Authors

  1. Mackessy-Lloyd, Elizabeth L. DNP, MA, RN, CNE
  2. Frith, Karen PhD, RN, NEA-BC, CNE
  3. Dickson, Michele DNP, MS, RN, CNE

Article Content

One approach employed by schools of nursing to address the nurse faculty shortage is the use of adjunct faculty. While adjunct faculty are expert clinicians, they are frequently novice educators who experience a transition from their role as clinicians to the academic setting. Organizational support during this transition may not be formal and varies greatly among nursing programs. This intervention addresses this need. Mentoring was provided using the group texting application Groupme. This application was free and simple to use and provided a common space for group members to communicate. Participants had access to the application by computer or mobile phone. Team leads monitored posts, answered questions, and shared messages on college events and meetings and what students were experiencing on campus. Twenty-eight adjunct faculty participated with an overall positive response. The Groupme application was convenient to use. Participants enjoyed the "real time platform to ask questions and receive answers quickly" and indicated it was "good to have full-time faculty checking in." From this experience, we realized that a Clinical Faculty Information handout was needed as part of the onboarding for new adjunct faculty (Table, Supplemental Digital Content, http://links.lww.com/NE/A637). Team leaders fill out the top portion with site-specific details, and general information can be updated as needed. The handout is provided to faculty at orientation sessions. Online mentoring is a low-cost means of supporting new adjunct faculty. Once the Groupme application was set up, little time was required for maintenance. Providing the information handout at orientation sessions supports the intervention.