Optimization of faculty practice.

Nursing faculty practice encompasses multiple roles including direct and indirect provision of nursing/clinical services, research, education, consultation, administration, and other collaborative agreements. While faculty practice is encouraged by both American Association of Colleges of Nursing and National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties, not all universities and colleges incorporate faculty practice as part of academia. The purpose of this paper is to discuss how one midwestern University optimized faculty practice over a four-year period by improving supporting infrastructure, contracts, aligning faculty and practice partners, and accountability. Pertinent data, decisions, and processes for each area are described here as well as the management of revenue generated.

International Nursing Program Accreditation.

The Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) is committed to being a supportive partner in strengthening the quality of nursing education for all levels of nursing programs domestically and internationally. With a longstanding history of accreditation dating back 66 years, the ACEN accredited its first international program in 2004 adding international accreditation to its repertoire. Recognizing geographic, cultural, and national differences, the ACEN common core of Standards and Criteria equip faculty with autonomy to embrace unique attributes of their programs regardless of location, culture, and nationality. Further, the ACEN review process fosters self-evaluation, peer review, and the promotion of educational equity, access, and mobility. As a result, the number of international nursing programs pursuing and attaining accreditation with the ACEN has increased thus validating the inclusiveness and relevance of the ACEN Standards and Criteria. The purpose of this article is to highlight ways in which ACEN Standards and Criteria apply to domestic and international nursing programs.

Teaching-service integration: building the educational workshop in healthcare / Integración enseñanza-servicio: construyendo el taller pedagógico en salud / Integração ensino-serviço: construindo o ateliê pedagógico em saúde

ABSTRACT Objective: To identify the pedagogical strategies and the elements that determine the construction of the educational workshop in healthcare at the teaching-service integration process. Method: Collective case study with qualitative approach. The cases consisted of two undergraduate courses in nursing. Thirty-one interviews were conducted with healthcare professionals, professors and students, in addition to participant observation in seven basic health units (UBS) that received the students interviewed. Results: The following analytical categories emerged: teaching-service integration: articulating idealized situations with real situations; pedagogical workshop in health: development of collective pedagogical actions; reflection on the experiences in the pedagogical workshop in health: articulating the knowledge of the work world with the teaching world. Final Consideration: Despite the integration difficulties between teaching and service, we can conclude that their encounter generates a fertile field for the development of the educational workshop in healthcare. To this end, the agreement of the strategies presented in the constitution of the workshop is necessary.

RESUMEN Objetivo: Conocer las estrategias pedagógicas y los elementos que determinan la construcción del taller pedagógico en salud en el proceso de integración enseñanza-servicio. Método: Estudio de caso colectivo con abordaje cualitativo. Los casos fueron dos cursos de graduación en enfermería. Se realizaron 31 entrevistas con profesionales de salud, docentes y discentes, además de observación participante en siete unidades básicas de salud (UBS) que recibieron a los estudiantes entrevistados. Resultados: emergieron las siguientes categorías analíticas: integración enseñanza-servicio: articulando situaciones idealizadas con situaciones reales; el taller pedagógico en salud: desarrollo de acciones pedagógicas colectivas; reflexión sobre lo vivido en el taller pedagógico en salud: articulando el conocimiento del mundo del trabajo con el mundo de la enseñanza. Consideraciones Finales: A pesar de las dificultades de integración entre enseñanza y servicio, se puede concluir que el encuentro de estos genera un campo fértil para el desarrollo del taller pedagógico en salud. Para ello, es necesario pactar las estrategias presentadas en la constitución del taller.

RESUMO Objetivo: Conhecer as estratégias pedagógicas e os elementos que determinam a construção do ateliê pedagógico em saúde no processo de integração ensino-serviço. Método: Estudo de caso coletivo com abordagem qualitativa. Os casos foram dois cursos de graduação em enfermagem. Foram realizadas 31 entrevistas com profissionais de saúde, docentes e discentes, além de observação participante em sete unidades básicas de saúde (UBS) que receberam os estudantes entrevistados. Resultados: Emergiram as seguintes categorias analíticas: integração ensino-serviço: articulando situações idealizadas com situações reais; o ateliê pedagógico em saúde: desenvolvimento de ações pedagógicas coletivas; reflexão sobre o vivido no ateliê pedagógico em saúde: articulando o conhecimento do mundo do trabalho com o mundo do ensino. Considerações Finais: Apesar das dificuldades de integração entre ensino e serviço, pode-se concluir que o encontro destes gera um campo fértil para o desenvolvimento do ateliê pedagógico em saúde. Para tal, é necessária a pactuação das estratégias apresentadas na constituição do ateliê.

