Client Name
Capella University
NURS-FPX6103: The Nurse Educator Role
Instructor’s Name
August 2024
Creating a Professional Development Plan
Nurse educators have a great responsibility to train and teach nurses and nursing students to effectively compete with today’s world of healthcare technology and generate positive patient outcomes. Nurses always at the frontline are given the status of leaders in the healthcare change by the Institute of Medicine which highlights the significance of nursing staff in the promotion of care facilities and enhancing the response of patients along with ensuring that health is for all the population (Flaubert et al., 2021).
To effectively integrate the changes in the healthcare setting healthcare professionals and educators must train the students and staff according to advanced changed requirements. The improvement can be administered in the role of nurse educator through the professional development plan. This assessment will focus on the competencies of the educator along with the discussion of forces including social, political, and economic that may influence the role of nurse educators. It will also develop the scholarship plan and the development of leadership roles to administer the teaching strategies of nurse educators. The assessment will develop plans for professional growth and assess the abilities required to meet goals.
Area of Focus as a Nurse Educator
The nurse educator should focus on enhancing the critical thinking skills of the nursing students along with improving practical abilities by involving them in real-time clinical practices and guiding them through the use of evidence-based strategies, simulations, case studies, role play, and so on (Koukourikos et al., 2021). These all will help the student in learning skills that are needed to provide effective high-quality health and safety to the patients and early recognition and response to deteriorating health conditions. By considering the situations in real-time practice they will be able to reduce health disparities by applying their knowledge efficiently in the hospital practical.
Proper mentorship should be provided to the students to help them understand the theoretical and practical aspects of the knowledge. Assessment and evaluation of all the teachings are necessary to determine the understanding ratio of the students and the competency to meet the healthcare needs of real hospital settings (Raghunathan et al., 2023). The best strategy an educator can integrate into the learning phase of students is to enhance interprofessional collaboration to make them understand the importance of opinion-sharing, mutual decision-making making, and effective solution planning.
Professional Goals
The goals should be in alignment with the progress of nursing students in a way that is advanced and effective. The emerging technologies make it the need of time to integrate healthcare technology in the theoretical and practical studies of nursing students which makes it essential for the educator to help students identify and assess the requirement of information technology in the clinical setting, the functionalities of technologies, and their effectiveness (Altmiller & Pepe, 2022). Online teaching platforms can also help the student in the basic operation of the technology. Integrate evidence-based practices in the teaching strategies as they are most suitable to evaluate and assess health conditions through scientifically proven points of view and experiments.
The practices based on evidence allow the early intervention of healthcare professionals in emergencies which will decrease the rate of hospital readmissions and reduce healthcare disparities (Lahijanian & Alvarado, 2021). Interprofessional learning opportunities should be made a necessary part of students learning curriculum and the policies for effective education of the nurses and nursing staff should be developed to promote nursing promotion and specify its importance.
Recent Developments
Telehealth services are increasing in demand due to their effectiveness in treating deteriorating patient conditions and reducing emergencies by early intervention of healthcare professionals (Haleem et al., 2021). This change in technology needs to be included in the curriculum of the nursing students so they can effectively work with these services to generate positive patient outcomes. Remote learning and simulation-based education are also effective in teaching students about the current technological trends in healthcare and showing them the benefits of effectively operating these devices by giving them an opportunity for experiential learning.
Interprofessional education should be provided to students to understand how the collaboration between professionals will be effective, the key points of the collaboration, the strategies to share opinions, and how to work collectively in patient situations effectively. Moreover, the respect and cultural competency of all the nursing students in a learning environment is necessary to give them an impression of being equally valued and considered.
Influence of Forces on Nurse Educator Role
The nurse educator’s role can be affected by different sources including the social, economic, political, and institutional which need to be determined to accurately understand the gaps in practice, the influence of factors on the efficiency of educator’s teaching, and the impact on students. Below is the analysis of the impact of all the forces on the role of nurse educator;
Social Forces
The most important factor related to social forces is the diversity of the student population and the need to integrate teaching strategies that will meet the cultural requirements of the students, removing the language barriers and providing social support in efficiently implementing best teaching practices. The knowledge of social groups regarding the profession of nursing is necessary so they can support the students and increase the recruitment of students in this healthcare system-changing profession (McKenna et al., 2023). The curriculum should effectively provide awareness regarding the healthcare disparities and the factors that are responsible for increasing these harmful health events.
