Individual Leadership Journey

Saturday, 16 November 2013

Torstveit, K Allyson, MSN, RN, PHN
Nursing, Rasmussen College, Moorhead, MN

Learning Objective 1: The learner will be able to describe the impact novice nurse mentorships have on the career sustainability of nursing faculty.

Learning Objective 2: The learner will be able to identify the role of the individual leadership development plan in supporting individual leadership growth.

The Novice Nurse Faculty Mentorship Project provided a platform upon which relationships were established resulting in expanding my scope of influence, individual leadership development, and advancing the nursing profession. The Nurse Faculty Leadership Academy (NFLA) allowed the scholar to gain an understanding and apply critical skills to influence processes within my professional role, surrounding community, and greater nursing profession. This expanded scope of influence lead to professional leadership development through a formal leadership role. This role has led to a national leadership role and continues to flourish into additional leadership capacities. The academy supported the student in identifying areas of strength and giving tools to enhance areas needing growth. In addition, the NFLA’s triad relationship of scholar-mentor-faculty provided a network to support the scholar in a leadership project. The scholar’s project addressed a need amongst practicing nurses’ desire to transition from practice to academia. The identified practice problem is that practitioners who want to move into education are limited in their background and 'tools' for transitioning into academia. This can be addressed in the short term by giving them mentorship and an interdependent approach to on-boarding to support the success of their nursing students.