Dr Forneris has worked in the field of nursing education for the last 15 years. Her expertise is in curriculum development with an emphasis on simulation and debriefing. She was selected for inclusion in the 2010 inaugural group of the National League for Nursing (NLN) Simulation Leaders and served as a simulation expert for the NLN ACES (Advancing Care Excellence for Seniors) Team and in the development of simulation scenarios for use across the curriculum. In her new role at the NLN, she works with simulation educators across the country in advancing simulation education initiatives in nursing education. Part of this role involves ongoing research in simulation to include multisite research on simulation and debriefing and in the area of high stakes testing. Research informs practice and education with several publications focused on reflective teaching strategies and simulation and debriefing. Before her move with the NLN, she was a professor of nursing at St. Catherine University, St. Paul, MN.
1. What are the significant professional milestones in your career journey?
S. G. F.: The most significant professional milestones in my career have been the transition points. I have had an eclectic career path-each experience bringing new insights. My first milestone centered on the decision to leave the acute care setting early in my career to pursue graduate work in nursing education. This happened in conjunction with a transition from nursing at the bedside to nursing case management primarily with rehabilitation patients. I spent the next 15 years working in corporate and private settings, moving to the provider side managing an occupational medicine department within a larger healthcare system. Leadership and staff development were major themes during this time, leading to the second milestone-transitioning from practice to academia in conjunction with my doctoral work. Researching how nurses think and the development of clinical reasoning was part of this milestone. Curriculum development with an emphasis on reflective practice naturally led to the use of simulation and debriefing as effective educational strategies over the next 15 years. The third milestone, and most recent, has been the involvement at the national level in advancing simulation initiatives in nursing education as part of my new leadership role with the National League for Nursing in Washington, DC.
2. How have you seen the specialty of NPD grow/evolve/change during your career?
S. G. F.: I believe that nurse educators in practice and academia see the same gaps within and between education and practice, and are beginning to work together to enhance the education and development of professional nurses. This collaboration identifies new areas for professional growth. Practice is experiencing tremendous growth in the use of technology with the need for new skill sets emerging relative to the complexity of health care and interprofessional collaboration. Education is called to respond to these changes with a focus on transforming nursing education curricula and teaching strategies. Each area requires ongoing professional development to maintain new standards of practice and education.
3. What do you see as significant trends or gaps in NPD practice from your perspective as an expert in nursing education?
S. G. F.: The use of technology in both nursing practice and education is both a trend and a gap. With rapid technological advances, both nursing practice and education are slow to embrace and effectively use technology. "Embrace" and "effectively use" are the operative words and need to be front and center as we design professional development initiatives to enhance expertise with technology.
4. What insights can you share related to the value of NPD in healthcare organizations now and in the future?
S. G. F.: Our world will continue to evolve and change. New issues and successes will inform our work. Learning is lifelong-and as professional nurses, we need to sustain a curiosity and interest in ongoing development in order to make a difference "at the bedside" and "at the table." An example of this would be in engaging critical conversations. My work in critical thinking has generated insights in the nature of how we communicate. Simulation and debriefing are teaching us more about critical dialogue. This dialogue illuminates thinking and perspective taking-much needed as we embrace collaborative practice and the complexities of our work environments. Nursing is a most trusted discipline and only through ongoing role development will we sustain this trust.
5. What advice do you have for NPD specialists in the context of today's healthcare and learning environments?
S. G. F.: Teach contextually and reflectively. As John Dewey reminds us, individuals learn from their ability to experience their environment-turn things over and over in their minds and discuss their insights (Dewey, 1933, 1958). As nurse educators developing both our practicing and novice nurses, we need to be mindful that development is not just about new content-it is about the dialogue and the sharing of perspectives in order to come to a new understanding.
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