Human Resources for Health: Advancing Nursing in Haiti-A Qualitative Evaluation of a Master's Level Nursing Faculty Development Project.

Using an educate-the-educator model, this partnership responds to an international imperative to build human resource capacity among Haitian nurses. We created a graduate program of study for nursing faculty in leadership and education at the State University of Haiti. This paper describes a process and impact evaluation of the Regis College Haiti Project (RCHP). Semi-structured interviews explored key-informant perceptions. A purposeful sample of faculty, deans, and community leaders was used. A researcher interviewed stakeholders in French (the preferred language of the Ministry of Health) on professional responsibilities, leadership skills and teaching practices. Salient findings include: 1) increasing use of leadership skills; 2) enhanced respect from allied professionals, community members, peers, and managers; 3) improved competence developing teaching materials; and 4) increasing classroom engagement. Understanding perceived impact informs next steps in promoting professional development. Further, it advances ownership and self-efficacy among faculty and stakeholders within health care and higher education.

The Progression and Future of Nursing in Singapore: A Descriptive Qualitative Study.

Introduction: Nursing professionalism and nursing identity are important for retention of nurses. Despite of much attention on nurses in Singapore, there is still a shortage of nurses. This study aims to understand the perceptions of the progression and future of the nursing profession in Singapore. Methodology: A descriptive qualitative study design was used. The participants were 20 nurse educators, clinical nurses, and student nurses. Data were collected through focus group and online interviews and analyzed thematically. Results: Nurses felt a need to bridge the theory-practice gap and various factors to the underlying cause of the shortage of nurses were highlighted. Nurses shared their desires to see greater autonomy among nurses and a greater focus on community nursing in the future. Discussion: Collaboration between nurse academics and clinical nurses may bridge the theory-practice gap. To reduce the issue of the shortage of nurses, efforts to promote nursing professionalism are required.

Nurses on the move: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation nurse faculty scholars and their action on the social determinants of health.

OBJECTIVE: Medical care alone cannot adequately improve population health or eliminate inequities; social determinants of health (SDH) must be addressed. This study's purpose was to describe the research, teaching, service, and clinical practice activities implemented by RWJF Nurse Faculty Scholars to act on the SDH. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey design was used with a sample of RWJF Nurse Faculty Scholars, chosen because they were provided specialized mentoring, grants, and other support that allowed them to explore SDH. RESULTS: Respondents (n = 57) addressed SDH in their research (86.0%), teaching (68.4%), service (66.7%), and clinical practice (33.3%). Leading research foci were quality of health care (56.1%), social and physical environmental stressors (54.4%), and access to health care services (49.1%). Leading SDH areas in teaching were discrimination in society against vulnerable populations (54.4%), quality of health care received by vulnerable populations (50.9%), and vulnerable populations' access to health care services (50.9%). Service activities included addressing discrimination against diverse populations. Leading SDH areas in clinical practice were quality of health care received by vulnerable populations (28.1%), vulnerable populations' access to health care services (22.8%), and discrimination in society against vulnerable populations (19.3%). Respondents also addressed SDH through personal mentoring (71.9%); efforts to recruit and/or retain underrepresented faculty (59.6%); developing a diverse pipeline of nurses (59.6%); and participation on a diversity committee (40.4%). CONCLUSION: The RWJF Nurse Faculty Scholars were able to leverage their awards to address SDH; however, further research is needed to assess the impact of the SDH work conducted. Knowledge from this study can be used as a road map for SDH elements and areas of professional work that nurses and other health professionals could address SDH in research, teaching, service, and practice.

Professor in Residence: An Innovative Academic-Practice Partnership.

This article describes an academic-practice partnership between an American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet®-designated hospital and an academic nurse educator that has increased the hospital's capacity for research, evidence-based practice, and support for nurses continuing their education. Through close collaboration with the full-time nurse researcher and members of the nursing education department, the professor in residence consults with clinical staff to support completion of research and evidence-based practice projects. The collaboration also has resulted in the development of a formal year-long mentoring program for clinical nurses in the area of evidence-based practice. Individual support and academic consults are offered to nurses enrolled in school to promote advancement of nurses' educational level. This collaboration has been beneficial for both the hospital and the university, increasing the capacity for scholarly activities for nurses in the hospital and serving as a forum for ongoing faculty practice and scholarship. J Contin Educ Nurs. 2017;48(12):552-556.

The impact of the Nurse Faculty Scholars program on schools of nursing.

