Nurse Educator Orientation: Professional Development that Promotes Retention

Abstract

Formalized orientation can prepare and socialize nurse educators for academic roles, increasing job satisfaction and retention. This article describes a community college nursing faculty orientation program that includes goals, pre- and post-assessment, a group-determined instructional plan, support and mentoring, and outcomes evaluation. Posttest scores showed that at program completion, perceived teaching competency was either the same or greater in all identified skill areas (increase of 40% to 60% above the original group baseline). Nurse educator participants reported that the program contributed to their overall perception of support and satisfaction with academia, with open group discussion times rated highest. At the end of 3 years, 91% of novice faculty (n=11) were retained.

Easing the Transition From Clinician to Nurse Educator: An Integrative Literature Review

“…Using a seminar approach, group members engaged in discussions and joint activities related to solving teaching and learning problems. Recommended orientation topics include discussion of the curriculum, philosophy, mission, and values of the nursing program as well as policies such as expectations related to student appearance, lateness and absences, engagement, and managing difficult student behavior (Baker, 2010;Hunt et al, 2013). Orientation should also include meeting with course leaders and colleagues (Hunt et al, 2013).…”

“…At UNC Chapel Hill (2014), mentors and mentees complete an interests and strengths inventory, which the faculty mentorship task force uses to assign mentors. In another school, new faculty members are matched with mentors who have similar clinical specialties but who teach in a different semester level (Baker, 2010). To involve new faculty in the process of selecting a mentor, Berk (2010) recommended a "speed" mentoring event where mentees spend 5 minutes interviewing each mentor using a prepared set of question and then rating the encounters.…”

“…Many nurse clinicians experience frustration their first year because they have limited understanding of how to navigate these differences (White et al, 2010). The literature advocates for an intentional, extended orientation process to ease their transition into the academic culture (Baker, 2010;Blauvelt & Spath, 2008;Hunt et al, 2013;Santisteban & Egues, 2014). Faculty orientations have traditionally been one to three day marathons in which new faculty are bombarded with a massive amount of information and little time for processing it.…”

“…Collaborative assessment of new faculty learning needs in an initial meeting with their mentor can guide the setting of goals and define the purpose of the mentoring relationship (Blauvelt & Spath, 2008;COD, 2014;McAllister et al, 2014). A self-assessment survey such as the one used by Baker (2010) could be used to help new faculty identify key focus areas for growth as an educator. This same assessment can also be completed at the end of the academic year to evaluate new faculty growth and outcomes of the formal mentoring relationship (Baker, 2010).…”

“…mentoring program in a school of nursing (Baker, 2010;Berk, 2010;Blauvelt & Spath, 2008;Hunt, Curtis, & Sanderson, 2013;Reid, Hinderer, Jaroskinski, Mister, & Seldomridge, 2013;Slimmer, 2012 (NLN, 2008) and two online clinical faculty courses were also reviewed (Connecticut League of Nursing [CNL], 2014; Indiana University School of Nursing [IUSON], 2014). A review of this literature identified formal preparation for teaching, guidance navigating the academic culture, and a structured mentoring program as the essential components of a comprehensive program to facilitate clinicians' successful transition to academic nurse faculty.…”