Clinical Faculty Orientation Practices in the United States: A Descriptive Study

BACKGROUND

Due to the nursing faculty shortage, expert clinical nurses are working as novice clinical instructors (CIs). Orientation is needed to prepare these nurses to teach; however, lack of evidence-based guidelines for orientation programs can lead to variability among institutions.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to describe clinical nursing faculty orientation practices in the United States.

METHODS

A descriptive convergent mixed methods design was used.

RESULTS

One hundred thirteen CIs participated. Of these, 70.8% were not provided with a formal orientation to their role. Duration, modality, and content varied widely among orientations. Four themes were derived from the qualitative data: Administrative Requirements, Transition to Clinical Educator, Mentorship, and Resilience.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinical faculty orientation practices vary widely in the United States. Evidence-based guidelines are needed to streamline orientations to provide CIs with the requisite knowledge and skills to support clinical students.

Experiences of recruitment and retention in academia: A collaborative autoethnography of early-career faculty members of color

BACKGROUND

Recruitment and retention of diverse faculty in schools of nursing continues to be an important challenge but little has been written from the perspectives of early-career faculty of color on their decision to join academia and their retention.

PURPOSE

We aim to understand the perspectives of a cluster hire of early-career faculty of color on their recruitment, mentorship and support received, and resources needed for long-term retention.

METHODS

Five faculty members conducted a joint autoethnography of their perspectives through recruitment, hiring, and first year as faculty. Two group discussions were analyzed for emergent themes using thematic analysis, maintaining reflexivity.

DISCUSSION

Four themes were identified: Intentionality to diversity faculty, Plan for professional development, Clear antiracism diversity equity and inclusion standards, and Retention enablers and barriers.

CONCLUSION

We provide strategies (e.g., targeted resources, diverse cluster hires, building community) to inform recruitment and retention of early-career faculty of color.

Addressing the Shortage of Academic Nurse Educators: Recommendations for Educational Institutions Based on Nominal Group Technique Research

AIM

The purpose of this qualitative study was twofold: 1) explore factors contributing to the shortage of academic nurse educators (ANEs) and 2) identify opportunities to address these factors from the perspectives of nursing education institutions.

BACKGROUND

The nurse faculty shortage is a major national concern, with inadequate recruitment and retention. Addressing the nursing faculty shortage is important to maintain a sustained nursing workforce.

METHOD

Using a nominal group technique (NGT), a group of 45 diverse nurse educators from across the United States formed a virtual workgroup.

RESULTS

Findings led to an action plan formulated to guide educational institutions with ways to decrease the ANE shortage through recruitment and retention.

CONCLUSION

The evidence demonstrates the need for educational institutions to concentrate efforts on recruiting and retaining ANEs to combat the nursing shortage. The analysis offers recommendations to institutions to increase the number of qualified ANEs.

Preparing Compassionate Nurses: Infusing School Mission and Values in Undergraduate Education

ABSTRACT

In preparation for a curriculum revision, a cross-sectional, descriptive mixed-method research study sought to describe senior-level students' perspectives of Mercy and Jesuit faith-based tradition values integration in a pre-licensure BSN program. Integration of values was examined in both clinical settings and didactic classes. Students strongly articulated the importance of the school's values and mission to their future role as professional nurses. However, although value integration is occurring, greater attention to mission and values is needed in the clinical area.

Part-Time and Cofunded Pharmacy Faculty and Their Perceptions of Professional and Organizational Identity Formation

OBJECTIVE

To gain a better understanding of professional and organizational identity formation and workplace climate issues among part-time and cofunded pharmacy faculty.

METHODS

This study had a cross-sectional, prospective design using a semistructured interview guide developed by the researchers of this study. The interview guide drew themes from motivating language theory, social provisions, and previous research on professional identity. Pharmacy faculty with varying part-time and cofunded appointments, representing a cross section of demographic characteristics, and working in different types of practice sites and institutions, were invited to participate.

RESULTS

Data saturation was reached at 14 participants. Participants had a variety of professional roles, namely teaching and precepting, as well as clinical, research, service, and administrative responsibilities. Three general themes emerged: (1) the struggle with having multiple aspects of professional identity, (2) facing the perception that academia is a "lifestyle" that not all faculty can fully participate, and (3) the need for properly constructed and tailored communication from peers and supervisors.

CONCLUSION

A key component to mitigating the struggle with multiple aspects of professional identity and the feeling that part-time and cofunded faculty cannot fully participate in the academic lifestyle seemed to be informed, empathetic, inclusive, and tailored communication from supervisors.

Recommendations for remaining agile in the face of a dental faculty workforce shortage

PURPOSE

Dental education is facing a faculty workforce shortage. Lack of preparation risks faculty, student, and staff morale and is an impediment to institutional growth and innovation. Administrators and faculty must consider strategies to better prepare for, and be successful within, a faculty shortage environment.

