As I prepare to write the Message From the Chair for each issue of Nursing Education Perspectives, my intent is to address a current topic of interest or area of concern in nursing education with the goal of igniting new ideas or strategies to improve our academic practices. I review my list of prioritized topics, select the message that is most relevant across our members, and then check for alignment with the National League for Nursing (NLN) core values of caring, integrity, diversity and inclusion, and excellence. My list of current relevant topics includes environmental health, academic-clinical partnerships, competency evaluation, public health, and the decreasing number of master's prepared nurses, to name a few.
For this issue, after multiple drafts that were more academic than inspirational, I looked at the NLN website and read: 2022 Year of the Nurse Educator Award. The focus of my message took a complete and immediate turn, from addressing "issues" to the importance of recognizing and valuing the contributions of those outstanding and inspirational nurse educators who make a difference every day.
Nurse educators are the foundation and building blocks for the profession of nursing. However, although we are highly qualified and academically and experientially prepared to teach in our areas of specialization, we are often undervalued. Nurse educators are responsible for preparing members of the future nursing workforce as clinicians skilled in evidence-based, patient-centered care with expertise in interprofessional team communication skills; researchers and scholars; advanced care practitioners; administrators; and public health providers. Our role requires clinical expertise and academic competence as defined by the NLN Core Competencies of Nurse Educators (https://www.nln.org/education/nursing-education-competencies/core-competencies-f).
The health care field changes continuously at such a rapid pace that nursing content knowledge alone is not sufficient to prepare students with the skills expected to provide high-quality, safe patient care. Therefore, nurse educators must keep pace with the priority demands of the health care arena and transform our teaching methodologies in a way that will prepare agile students with knowledge, skills, and accountability for continuous growth. We must ensure graduate nurses are competent in the delivery of safe, quality, person-centered care and advance population health to promote healthier communities. Great nurse educators influence, inspire, motivate, and lead confident, visionary future changemakers.
The role of a nurse educator is demanding but equally rewarding. When I ask colleagues why they teach, their expression tends to lighten with a broad smile and responses that include making a difference, preparing future nurses, giving back to the profession, the excitement when students "get it," and the reward of seeing prior students as successful nurses. Others describe the excitement and satisfaction of preparing future scholars to advance the profession, participate in ground-breaking research, or leverage resources to address gaps in care, promote equity, and increase diversity in the workforce. The benefits are numerous and provide evidence to support a highly rewarding career choice.
Some nurse educators are particularly innovative, inspirational, and creative. These exceptional educators go above and beyond role expectations and make significant contributions to those they teach or serve. These are the role models-passionate, expert teachers and mentors who encourage, inspire, and challenge students from diverse backgrounds while providing a strong foundation and tools for success. These educators deserve award recognition for their efforts and contributions to our profession.
The NLN had the difficult job of selecting a limited number of recipients for the 2022 Year of the Nurse Educator Award, to be presented during the NLN Education Summit 2022. However, I encourage all academic and professional organizations to participate in recognizing those outstanding nurse educators within their organizations. Consider partnering with the Daisy Foundation (https://www.daisyfoundation.org/student-faculty-awards/about-daisy-faculty-award) on their "award for extraordinary faculty" dedicated to the recognition of faculty for their contributions and commitment to educating nurses.
Prior to crafting this message, I reflected on a few of the outstanding, innovative, and inspirational nurse educators I have met throughout the years and the memorable words from the students they inspired. The stories below-about Roxanne, Rhonda, and Chastity-will not be announced at the NLN Summit. They are, however, meaningful to those who were inspired, and I hope they serve as a catalyst for others.
Roxanne advances the health of communities and students through mentoring, role modeling, innovation, and commitment to teaching students the importance of a holistic health approach to nursing care. She involves students in research, champions curricular integration, and leads retreats and activities to promote student wellness by connecting students personally to the values and beliefs of health. She transforms thinking! Student alumni frequently refer to Roxanne as having the greatest influence throughout their program, emphasizing that the health-promoting activities they learned from Roxanne were easily implementable and vital to their well-being in their nursing units, especially during the pandemic.
Rhonda teaches students the meaning of promoting community health through lived experiences and community service. She lives what she teaches as she leads students in service-learning projects that address health inequities and social determinants of health, such as pop-up clinics, self-care kits, and engaging with kids in community gardening, games, and education. As a result of her leadership and inspiration, her students initiated a social media campaign to collect essential items for a community organization in an underserved area. Students serve as volunteers and plan to develop a media segment/storytelling to support the clinic.
Chastity works to create an open and trusting learning environment where students feel safe to learn. She begins each preclass session hosting "Coffee With Chastity" where open discussion is encouraged and stories and inspirational moments are shared. The tables in her classroom contain fidget items and doodle pads to help students focus, and seating is arranged in pods to promote shared student learning. A student credited Chastity with her ability to seek critical health services; she felt safe sharing a difficult personal crisis. The student is now a critical care nurse and volunteers as a peer mentor to assist other nurses and students in crisis.
The stories of truly exceptional educators and the creative ripples they inspire are far too numerous to share in this message today. However, I hope these examples influence impactful change within our academic profession to value and recognize outstanding nurse educators and excellence in nursing education. Educational excellence is the foundation that serves to establish the future nursing workforce, the quality of care delivered, and the health of our communities, nationally and globally.
During the remainder of 2022, the Year of the Nurse Educator, take advantage of the opportunities available on the NLN website to validate the work of outstanding nurse educators. Share your story on our "Beyond a Nurse Educator Wall" at https://www.yearofnurseeducators.org/beyond-a-nurse-educator-campaign. Download a Year of the Nurse Educator online badge (https://www.yearofnurseeducators.org/#ONLINEBADGE). And take the NLN Leadership Pledge (https://www.yearofnurseeducators.org/#TAKETHEPLEDGE) as follows: As a nurse educator, I pledge to act as a positive mentor, coach, and role model to my students, and be a positive influence on my fellow educators and organizations. I commit to maintaining and elevating the standard of nursing education by using the NLN Core Values-Caring, Integrity, Diversity, and Excellence-in all that I do. I also commit to preparing and equipping my students with the best skills and knowledge to help them successfully transition into practice to deliver quality patient care and improve patient outcomes.