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Friday, April 4, 2014
Identifying the NLN Core Competencies for Nurse Educators and task statements that are most significant for nursing faculty as they transition from the clinical setting to the academic environment is crucial to the success of the nursing educator. A quantitative descriptive comparative design was used to identify the NLN Core Competencies for Nurse Educators and task statements that should be included at the novice to expert stage of professional development. The NLN Core Competencies for Nurse Educators has eight competencies and includes 66 task statements. An online survey was designed by the researcher, reviewed by expert nurse educators, and pilot tested with nurse educators and nursing program administrators. The online survey was then distributed to nursing program administrators and nursing instructors at nursing programs in one Midwestern state where IRB approval was obtained. Respondents were asked to rate the NLN Core Competencies for Nurse Educators task statements where nursing faculty should demonstrate minimal competency from the novice to expert professional development level developed for the study. The findings identified from the study can be used to develop a formal professional development plan to facilitate the successful transition from the clinical environment to the nurse educator role. There were 49 task statements that nursing program administrators and nursing instructors rated similarly with respect to the level at which each should be demonstrated. There were 12 task statements that were rated with two or more professional development levels between the nursing program administrators and nursing instructors. Statistically significant differences between nursing program administrators’ and nursing instructors’ ratings were found for 19 task statements. The study’s findings provide the foundation for further research to design a systematic professional development plan to support future nursing faculty.