METHODS

We review strategies utilized by health professional institutions that have confronted faculty workforce shortages.

RESULTS

These strategies were grouped into four domains reflecting the organizational units that typically direct and initiate change within dental education institutions: budget and finance, human resources, organizational structure, and curricular structure. Recommendations using a four-pronged approach based on these domains have been developed for remaining agile in the face of a faculty workforce shortage.

CONCLUSIONS

Local needs assessments and strategic planning are the first steps in highlighting institutional strengths and identifying gaps within each of the domains. Faculty development and retention efforts, as well as increasing curricular efficiencies, are essential for success across all domains.

Nurse Educators' Experiences With a Faculty Navigator Program: A Mixed-Methods Study

BACKGROUND

There is a gap in studies examining formal mentorship programs designed for ongoing faculty support.

METHOD

A mixed-methods explanatory research design was used to examine nurse educators' experiences of a navigation-based mentoring program in a baccalaureate nursing program in Western Canada. Descriptive statistics were used to examine the means of three subsets of the Capabilities of Nurse Educators (CONE) questionnaire. Interviews were conducted, and data were analyzed using qualitative descriptive methods.

RESULTS

The findings highlight the positive effects the faculty navigator program had on faculty's confidence and development as educators. The most significant finding was the in-time relational support that faculty navigators provided to prevent new faculty from feeling alone in their new role.

CONCLUSION

The faculty navigator program is effective for its setting. This program could be expanded to facilitate stronger learner-centered approaches to teaching in various settings with faculty of varying expertise. [J Nurs Educ. 2022;61(10):587-590.].

Experiences of faculty and staff nurses working with nursing students during clinical placement in residential aged care facilities: a systematic review of qualitative evidence

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this review was to synthesize evidence on the experiences of faculty and staff nurses working with nursing students in clinical placement in residential aged care facilities.

INTRODUCTION

Nursing education helps prepare students to provide quality care to older adults. Nursing programs across the globe are championing the integration of content on the care of older adults into their curricula as well as recognizing the value of clinical placements that focus exclusively on this population. Staff nurses who work in residential aged care facilities often work alongside students. In this role, they can support faculty and mentor students. This review explored faculty and staff experiences of nursing student placements in such facilities.

INCLUSION CRITERIA

This review considered qualitative studies that address the experiences of faculty and staff nurses working with nursing students in residential aged care facilities. Studies published in English from 1995 onward were included.

METHODS

The literature search was conducted in CINAHL, MEDLINE, Embase, and ERIC. The search for unpublished articles included Proquest Dissertations and Theses and Google searches of the Canadian Nurses Association and American Nurses Association websites. Papers were screened by two reviewers independently against the inclusion criteria. Those meeting the criteria were appraised using the JBI critical appraisal checklist for qualitative research. Key findings from included studies were extracted using a standardized tool and classified as unequivocal, credible, or not supported. This review followed the principles of meta-aggregration in line with the JBI approach.

RESULTS

Six studies, published between 2001 and 2017, were included in the review. A total of 32 findings were extracted and aggregated into nine categories. From the nine categories, four synthesized findings were developed: i) students enhance the environment, whereby faculty and staff perceive that student presence enhances the residential aged care work and living environment, ii) effort is required by faculty and staff to make the experience work, reflecting a need for faculty and staff to accept and work with negativities, iii) residential aged care facilities provide rich learning experiences, indicating an appreciation for available learning opportunities, and iv) importance of a residential aged care-academic partnership for a collaborative approach in creating positive experiences for faculty and staff working with students in this setting.

CONCLUSION

Faculty and staff experiences highlight that residential aged care has the potential to provide students with valuable learning experiences, including how to provide comprehensive and quality nursing care to older adults. A lack of resources in residential aged care inspires faculty and staff to be creative in how they work with students. However, working with students can be challenging for faculty who lack interest and expertise in caring for older adults in this setting. Additionally, staff can become frustrated when they perceive that students do not value the learning opportunities that are available or do not appreciate the expertise required to work with older adults. Partnerships between residential aged care facilities and academic programs can ensure that faculty and staff have the support and resources required to optimize the clinical placements for students.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER

PROSPERO CRD42020168698.

Undergraduate nursing simulation facilitators lived experience of facilitating reflection-in-action during high-fidelity simulation: A phenomenological study

BACKGROUND

Reflective practice is an essential step to learning in high-fidelity simulation, yet, reflection-in-action is an often overlooked yet important opportunity to support student learning.

OBJECTIVES

To explore and describe the lived experience of undergraduate nursing simulation facilitators use of reflection-in-action during high-fidelity simulation.

DESIGN

A descriptive phenomenological study.

SETTING

A western Canadian province.

PARTICIPANTS

Undergraduate nursing simulation facilitators with experience in nursing education and simulation facilitation.

