Professional Development Plan
Nurse educators have an essential role in inspiring, mentoring, and teaching the future generation of nurses. They lead the way to future patient care. Without nurse educators, nurses who graduate would not have the necessary skills and knowledge to encounter the ever-changing demands of the dynamic healthcare delivery industry. Nurse educators take time and invest in their teams personally and professionally. Their role is to prepare nurses to transition to the real nursing world. In addition, the efforts of nurse educators do not end at graduation. They continue advising and mentoring nurses throughout their nursing careers. Learning never stops for nurse educators. Nurse educators need to continue learning in their current teaching roles and clinical practice. Nurse educators should devise a plan for their professional development. This plan will aid them in advancing their educator and nursing skills. Get in touch with us at eminencepapers.com. We offer assignment help with high professionalism.
Area of Focus
As a nurse educator, my primary areas of focus will be obstetrics and gynecology. This will include labor, delivery, and postpartum care. Currently, I am working in a healthcare organization with three campuses offering obstetrics and gynecology services. I hope to become a nurse educator on their largest campus. The National League of Nursing (NLN) constituted a task force to create and define nurse educators’ competencies essential to effective teaching.
The NLN competencies define how a nursing educator should be adequately prepared to conduct nursing education (Fitzgerald et al., 2019). Consistently, the NLN competencies were created after a rigorous literature review and analysis. The 8 NLN core competencies include “facilitate learning, facilitate learner development and socialization, use assessment and evaluation strategies, participate in curriculum design and evaluation of program outcomes, function as a change agent and leader, pursue continuous quality improvement in the nurse educator role, engage in scholarship and function within the educational environment.” (Fitzgerald et al., 2019). These core competencies guide nurses to assume the role of nurse educators. The following NLN competencies will be essential for me as a nurse educator;
Competency One: This allows nurse educators to create a learning environment that facilitates learning and achievement of psychomotor, affective, and cognitive outcomes (Keating et al., 2021).
Competency two: Enables nurse educators to help students become nurses and incorporate the behavior and values of individuals who fulfill the nursing role (Keating et al., 2021).
Competency three: Enables nurse educators to use various strategies to evaluate and assess student learning in learning settings and all learning domains (Keating et al., 2021).
Competency four: Guides nurse educators in formulating program outcomes, designing a curriculum reflecting current healthcare trends, and preparing students to effectively function in the healthcare environment (Keating et al., 2021)
Competency five: Allows nurse educators to create a preferred future for nursing practice and education (Keating et al., 2021).
Competency 6: This allows nurse educators to know their multidimensional role, and it is important to commit to maintaining competence (Keating et al., 2021).
Competency 7: Allows nurse educators to accept that scholarship is a critical component of nurse educators and that teaching is a scholarly activity ()Keating et al., 2021.
Competency 8: Nurse educators should have knowledge concerning the educational environment they practice in and recognize how socioeconomic, institutional, and political factors impact their role as nurse educators (Keating et al., 2021).
Professional Goals
My primary and most influential professional goal is to obtain an MSN degree in nursing education. Achieving this goal will allow me to achieve my other professional goals. Besides, my nurse educator philosophy is imparting critical thinking skills to my students. Nurses use critical thinking to solve patient problems and creatively make healthcare decisions to enhance healthcare outcomes (Jiménez-Gómez et al., 2019). Critical thinking is essential for safe and efficient nursing interventions. It is thus crucial for my nursing students to have critical thinking skills to process patient information and utilize limited healthcare resources. It will help my students devise solutions to various healthcare problems.
My other professional goal is to become an accredited Certified Nurse Educator (CNE). Becoming a CNE supports my nursing education philosophy. I believe that nurse educators should practice lifelong learning. Besides, certification is the ultimate mark of professionalism. Certification of nurse educators recognizes nursing education as a practice specialty area and creates a way for nurse educators to demonstrate their expertise in nurse education (NLN, 2022). In addition, certification communicates to peers, students, healthcare, and academic communities that high standards of nurse education are being met. Being a credentialed CNE will allow me to become a role model and a leader. It will serve as my mark of distinction.
My third professional goal is to become an expert teacher. I can accomplish this goal by gaining teaching experience and participating in professional development activities. I have always strived to be updated with the current treatment guidelines that have improved the nursing profession throughout my nursing career. This is a habit I will continue to practice as a nurse educator. Becoming a nurse educator is a continuous process requiring discipline and motivation. This aligns with my nursing philosophy of continuous learning. My philosophy further includes critical thinking to solve nursing problems. Critical thinking will allow me to develop my nurse educator skills constantly.
