A Nurse’s educator role that this writer selected from a handful of different functions is that of a staff development role. Although this chosen role is challenging, it is rewarding. A staff development person can see the transition of a newly hired staff nurse and at the same time continues to transform the experienced nurse’s competence in their field or practice. “Nursing education strengthens professional competence and similarly strengthens personal character to produce a nurse fit for all dimensions of practice” (Glenn, 2014).
Education has such a crucial role to play; it is an instrument to develop an individual as a whole. It is an opportunity for personal growth and success in life. Teaching a newly hired nurse (either new graduates or experienced nurses); the educator can see instantaneously the growth that a staff has accomplished. It is an achievement knowing that as a staff development educator, one has contributed to this phase of their professional development.
DEFINITION and ROLES OF A STAFF DEVELOPMENT
A staff development person works in different practice settings and environments, some work in the hospital, others work in clinical settings functioning in orienting, precepting, and managing staff nurses, new graduates, and experienced nurses. They have tremendous responsibilities, including facilitating the learning experiences of nurses, and assisting in transforming a diverse group of nurses in their practice that is safe, quality, and effective. According to Swihart (2009), “these practitioners are more than educators.” Further, according to The American Nurses Association (2009), a staff development person is distinguished as a “professional specialty based on the sciences of nursing, technology, research and evidence-based practice, practice-based evidence, change, communication, leadership, and education” (Swihart, 2009).
Through in-services and competency management, the staff development person addresses knowledge and skills related to environments of care, job functions, and decision-making responsibilities. Provision of continuing education provided by the staff development person helps nurses meet regulatory requirements like certification criteria, license mandates, and The Joint Commission, among others as stated further by Swihart (2009). It is of utmost importance for a nurse educator to possess the ability to guide learners on the mastery of vital skills and knowledge to transition them into highly competent, qualified nurses. “Through continuing education and staff development nurses stay abreast of current best practices and trends” (Dorin, 2010).
Most frequently, “inexperienced faculty often think in terms of their own teaching when the emphasis should be on student learning—a critical distinction” (Penn, 2008). According to the National League for Nursing in transforming nursing education, a position statement is as follows: “Tomorrow’s nursing education must be research-based, and it is best taught by individuals who are prepared for the faculty role and who demonstrate competence in the multiple components of that role” (Ortelli, T., 2013). How effective was the teaching process? Did the student achieve the objectives and goals of the course? Did he/she feel confident in what was taught and learned? For years, nurses have steadily been more educated and adopting new roles for themselves, but the process has been slow and not enough nurses are prepared for the challenges of the existing and future healthcare.
The breakthrough law known as the Affordable Care Act (ACA), passed in 2010, “has opened new doors to educational opportunities and career advancement for nurses” (Stokowski, 2011). With increasing faculty shortages, one has to step up and make a commitment to withstand nursing profession’s future. Transitioning into the staff development role will be quite a journey that requires a calling, a strong commitment that promises a bright future for nursing as a profession.
Collaborative Aspect of the Nurse Educator Role
Critical in the art and science of teaching and learning is the educator and the students; it is imperative to include in the educator role the collaborative aspect of education, “to determine the extent to which an educational activity is efficient, effective, and useful for those who participate as learners, teachers, or sponsors” (Bastable, 2008, p. 588). With much stress towards evidence-based practice, the essence of the teaching-evaluation method is key. Teaching in nursing is a complex activity that integrates the art and science of nursing and clinical practice in the teaching-learning process (Billings, D. M. & Halstead, J. A., 2012, p. 9). As a nurse, it is invaluable to see how a new nurse on board during the orientation period takes with them information that is vital and empowering. As a person, it gives the writer pleasure to be able to assist in imparting knowledge. Embedded in our role as nurses is the art of teaching. Teaching is a major aspect of the nurse’s professional role (Carpenter & Bell, 2002, as cited by Bastable, 2008, p. 4). The magnitude of the nurse educator’s responsibility to the learner suffices to say is immense.
Resume/Experiences of the Preceptor
The writer’s preceptor’s work ethics and passion as an educator are the driving factors in her interest in the staff development area. Her preceptor’s/interviewee’s resume includes 19 years and more experience as a Registered Nurse with a Bachelor’s degree in both Medical-Surgical setting as well as Psychiatry. She also has numerous certifications as Assistant Nurse Care Coordinator, Certification in Psychiatry, and a Master’s degree in her field. The writer is inspired by the preceptor/interviewee’s commitment to the profession as a whole, her growth both as a person and as a professional, and ultimately her role in aiding delivery of safe and effective care that is deserving of our patients/clients.
Development of Experiences to Meet the Role
The writer’s role as an educator originated and continues to expand from as far back as the writer can remember. Being the eldest in a large family (5 brothers and 4 sisters), the writer rekindles moments when she has taken on the task of teaching her younger siblings how to read, solve math problems, or help them with their homework and house chores. Never realizing that it actually progresses into her role as a nurse! A solid foundation and first-hand knowledge of academics and clinical background will guide a nurse in her pursuit to teach. Nurses “play a pivotal role in strengthening the nursing workforce, serving as role models and providing the leadership needed to implement evidence-based practice and improve patient outcomes” (Bartels, 2005).
Being a good clinician, however, is not adequate as an educator. Essential to the role is “that a core of knowledge and skills entails the ability to facilitate learning, advance the total development and professional socialization of the learner, design appropriate learning experiences, and evaluate learning outcomes” (NLN, 2013). In order to meet the role expectations of a staff development person, the writer needs to develop the ability to have a supportive, positive relationship with the staff and the institution, as well as the ability to increase and sustain the role as a whole through knowledge of the latest trends in education related to healthcare.
Nurses have tremendous, challenging, and rewarding roles. And as educators, “nurse educators must possess a solid clinical background, strong communication skills, and a high level of cultural competence in order to succeed. Educators must be lifelong learners, and flexible enough to adapt curriculum and teaching methods in response to innovations in nursing science and ongoing changes in the practice environment” (Bartels, 2005). It is a role that Florence Nightingale, who was so ahead of her time, envisioned for nurses long ago. In one of her excerpts, she summarized: “Training is to teach a nurse, her business, that is, to observe exactly, to understand, to know exactly, to do, to tell exactly, in such stupendous issues as life and death, health and disease. Training is to enable a nurse to act for the best in carrying out her orders, not as a machine, but as a nurse; as an intelligent and responsible being.”