Nurse Educator Interview Paper

Interview a Nurse Educator About National League for Nursing

The National League for Nursing (NLN) established the core competencies of the academic nurse educator (ANE) to reflect the essential knowledge, skills, values, and beliefs needed for nursing faculty (Utley, 2010, p. 1). The NLN is the only provider of a certification in nursing education, the Certified Nurse Educator (CNE). “Certification in any field is a mark of professionalism. For academic nurse educators, it establishes nursing education as a specialty area of practice and creates a means for faculty to demonstrate their expertise in this role. It communicates to students, peers, and the academic and health care communities that the highest standards of excellence are being

E.J. feels that throughout the years she has been able to adapt her teaching style to meet the needs of her students. Diverse active teaching strategies are now what she uses to present nursing material to the students instead of the old way of using teacher-centered lecture based style. E.J. has noticed a dramatic change in the type of students attending the institution and to produce successful graduates, faculty need to adapt and this is a very important part of Competency I. The NLN states for Competency II that helping nursing students develop as nurses integrates values and behaviors that are expected is a responsibility of a nurse educator (NLN, 2013, Utley, 2010). E.J. started her role as a faculty member and today is the director of the nursing program. She has been able to influence and develop nurses in her roles as educator throughout the years as well as advise students and faculty. E.J. is a member of several professional organizations and is currently pursuing her doctoral education. The NLN states that for Competency III, a variety of strategies are needed to assess and evaluate students in their diverse learning environments (NLN, 2013, Utley, 2010). E.J. has become proficient in writing exam questions for both the Registered Nurse and Practical Nurse course and

E.J. was part of the team that developed the program into a concept-based nursing curriculum three years ago. Two years ago, the practical nursing program also changed to the concept-based curriculum. This has made the program more competitive and produced stronger graduates and has become a great asset to the community. The NLN states that for Competency V the expectation of the ANE is to be a change agent (NLN, 2013, Utley, 2010). E.J. meets with members of the school board, institutions in the community that provide healthcare, and other college departments to ensure that we continue to have a program that meets high standards and the community benefits from. Suggestions for change are appreciated and partnerships formed. Competency VI ensures that the ANE remains competent and up-to-date on clinical practices and educational strategies (NLN, 2013, Utley, 2010). E.J. is currently furthering her own education and has almost completed her EdD. She is also a big advocate for professional development and provides the staff with numerous opportunities to attend educational opportunities as well as encouraging to pursue advanced