Family Nurse Practitioner Faculty Development: Utilization of a NLN Simulation Software Program

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate if the utilization of a National League of Nursing (NLN) simulation software elicits beneficial instructional techniques for family nurse practitioner faculty FNP) in a private Christian university. The research framework is based on the theories of Malcom Knowles (1990) on Andragogy and Kurt Lewin (1947) Theory of Change . (Yager & Stichler, 2015). There is an identified gap to investigate if the use of online simulation education promotes the FNP instructors to make a change in their current instructional strategies in classroom settings (Cockerham, 2015; Kim, Park & O’Rourke, 2017; Mariani & Doolen, 2016). This proposed research study will add to the knowledge base by evaluating the FNP instructors’ perception of simulation education, the use of online education and attitudes to adopt in the classroom setting.

Methods: A qualitative case-study will be utilized to investigate how the utilization of NLN software elicits change in instructional techniques. The Faculty Attitudes and Adoption of Simulation (FAAS) (Min & O’Rourke, 2017) survey will be sent nationwide to members of Sigma, National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculty, and American Academy of Nurse Practitioners to see how faculty are currently prepared in simulation and adopt simulation into the classroom with the goal to have at least 40 responses from FNP instructors. Thefocus group(s) comprising of up to ten FNP instructors and one-on-one interviews of up to ten FNP instructors will occur. FNP instructors participating in focus group(s) and one on one interviews will be from a private Christian university in Phoenix, Arizona to investigate if the completion of a NLN online course has elicited change in instructional techniques. The qualitative methods have been selected for this on-going doctoral research, to provide insight of how the educational course impacted the participant.

Results: This researcher hopes that by utilizing an online course in simulation offered by the NLN, FNP faculty will change instructional techniques to incorporate simulation into the classrooms that they teach. Data collection is pending and results will be incorporated into the final poster presentation. Data collected will be triangulated utilizing MAXQDA qualitative software to identify themes presented by FNP instructors and the relationship to the national survey results.

Conclusion: By utilizing Lewin (1947) Theory of Change and Knowles (1990) Theory of Andragogy to create an educational intervention for FNP instructors, instructors will be familiar with active learning techniques. Qualitative methodology will allow for this researcher to find out the impact and barriers that were experienced while trying to elicit change in instructional technique. The proposed research may also show additional uses for NLN online simulation software . Eliciting change in instructional techniques of FNP instructors this will lead to increased student performance in clinical and board examinations.