Influences
Healthcare outcomes influence healthcare funding. Nursing educators must be diligent in producing nursing students who will improve healthcare outcomes. Financial funding of nursing programs in public institutions depends on NCLEX pass rates (Pittman et al., 2019). Limited funding will impact nursing programs since it will result in limited enrollment and class sizes. This will require me to be an expert nurse educator who produces diligent nurses who pass the NCLEX. Institutional budget cuts may also lead to a rise in tuition fees for students. This will force students to work while studying, increasing their stress and worsening overall health. As a nurse educator, this will require adjusting my curriculum and class schedules to accommodate these students. I will also serve as a mentor for these students to help improve their healthcare outcomes. Lack of financial funding may also lead to a reduced number of nurse educators being employed, resulting in increased workload. This will make me become overwhelmed and experience burnout.
Furthermore, local, state, and federal regulations impact nursing programs and thus the role of nursing educators. The regulations are influenced by healthcare issues such as safety and access to care. As healthcare access changes, patient safety issues evolve. The rules and regulations of the agencies also change. As federal regulations change, nursing programs must also adapt. Nurse educators must adapt to the new curriculum changes and acquire the relevant knowledge to meet the new regulatory requirements.
Analysis
Scholarship is an essential foundation in nursing education. Boyer’s Model of Scholarship incorporates four different types of scholarships that contribute to effective teaching. The scholarship of discovery involves inquiries and investigations to search for new knowledge (Urban, 2017). Using this scholarship, I will educate my students on evidence-based practices and ensure every student has an evidence-based capstone project that influences nursing practice. The scholarship of integration focuses on interprofessional collaboration to advance knowledge by improving existing research (Urban, 2017). I will use this scholarship to act as a positive mentor and role model for my students. In addition, I will encourage them to question the meaning of healthcare research findings. Understanding research will allow them to build stronger interdisciplinary partnerships.
The application scholarship focuses on applying research findings to improve nursing practice (Urban, 2017). I will use this scholarship by ensuring my students participate in discussion forums and apply evidence-based research to improve patient outcomes. I will also disseminate the knowledge I have gathered to my students. The final scholarship is the scholarship of teaching. This element involves transmitting knowledge to improve the educational process (Urban, 2017). As a nurse educator, I will promote student learning by encouraging and supporting them to obtain their goals. I will reflect on my teaching and discuss learning issues with my colleagues.
Leadership Roles
Nurse educators are also leaders. One way of developing a leadership role as a nurse educator is to become a role model using transformational leadership. Transformational leadership will allow me to create a vision for change among my students (Collins et al., 2019). I will be a good role model that my students will emulate and follow. Subsequently, I will collaborate with staff members and peers professionally. This will allow students to observe good collaborative practices. The second way of developing a leadership role will be to act as a change agent. I will point my students in the right direction and help them identify their career goals. I will pass my knowledge to the students to help them solve healthcare issues affecting patients. All these leadership roles will be accomplished by using the transformational leadership style.
Development Plan
My plan for professional growth will involve integrating the NLN core competencies into my nurse educator role. These competencies will allow me to promote the highest standards of excellence in my educator role. To fulfill the NLN competencies, I will attend NLN workshops and conferences to increase my skills and knowledge. The NLN also provides credentialing for nurse educators. This certification will show commitment to life-long learning and becoming an expert in nursing education. Other strategies that support my professional growth include joining professional nursing organizations. My area of focus as a nurse educator is obstetrics and gynecology, and hence, I will join the Association of Women’s Health Obstetrics and Neonate Nursing. This association will allow me to network with other clinical educators and improve my skills and knowledge in my area of focus.
Reflection
Continuous professional development; my nursing philosophy is life-long learning. As a nurse educator, I will participate in professional development activities to achieve my philosophy of life-long learning. I will use the NLN core competencies to help me achieve my professional goals. Despite the challenges of transitioning from a registered nurse to a nurse educator, I will religiously follow my professional development plan to achieve my set goals.
