offset this issue, it is essential to use few measurement techniques with the use of valid instruments (Halstead, page 32, 2007). This can be done in several ways; A. (Task requirement: Use case studies in lessons). The faculty should make use of extant literature based exams/ essays to improve evidence-based assessment and evaluation. This allows learners to do proper research on various topics, which also develops their research skills, and they broaden their experience. B. (Task requirement: Use data collected from assessment and evaluations). The faculty should use the data collected from assessment and evaluation; to improve the learning process. This can also be used as feedback when evaluating if a new method of teaching is working or not. If the date obtained from assessment and evaluation does not show good performance, then the faculty should make changes in the teaching learning process remedy the situation. C. (Task requirement: Provide thoughtful feedback to learners). The faculty should provide timely constructive and thoughtful feedback to the learners for their own personal evaluation. A learner should be able to determine if they are heading towards their goal by going through the feedback provided by the faculty. D. (Task requirement: Show clinical skill). The faculty should demonstrate skill in design and the use of tools for assessing their clinical skills. This will aid the learner in their self evaluations and goal setting. 4. Participate in curriculum design and evaluation of program It is the duty of the nursing facilitator to formulate /design the nursing curriculum and evaluate the program’s outcome. Nothing stays the same today and, so this has to be a continuous process. This is to keep up with emerging issues in the health care sector and to keep learners updated on them (McDonald, 2014). This can be done by; A. (Task requirement: Update curriculum regularly). Teaching curriculum must be revised on a regular basis. The revisions must include the new advancements in the health care sector. This can also be made after the program evaluation should it be found to be wanting. B. (Task requirement: Base curriculum on legal principles). The faculty should base the curriculum on sound educational principles that will legitimize it and make it approvable. A lot of research should also be conducted so as to make the curriculum relevant in the field of nursing. C. (Task requirement: Use program assessing models). The faculty should come up with program evaluating models that allow for continuous quality improvement. This will ensure that the curriculum is up-dated and relevant for the learners. D. (Task requirement: Maintain principles of the institution). The curriculum should reflect the faculty’s mission and goals and help the learner achieve their own personal goals. The faculty should also ensure that the curriculum also reflects on the institution’s philosophy and principles. 5. Function as a change agent and leader The nursing educator functions both as a change agent and a leader to build a better future for learners to practice nursing (Francis, 2000). This is done by; A. (Task requirement: Show leadership skills). The development of leadership skills that will sharpen the student’s views on issues; i.e. they will see problems as things to be solved and not things to complain. B. (Task requirement: Guide the learners). The direction of each student must be done with a firm, but gentle hand concerning professional conduct for student nurses C. (Task requirement: Show the leaner’s good colleague relationships). The faculty can also implement strategies that will instill positive change in students on how they relate with staff and their colleagues. D. (Task requirement: Participating in the institution’s interdisciplinary efforts). The faculty should advocate for change by participating in the institution’s interdisciplinary efforts to address the need for good health care and education both locally and internationally. 6. Pursue continuous improvement in the nurse educator role According to (Halstead, 2007) a nurse educator can self-evaluate only if are continually being competent. This is by asking them if they have particular qualities; like being committed to teaching and intellectual inquiry. If they demonstrate both love and knowledge of the topic they are tutoring, and if they are being conscientious when evaluating their student’s assignments. This can also be made in other ways; A. (Task requirement: Show commitment to teaching). The faculty should ensure that nurse educators demonstrate a commitment to long life learning as teaching cannot be done without training and upgrading of information. B. (Task requirement: Ensure balance in educator roles). The faculty should maintain a balance in educator roles of teaching, scholarship and service. They should offer a system that allows the educator to have this balance. C. (Task requirement: Carry out evaluations). The faculty should also take out self, peer, student and administration evaluations from time to time so that the feedback can be used to improve educator performance. D. (Task requirement: Enhance a support system). The faculty should also come up with support systems to help the educators cope with their schedules through mentorship programs and peer advice. 7. Engage in scholarship Scholarship is an important part of the nursing faculty role teaching is a scholarly activity in itself. This also comes about when one does research, writes proposals e.t.c. Other approaches include; A. (Task requirement: Offers a practitioner a transition). The faculty offers an opportunity for discovery where one transforms from a student nurse, to a novice nurse and letter to an expert. This is achieved by continual information gain and practice. B. (Task requirement: Show what you have learned). The faculty also provides opportunities where learners apply their acquired knowledge in real life experiences, i.e. moving develop a theory to practical using critical thinking skills. C. (Task requirement: Promote study skills). The faculty provides a chance for integration by interacting with other valuable disciplines like research skills, creative and critical thinking and communication skills among others that make one and all rounded person (Francis, 2000). D. (Task requirement: Offer research grants). The faculty also offers support for innovation and scholarly enhancement by offering research grants to student and also educators, offering supervision, making available research materials among other things. E. (Task requirement: Design scholarly activities). The faculty designs and implements scholarly project in established areas of expertise by encouraging research, experiments, symposiums among others. 8. Function within the educational environment A nurse educator must be an active member of the educational setting. This can be done in various forms and various areas; A) School The faculty is an active member of its educational background as some nurse educators are members of the institution’s committee that offers sponsorship for needy students. The faculty also takes part in school projects like sports, inter university competitions and also in accreditation activities. The faculty offers mentorship services not only for their own but others in their educational background, as well. The faculty also participates in student organizations, as well. B) Professional The faculty is an active member of a professional association in the educational setting e.g. the educators union. Some of the faculty’s members are in top leadership positions, in some professional organizations. The faculty also serves in several committees in the educational environment at the local, state and international levels. C) Community The faculty is active in participating in local health care agencies’’ activities like offering guidance and counseling The faculty is also active in providing leadership in community organizations by implementing and running them. The faculty is an active health professional community in that it offers education on proper health care to the members of the community. Conclusion In conclusion, based on the research done in this paper, it is evident that the faculty of nursing is an active, well organized faculty. It has taken steps in each of the nurse educator competencies to provide for the student’s needs while offering a safe environment for their teaching staff. There is also a safe environment for learning for their students where they feel comfortable and have easy interactions with their educators. All these measures have also enabled the faculty to produce professional nurses; who are competent and knowledgeable with the latest advancements in the health care industry and society. The faculty has successes in having a good balance in teaching, scholarship and service. References Francis, M.Q. (2000). The principles and practice of nurse education. Cheltenham: Stanley Thomes. Halstead, J. A., & National League for Nursing. (2007). Nurse educator competencies: Creating an evidence – based practice for nurse educators. New York. NY: National League for Nursing. McDonald, M. (2014). The nurse educator's guide to assessing learning outcomes. Burlington, MA: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Meyer, S.M., & Van, N. S.E. (2008). Nurse educator in practice. Cape Town, South Africa. Juta. Read More