Nurse Educator Interviews
The future of nursing depends on providing the future generation of nurses with a solid nursing education foundation encompassed with a passion for teaching, as well as a passion for the nursing profession. Nurse educators play a critical role in assuring that the nursing workforce is well prepared for a diverse and changing health care environment. I had the esteemed pleasure of interviewing two very dedicated nurse educators in my community from two completely different backgrounds. One is a nurse educator in a higher education setting at a local university, and the other is a clinical nurse educator in a health care setting at a local skilled nursing facility. Although both are educators, each have a different scope and face different challenges.
Academic Educator
I first interviewed a nurse educator S.D., who works in a higher education setting at RWC (Roberts Wesleyan College), a local private small university. She has been a nurse educator for many years, approximately 24 years to be exact. She has a Masters in Nursing with a focus on Community Health, and Nursing Education, and she is currently an Associate Professor at the college, as well as the Director of the Traditional Nursing Program. S.D. began her nursing education career at GCC (Genesee Community College) a local ADN program, where she worked for 12 years and developed her expertise in teaching. It was there that she learned to “watch, listen, and ask questions,” which she describes as the ingredients to becoming a good instructor; as well as engaging students, and being able to recognize when a student needs to be challenged. Following her 12 years at GCC, she arrived at RWC, where she has since been for the past 12 years as an educator in the BSN traditional nursing program. The courses she currently teaches are Fundamentals of Nursing at the sophomore level, for which she is a classroom instructor and clinical instructor; and Community Health at the senior level, for which she is the classroom instructor only. In addition to her academic and administrative duties, she advises an assigned group of students in the nursing program each semester in relation to course choices for the next semester and registration. Since starting her career at RWC, she has found that it is important to be honest with students, be whom you are as a nurse and educator, and not attempt to be something you are not. She states it is also important to tailor make the assignments in clinical based on how well you know the student instead of generically as each student learns differently and will appreciate the personal attention. The instructor needs to be a role model in the clinical setting as well, demonstrating what a professional nurse is at the bedside, and with your interactions with family, staff, and other providers. S.D. describes the relationships she forms with the students as the highlights of her role as an educator; she elaborates in stating “It feels really good to see the graduates in the community months, and year’s later working as a nurse and hearing about their experiences.” The challenges she faces in the educators role are similar as she describes it as working with students who face issues of life, where many have financial issues; juggling work, school, and family; and learning difficulties. Other challenges include, time management, getting everything you want and need the students to know into the allotted amount of time; managing a large class with students that are capable of the classwork verses students who are less capable, and require assistance from the learning center; and getting and maintaining qualified professors who are mission focused and have education at heart. She states being an educator is all she ever wanted to do, and finds satisfaction and enjoyment in it still today. Future plans for S.D. is continuing her work as an educator at RWC, and continuing her position as the Director of the Traditional Nursing program; she can’t imagine being anywhere else. Her final advice to me is to understand who I am, be where God wants me to be, and be who God expects me to be.
Reflection
As I reflect on my experience of interviewing S.D., an academic nurse educator, I learned it is important to be real, who I am as a nurse should be who I am as an educator. Being inquisitive is not viewed negatively, but encouraged, and as an educator be prepared and open to learn something new. Students recognize when an educator is not consistent and when they don’t practice what they teach. The knowledge bestowed upon me by this interview is probably the most valuable piece in the nursing education curriculum. This interview will inform my practice as a nurse educator by helping cultivate my educator skill set to include recognizing and identifying the needs of the student as it relates to their own learning needs; and finding meaningful appropriate challenges for each student. I also recognize the importance of getting to know who your students are as a person, and not just as the student in the back, this makes teaching more rewarding because you recognize that you are making a difference and not just spending time.
Clinical Educator
In addition to interviewing an academic nurse educator, I had the pleasure to interview a clinical nurse educator in a health care setting at a local skilled nursing facility. N.E. is a clinical nurse educator at JHR (Jewish Home of Rochester), a skilled nursing facility that is recognized for its diversified campus living consisting of a long-term care, transitional care (rehab), adult day care, assisted living, and senior living facilities, all on one campus which N.E is responsible for providing the education to. She has been a nurse for 20+ years, and she has a Masters in Nursing with a focus on leadership. She has worked in other areas and specialties over the years including the NICU at a local hospital, community health, mental health, and management at assisted living facility. N.E. has been specially trained in the area of peritoneal dialysis and IV insertion coach, which she teaches these skills at the JHR to the staff who are expected to work with patients requiring IV infusion therapy, and peritoneal dialysis, which she also identifies as a highlight of her role as an educator. Other highlights that N.E. recognizes related to working as a clinical nurse educator are the opportunities to educate, every opportunity whether it is review of a policy, or new hire orientation, she says it never gets old. The challenges that affect her role as a clinical nurse educator are resistance from staff who don’t feel they need education, and preparation related to new equipment use; as she does not have an opportunity to work with equipment before it is introduced to staff. N.E. does not know where the future may lead her. She sees herself in an educator role but unfortunately she is not sure if it will be at JHR, as she states she misses the clinical setting of a hospital. Final thoughts and advice provided to this writer by the interviewee is don’t be afraid to admit you don’t know something, ask for help when you need to, and know your resources.
Reflection
As I reflect on the interviewing of the clinical nurse educator, I learned that the clinical nurse educator has the responsibility of educating all of the staff in addition to the nursing staff as well. There is a multitude of responsibility and maintaining an accurate record of education to help keep the staff in compliance with mandatory state requirements. The information that I gathered from this interview will inform my practice as a nurse educator by improving my attention to detail, and keeping adequate records. I found that in the clinical nurse educator position, there is a multitude of responsibility in addition to educating the staff and the educator must have a high level of organization and detail skill.
Final Reflection
As I reflect on both interviews and look at the similarities and differences between the two roles, I have come to the conclusion that all though both are different, both are equally the same. The formal educational setting and the nurse educator in the clinical setting both have the responsibility to be role models, knowledge related to skill set, and be prepared to learn even as an educator. My final thoughts on the need for both academic and continuing education nurse educators is that both require lifelong learning just as what we instill in our nursing students, in other words, just because we are the educators, doesn’t mean we can’t learn something new. I have found a greater respect or admiration related to nursing education. We have a huge responsibility to not only the profession, and students, but the consumers who will come in contact with those who we educate.