Economical Forces
The financial constraints hold great significance in the provision of effective knowledge to the students. The financial resources need to be provided to the institutions and the teaching staff so they can efficiently integrate advanced teaching practices into the curriculum and in the responsibilities of nurse educators (Al-Omari et al., 2024). The increasing debt in students also affects the choice of nursing students in selecting courses or programs that can be affordable and managed within their budget. Moreover, the increasing cost of healthcare education makes it impossible for a few students to learn and practice nursing. These financial constraints create a hindrance in the way of getting education regarding advanced emerging healthcare technologies thus limiting the exposure of healthcare and nursing students.
Political Forces
Healthcare policies have a significant impact on the learning practices provided in healthcare or nursing institutions. The policy change needs a change in the nursing curriculum to adjust the learnings according to ti the advanced policies and healthcare regulations for the effective implementation of knowledge in practical fields (Cheraghi et al., 2023). The financial support from the legislation can greatly impact and improve the standard of education provided to the students. Nurse educators should participate in the policy-making process regarding nursing education to highlight the aspects that need to be monitored and addressed through the rules and regulations.
Institutional Forces
Proper arrangement and management of the faculty needed to educate nursing students effectively should be arranged in the institutions without any delay (Rusaanes et al., 2024). The institution should set goals and objectives that comply with the emerging healthcare information technology and the best clinical practices so that the students can upgrade their understanding of technology and the healthcare systems.
Assumptions
All the nursing students have equal efficiency in understanding and implementing advanced technology in their practical settings is an assumption reading the provision of advanced technological skills to the students (Barchielli et al., 2021). Moreover, the economic constraints are widely affecting the education institution and the quality of education provided to the students along with the assumption of policies that can not be aligned with the nursing education requirements accurately and perfectly.
Scholarship Plan for Nurse Educator Role
The scholarship plan is needed to improve the teaching skills of the nursing educator as well as integrate research, service, and teaching in the educational strategy if the educators to create a better understanding of the students regarding the effective and scientifically proven research and the importance of researches in the healthcare settings and practices. The educator should conduct research in nursing education to develop innovative teaching strategies, effective assessment methods of the student’s learning, and efficient curriculum development in alignment with the cultural competency of the students (Al-Omari et al., 2024). The integration of evidence-based practices helps the staff in enhancing their teaching method and identifying gaps in the knowledge of nursing education to effectively address that lack in practice. The educator should participate in education communities related to nursing practices to increase awareness regarding the importance of the nursing profession. Participate in community training programs and decision-making processes to effectively share opinions regarding the enhancement of education and information along with the clinical practices of nursing education.
Scholarship Analysis
The educator should be competent enough to conduct research through different methodologies and will be able to identify the effectiveness of the research by using a critical thinking strategy. The first phase of the scholarship plan for nursing education will be based on conducting a literature review to identify the current trends in education and cynical practices and determine the gaps in nursing knowledge (Saifan et al., 2021). The funding required and proposal should be written to sustain the research for better outcomes. Collaborate with other professionals and researchers to understand and develop effective strategies for the efficient teaching of nursing students. The research results should be published in journals to address the gaps proficiently and communicate them with other researchers. Teaching excellence will be based on regular monitoring and assessment of students’ learnings, staying updated with the advanced trends in healthcare settings and nursing education to integrate them into the curriculum, and establishing a professional development plan for the enhancement of skills and practices (Altmiller & Pepe, 2022). For the service excellence plan, the educator should provide mentorship and guidance regarding nursing education along with participating in community programs to increase exposure.
Grounding the Plan in Expectations and Competencies
The standard competencies supporting the olan of scholarship include the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) essentials that promote effective research strategies for the improvement of healthcare facilities and, the development of effective curricula that support the need of today’s emerging technologies. The National League for Nursing (NLN) promotes the integration of evidence-based practices and the importance of professional development in nursing education.
Development of Leadership Role
The leadership role in nursing education will be responsible for integrating strategies that are best suitable for the education of nursing students along with staying updated with the current trends in nursing practices and providing students the opportunities to practice through simulations and evidence-based practicals for the enhancement of their skills and development of professionalism (Ghasemi et al., 2020).