References
Collins, E., Owen, P., Digan, J., & Dunn, F. (2019). Applying transformational leadership in nursing practice. Nursing Standard, 35(5), 59-66. https://doi.org/10.7748/ns.2019.e11408
Fitzgerald, A., McNelis, A. M., & Billings, D. M. (2019). NLN core competencies for nurse educators: Are they present in the course descriptions of academic nurse educator programs? Nursing Education Perspectives, 41(1), 4-9. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.nep.0000000000000530
Jiménez-Gómez, M. A., Cárdenas-Becerril, L., Velásquez-Oyola, M. B., Carrillo-Pineda, M., & Barón-Díaz, L. Y. (2019). Reflective and critical thinking in the nursing curriculum. Revista Latino-Americana de Enfermagem, 27. https://doi.org/10.1590/1518-8345.2861.3173
Keating, S., Berland, A., Capone, K., & Chickering, M. (2021). Global nursing education: International resources meet the NLN core competencies for nurse educators. OJIN: The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 26(1). https://doi.org/10.3912/ojin.vol26no01man08
National League of Nurses (NLN). (2022). Certification for nurse educators. National League for Nursing. https://www.nln.org/awards-recognition/certification-for-nurse-educators-overview
Pittman, P., Bass, E., Han, X., & Kurtzman, E. (2019). The growth and performance of nursing programs by ownership status. Journal of Nursing Regulation, 9(4), 5-21. https://doi.org/10.1016/s2155-8256(19)30011-0
Urban, S. (2017). Redefining scholarship: The Boyer model. The Southwest Respiratory and Critical Care Chronicles, 5(17), 3-4. https://doi.org/10.12746
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Question 
Assessment 4 Instructions: Creating a Professional Development Plan
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Write a 6-8 page professional development plan for your work as a nurse educator.
Introduction
In this assessment, you will create a professional development plan that will support continuous improvement in your role as a nurse educator.
Professional Development Plan
The Institute of Medicine has charged nurses to be leaders in healthcare change, and that requires educators to be at the forefront of those changes.
Preparation
As you prepare to complete this assessment, you may want to think about other related issues to deepen your understanding or broaden your viewpoint. You are encouraged to consider the questions below and discuss them with a fellow learner, a work associate, an interested friend, or a member of your professional community.
Note that these questions are for your own development and exploration and do not need to be completed or submitted as part of your assessment.
What are some approaches that nurse educators can use when encountering resistance to change?
How might effective leadership styles be the same or different for the following roles?
BSN nursing faculty.
Community health educator.
Staff development educator.
What are some ways that scholarship fits with nursing practice?
Nurse educators are regularly evaluated by students and administrators. There may also be peer evaluations of teaching skills. As an educator, how do you or would you view these evaluation processes? What can be most useful to faculty from student evaluations?
Instructions
Write a 6–8 page professional development plan for your career as an MSN-prepared nurse. The professional development plan should include the following:
Introduction – A brief introductory paragraph that clearly states the purpose of the paper.
Area of focus – A description of your specific area of focus in nursing education, the position that you wish to obtain, and the educator competencies that you will need as an MSN-prepared nurse.
Professional Goals – A statement of your specific professional goals (a minimum of three) and a discussion of their relationship to your nurse educator philosophy.
Influences – A brief description of any additional forces (social, economic, political, institutional) that may influence your nursing education role.
Analysis – An analysis of how you will carry out scholarship activities as an MSN-prepared nurse and a specific plan for scholarship based on a model.
Leadership Role – A discussion of specific ways (a minimum of two) that you will develop a leadership role in the area of focus you have chosen.
Development Plan – Specific plans for professional growth and any additional education, certifications, or training to be acquired.
Reflection – A reflection in a concluding paragraph on your abilities to meet goals and achieve your professional development plan and ethical practice.
Additional Requirements
Format: 12-point Times New Roman or Arial font, double-spaced in Microsoft Word.
Length: 6-8 pages plus a title page and a references page.
Use the correct APA format, including page numbers and a title page. Citations and references (if used) are to be in the correct APA format.
Writing should be free of grammar and spelling errors that distract from content.
Competencies Measured
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the course competencies through the following assessment scoring guide criteria:
Competency 1: Analyze the historical evolution of nursing education.
Describe forces (social, economic, political, institutional) that may influence the nurse educator role.
Competency 3: Analyze professionally established nurse educator competencies and models.
Describe area of focus as a nurse educator, associated educator competencies, and professional goals in relation to nurse educator philosophy.
Competency 4: Apply knowledge of legal and ethical issues relevant to higher education and nursing education.
Assess abilities to meet goals, achieve professional development, and maintain ethical practices.
Competency 5: Articulate how nurse educator serve as change agents and leaders to help advance nursing education and nursing practice.
Discuss development of a leadership role in a chosen area of nurse educator focus.
Competency 6: Develop a plan for engaging in scholarship in an established area of expertise.
Develop a scholarship plan that includes an analysis of how the scholarship will be carried out in the nurse educator role.
Competency 7: Establish a plan for pursuing continuous improvement in the nurse educator role.
Develop specific plans for professional growth that identify any additional education, certifications, or training to be acquired.
Competency 8: Communicate in a manner that is scholarly, professional, and consistent with the expectations of a nursing education professional.
Write coherently to support a central idea with correct grammar, usage, mechanics, and APA format and style as expected of a nursing education professional.
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