Imagine Something Different: How a Group Approach to Scholarly Faculty Development Can Turn Joy-Stealing Competition Into Scholarly Productivity

An ecosystem approach to mentoring research faculty in schools of nursing: The pacific northwest interdependence mentoring model

BACKGROUND

Mentoring can facilitate faculty career development and retention. Given ongoing challenges in academic nursing (e.g., shrinking number of experienced mentors), it is necessary to revisit and improve upon existing mentoring models and practices to support current and future nurse researchers.

PURPOSE

To describe the development of a new faculty-to-faculty research mentoring model.

METHODS

Construction of a model describing mentoring needed by research-focused nurse faculty based on analysis of the literature alongside the authors' personal experiences.

FINDINGS

The Pacific Northwest Interdependence Mentoring Model (PIMM) describes academic nursing as an ecosystem that fosters caring, trust, solidarity, equity, openness, and interdependent relationships among research faculty, administration, institutions, and funding sources.

DISCUSSION

Although mentoring environments differ in unique strengths, weaknesses, mission, culture, and values, the PIMM's approach could be applicable for many schools of nursing and beyond to support the growth of the nursing discipline.

Embracing midcareer in the tenure system

Midcareer faculty are the "keystone" of academia. Faculty in midcareer experience an increase or change in responsibilities and expectations as well as reduced support and mentorship usually extended to junior faculty. Nonetheless, midcareer can be an ideal time for re-evaluating and defining one's career path and taking advantage of leadership and service opportunities. Successful navigation of midcareer is essential to ensure nursing faculty remain in the academic setting, contribute to nursing science, and have a satisfying career. In this paper, we present strategies midcareer nurse faculty can consider to maintain balance and advance their careers even during challenging times. These strategies include appraising career goals, maintaining and expanding mentoring relationships, seeking and utilizing opportunities for leadership development, selecting service strategically to advance career goals, preparing for the unexpected, maintaining/expanding scholarly productivity, learning when to say yes or no, embracing lifelong learning, and improving visibility of one's work.

Relational and caring partnerships: (re)creating equity, genuineness, and growth in mentoring faculty relationships

Mentoring in academia has traditionally and currently been prescriptive and institutionally driven. The purpose of this paper is to deconstruct these current mentoring practices with a critical feminist stance. New understandings are shared and gained through dialogue, relevant literature, and performativity to (re)create and name a caring and relational partnership. This caring and relational partnership is grown through a process of mutuality and reciprocity, and based on relational ethics, authenticity, and solidarity. By embracing ideologies of caring and relational ethics, mentoring blurs the lines of mentor/mentee to a perpetual state of walking beside each other in equity to learn and strengthen each other's insights into our worlds. Material realities become illuminated through our shared journeys growing an appreciation and gift of the other. In turn, engaging in meaningful dialogue informs scholarship increasing our understandings of the human condition.

Teamwork and Coaching for Successful Manuscript Development by Nurse Faculty: A Novel Approach

ABSTRACT

The current nurse faculty shortage warrants new models for both retaining faculty effectively and coaching new faculty efficiently. An approach for retaining faculty members through meeting publication review criteria while conserving senior faculty mentoring time is proposed. This article describes a successful manuscript development process using teamwork and coaching among faculty. The outcomes of this efficacious process - submission and acceptance of publishable manuscripts - are reported for two institutions: one is research intensive, and the other is teaching intensive. A noted outcome also includes ideas for future manuscript development process replication.

Three-Generation Academic Mentoring Teams: A New Approach to Faculty Mentoring in Nursing

BACKGROUND

New faculty are often not prepared for a career in academia, and the transition can be challenging. They often come from practice environments where work expectations are clearly delineated.

PROBLEM

Traditional mentoring programs typically pair new with experienced faculty members who are expected to provide guidance and advice. Results of the hierarchical dyad method have been mixed.

APPROACH

Three generations of faculty formed a team composed of a tenured, a midcareer, and a new faculty member. The midcareer educator was better suited to help the novice prepare to teach, as they had recently been through the process, whereas the tenured faculty member was able to provide scholarship support to both.

CONCLUSIONS

Providing new faculty with 2 mentors in a constellation format, along with the opportunity to network during structured mentoring meetings, contributed to a smooth onboarding of new faculty and provided scholarship support for the midcareer faculty member.

Systems Perspective for Incivility in Academia: An Integrative Review

AIM

The purpose of this integrative review was to identify evidence of systems thinking on civility in academic settings.

BACKGROUND

Incivility is present in academic systems, including nursing education. What is learned in academia translates to the workplace. Systems-based solutions may promote quality and safety in health care.

METHOD

Whittemore and Knafl's integrative approach guided this study.

RESULTS

Forty-nine articles were reviewed. Themes emerged describing incivility in nursing as embedded within layers of a performance-driven, oppressive hostile bureaucracy, trickling down, instilling fear, and reinforcing uncivil behavior among and between members. Other themes defined faculty-to-faculty and faculty-to-student incivilities, reasons for it, reactions to it, and suggestions for improved civility.

CONCLUSION

The systems awareness model is offered as a means of promoting civility in nursing education. A lack of evidence to support how incivility in academia transfers to quality and safety in practice settings is identified as a gap for future study.

Midcareer Faculty Needs Identified by the Midwest Nursing Research Society Midcareer Scholars Task Force

The midcareer academic period is largely unexplored despite its lengthy duration and challenging career expectations at academic institutions. The Midwest Nursing Research Society (MNRS) formed a Midcareer Scholars Task Force to address this gap. All active members of MNRS were invited to participate in a cross-sectional survey, of which 286 members completed. The most frequently perceived institutional support for midcareer scholars was for conference attendance followed by librarian assistance. Most assistant and associate professors perceived mentoring as a critical MNRS organizational activity to advance their research and careers; however, full professors saw MNRS’s responsibility in mentoring midcareer scholars differently. Existing academic institutions were perceived as limited in their support and success in midcareer scholar mentorship efforts. There are considerable needs for midcareer scholar support and mentoring, and professional organizations can play an important role to fill this gap. Targeted mentoring and professional development initiatives are needed to better support midcareer faculty.

Mentoring and Development Resources Available to New Doctorally Prepared Faculty in Nursing

AIM

This study examined faculty mentoring practices and strategies currently in place in nursing programs.

BACKGROUND

Mentoring is a critical component of organizations and can be especially important in times of organizational change. Schools of nursing are experiencing rapid organizational shifts with increases in retirement and the proliferation of Doctor of Nursing Practice-prepared faculty.

METHOD

Deans and department chairs of baccalaureate and higher degree programs across the United States participated in a web-based survey.

RESULTS

Results from the survey suggested that the vast majority of nursing programs had practices and strategies aimed at mentoring faculty that were based on the traditional mentor-protégé approach. Few programs differentiated their mentoring practices depending on the type of doctoral education or anticipated roles of the faculty member.

CONCLUSION

Our research highlights the fact that nursing programs still employ traditional methods of faculty mentoring. Recommendations for nursing programs are discussed.