Pathways to Leadership Development
Leadership development focuses on the skills that will enhance nursing education by integrating advanced teaching practices into the curriculum, providing real-time experiences to the students, and engaging actively in innovations that support effective teaching and proficient nursing education. The pathways to leadership development are given below;
- The leader should have advanced degrees, certifications, and effective participation in leadership development programs.
- Designing and developing of effective curriculum that addresses all the necessary aspects of student’s education.
- Provides mentorship and guidance to nursing students and the in-practice clinical staff to enhance their effectiveness in treating patients.
- Participate in workshops and conferences focusing on the professional development and improvement of nursing education.
- The technology integration projects should be considered and developed for the enhancement of educational programs.
- Quality improvement initiatives should be considered and provided with all the proper planning for the policymakers for the sustainable improvement of healthcare settings.
- Communicate effectively and professionally with all the staff members to increase their engagement in the healthcare improvement policies.
Specific Plans for Professional Growth
The professional development of the nurse educator is one of the major concerning factors of today’s time as efficient educators can generate efficiency busying students which will be helpful for healthcare organizations and patients (Dyk et al., 2022). The nurse should have a doctorate like a PhD and DNP in nursing education along with advanced nursing courses including improved assessment strategies and simulation-based education.
The nursing certification will also effectively impact the professional growth of the nursing educator including Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) which is provided by NLN, Certified Healthcare Simulation Educator (CHSE) represents advanced knowledge and experience in simulation-based practices and Certified Clinical Educators (CCE) represents enhanced experience in clinical practices and teaching. The educator should have participated in the leadership and training program related to the management and strategic planning for nursing education (Dyk et al., 2022). Educators should stay updated with all trends in education by involving in nursing programs, workshops, and evidence-based practices. The leader should integrate the technology-based online learning programs to give students the experience of technology.
Competency-Based Identification
The competency for professional growth can be identified by assessing the ability of the educator to design and develop a curriculum that is most suitable for the nursing students and effectively provide them guidance regarding the new trends in the healthcare setting (Alkhelaiwi et al., 2024). Integration of advanced, diverse teaching strategies and methodologies into the learning environment of the students using evidence-based and simulation-based practices improves student skills and decision-making abilities. The educator must participate in leadership and professional development programs along with the mentorship of the students regarding clinical best practices.
Assessing the Abilities to Meet Goals
The nurse educator will be efficient if roles and responsibilities regarding the nursing education of the students are fulfilled with efficiency and effectivity along with the consideration of the well-being and satisfaction of the students (Gcawu & Rooyen, 2022). The educator should be able to meet the goals regarding nursing education by integrating and implementing strategies that support the culturally competent curriculum, effective assessment policies, and advanced innovative practices in education. The educator should have additional advanced degrees, certifications, and effective participation in educational programs related to the improvement of nursing practices in the real-time hospital setting. The educator should include ethical guidelines while providing mentorship to the students, policy making, curriculum development, and guidance to the clinical staff by ensuring respect and justice to all.
Addressing the Gaps
The gaps in practice can be addressed by advancing skills and participating in mentorship programs, improving research capabilities by conducting effective research, and participating n professional research collaborations. Moreover, through specialized training programs, the educator will be able to enhance professional growth and leadership development skills for the effective training and mentoring of nursing students. The educator also needs to be updated by the technology interventions in the healthcare settings to provide a better experience to the students regarding clinical practices.
NURS FPX 6103 Assessment 4 Conclusion
The emerging technologies are increasing the responsibility of nurses in the healthcare setting making it the demand of time to increase the efficiency of the nursing students in effectively handling the advances in clinical practices (Flaubert et al., 2021). The effective handling of advancements is embedded in the teaching strategies of the nursing educator and their mentorship abilities which will help the students develop skills that are based on improved practices. The professional development program can help the educator integrate strategies that can have a positive influence on the nursing student’s development and skill enhancement. The socioeconomic forces affect the role of nurse educators in providing effective training and workshops to the students.
A proper scholarship plan will help the nurse educator understand and integrate the research factor in the teaching strategies for the simulation and evidence-based practices. The development of leadership and professional roles is necessary to enhance the competence and capabilities of the nurse educator which will be not only beneficial for the students but also for the healthcare settings seeking efficient nursing students who can help them in effectively dealing with patients and improving the outcomes of the patient. The abilities assessment of the nurse educator will help in identifying the areas that need improvement and effectively monitoring those gaps for better results.
NURS FPX 6103 Assessment 4 References
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