METHODS

We conducted 11 semi-structured interviews and utilized Colaizzi's seven step process of analysis to discover the essence of undergraduate nursing simulation facilitators use of reflection-in-action during high-fidelity simulation.

RESULTS

Simulation facilitators were able to identify reflection-in-action during high-fidelity simulation when students paused, collaborated, shared their thinking aloud, and changed their course of action. Barriers to reflection-in-action included learner fear and anxiety, poor simulation design, and inadequately prepared students and facilitators. Simulation facilitators supported reflection-in-action through prebriefing, facilitator curiosity, and providing cue, prompts, and facilitated paused. Some of the noted benefits to reflection-in-action include promoting collaborative learning, building confidence and critical thinking, and embedding reflection into practice.

CONCLUSIONS

The insights from this research can be used to guide reflection-in-action strategy development and future research in high-fidelity simulation.

From clinical expert nurse to part-time clinical nursing instructor: design and evaluation of a competency-based curriculum with structured mentoring: a mixed methods study

BACKGROUND

Transition from a clinical expert nurse to a  part time clinical nursing instructor (PTCNI) poses several challenges. Designing a professional development curriculum to facilitate the transition from a clinical expert nurse to a  PTCNI is critical to effective education. A comprehensive competency-based curriculum was developed and implemented with structured mentoring to prepare clinical expert nurses as PTCNIs.

METHODS

A mixed-methods study with a sequential-exploratory approach was conducted in Iran in 2019. In the qualitative phase, Saylor et al.'s (1981) seven-step model was used, consisting of (1) collecting evidence from a systematic review, (2) conducting interviews with learners, (3) setting goals and objectives, (4) design, (5) implementation, (6) evaluation, and (7) feedback. In the quantitative phase, curriculum domains were evaluated. Additionally, the effective professional communication skills module was implemented using a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test post-test single-group design for 5 PTCNIs in a pilot study.

RESULTS

After integrating the findings of the literature review and field interviews in the analysis stage, a curriculum was developed with a total of 150 h, six modules, and 24 topics. Results of the pilot study showed a significant improvement in the confidence of PTCNIs as a result of the implementation of the effective communication skills module using the mentoring method (t = - 16.554, p = 0.0005).

CONCLUSIONS

This competency-based curriculum was based on the evidence and needs of PTCNIs and provides a complete coverage of their clinical education competencies. It is suggested that managers of educational institutes that offer nursing programs use this curriculum to prepare them in continuing education programs. Further studies are needed to thoroughly evaluate the learning outcomes for students.

An Integrative Review of Mentoring Novice Faculty to Teach

BACKGROUND

Novice nursing faculty require support and guidance as they transition from clinical practice to teaching in an academic faculty. Mentoring is an important part of faculty development during the transitional experience. Currently, the learning needs of novice nursing faculty and the effects of formal mentorship programs are not well understood.

METHOD

An integrative literature review was conducted from five electronic databases. The articles included in the review described primary research studies focused on formal mentorship programs that supported novice faculty in developing their teaching expertise and identified their learning needs.

RESULTS

The review yielded eight studies that explored different aspects of the mentoring experience. Socialization to Academia and Navigating Mentorship were two key themes developed from the data.

CONCLUSION

Included studies described mentoring programs and a clear need for some type of formalized orientation and mentorship process or program to enhance novice nursing faculty transition to the academic setting and role. [J Nurs Educ. 2021;60(4):203-208.].

Critical Incident Videos: Developing a Cognitive Strategy in Simulation for Faculty Development

BACKGROUND

Despite recommendations put forth by the National League for Nursing to incorporate a scope of practice and develop core competencies for nurse educators, nursing education is experiencing the effects of a faculty shortage. Many schools of nursing find it necessary to hire faculty members who have limited preparation as educators. The purpose of this study was to develop critical incident videos (CIVs) and evaluate how CIVs captured common teaching challenges.

METHOD

This mixed-methods study used a participatory action research approach and involved three parts: an online survey, development of CIVs, and focus groups.

RESULTS

The survey captured challenging teaching situations that were operationalized for development of 10 CIVs. Using CIVs in focus groups revealed six key themes: Role Clarification, Isolation, Teaching Communication, Teaching Learning to Learn, Teacher Development, and Usefulness.

CONCLUSION

CIVs were successful in capturing realistic teaching challenges and created opportunities for participants to use cognitive rehearsal, in the form of role-playing, to respond to these challenges. [J Nurs Educ. 2021;60(2):81-89.].

Guiding Elements for Success in the Nurse Educator Role

ABSTRACT

As educators and administrators, we are challenged to find processes that support faculty entering educational roles whether in part-time, full-time, or tenured positions. This article focuses on guiding elements that bring about transition from the new or novice nurse instructor to the faculty role. Supporting elements for transition include mentoring, pedagogical instruction, and continued knowledge acquisition. Without formal role preparation, many nurse faculty experience conflict and ongoing deficits in the knowledge that is needed to be successful in an academic setting.