BACKGROUND: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars program was conceptualized as not only promoting the growth and development of early-career faculty but as enhancing the research infrastructure of scholars' schools of nursing. PURPOSE: At the completion of the scholars' three years of support, deans/directors were asked to provide feedback regarding the institutional impact of the scholars' participation in the program. METHODS: Phone interviews were conducted on the first five completed cohorts and a six-item questionnaire was developed to obtain some quantitative data. DISCUSSION: The program was viewed as having accelerated the scholars' leadership and scholarship, and their influence within the school/university and regionally/nationally. Deans/directors generally agreed that the scholars' experience helped build the school's research portfolio. CONCLUSION: Looking back on how the participating schools of nursing fared, one can say that the program's institutional expectations were achieved most of the time. The program helped scholars build their own reputations and that in turn had consequences for the school's standing as a whole. A number of components are described that can be replicated singly or in various combinations by schools/universities interested in adopting aspects of this program.

Curricular Path to Value: Integrating an Academic Electronic Health Record.

BACKGROUND: Regulatory mandates consistently focus on quality, safety, and improving patient care as better evidence surfaces. One of those mandates is the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) across all patient care settings. New graduate nurses must know how to access patient data and document and synthesize patient information accurately to plan safe, quality care and mitigate potential errors. METHOD: In an undergraduate nursing program, the objectives were to provide faculty with simple teaching strategies that promoted ease of integrating an academic EHR (AEHR) across a curriculum, as well as to steadily increase students' use of an AEHR. RESULTS: Faculty stressed an appreciation for having a supportive environment with an innovative way to educate nursing students. Students' feedback and course evaluations were positive, with students noting that they enjoyed learning in a different way. CONCLUSION: Faculty should continue to share their innovative teaching strategies for AEHR integration. Further research should include measurable outcomes of integrating an AEHR throughout a curriculum. [J Nurs Educ. 2016;55(12):716-719.].

Assessment of cultural competence in Texas nursing faculty.

BACKGROUND: Cultural competence [CC] is an essential component of nursing education and nursing practice yet there is a gap in the research evaluating CC in faculty and how to practically develop this skillset for faculty members. OBJECTIVES: To explore CC in faculty as evaluated with the Nurses' Cultural Competence Scale [NCCS] and apply the findings to the Purnell Model of Cultural Competence [PMCC] to guide professional development opportunities for faculty members. DESIGN: This was a concurrent mixed-methods study. SETTING: Faculty members teaching in Texas nursing programs were recruited for the study. Quantitative data was collected using an online survey tool and qualitative data was collected over the phone. PARTICIPANTS: 89 Texas faculty members completed the quantitative strand and a subset of 10 faculty members completed the qualitative strand. METHODS: Descriptive statistics were used to examine the quantitative data and Strauss and Corbin's methodology guided the evaluation of the qualitative data. These two strands were used to support the results. RESULTS: Faculty in Texas are moderately culturally competent. The qualitative findings support the application of the PMCC to the areas identified by the NCCS. CONCLUSION: The PMCC may be applied to the application of culture and values in nursing professional education as supported by the NCCS. Recommendations are to include the PMCC as a structure for the creation of professional development opportunities for faculty.

Assessment of the Impact of Teaching Demands on Research Productivity Among Doctoral Nursing Program Faculty.

This article reports the findings of a study that examined the research and scholarship productivity of doctorally prepared nursing faculty teaching and mentoring doctoral students and the conflicting demands on them to maintain programs of research and scholarship. The specific aims were to (a) examine the research productivity and scholarship of faculty members teaching in doctoral programs and mentoring doctoral students to examine the perceived effectiveness of existing institutional mechanisms to support scholarship, (b) explore institutional features and personal practices used by doctoral program faculty to develop and maintain research and scholarship productivity, and (c) analyze predictors of scholarship productivity. Data were collected via an on-line researcher-developed survey that examined doctoral faculty roles/responsibilities and their relationship to their scholarly productivity, overall research productivity, and institutional features and personal practices to support research/scholarship activities. Survey respondents reported spending a large amount of time engaged in research-related activities with 58.9% (n = 326) spending anywhere from 6 to 20 hours per week conducting research, writing research-based papers, giving presentations, grant writing, or conducting evidence-based improvement projects. Scholar productivity among the respondents was robust. Personal practices that most strongly supported faculty members' scholarship productivity were the belief that engaging in scholarship made them better teachers and the personal gratification in experiencing doctoral students' successes. A multiple regression analysis conducted to determine predictors of productivity indicated that the strongest predictor was the average number of hours spent on research/scholarship-related activities, followed by time bought out from teaching and other responsibilities of the faculty role for research.

Partners in Research: Developing a Model for Undergraduate Faculty-Student Collaboration.

Maintaining scholarship while delivering an undergraduate nursing program is a challenge for nursing faculty. In this paper, we describe an approach that involves undergraduate nursing students in a program of faculty research, which evaluates new approaches to teaching and learning. Students work with faculty to develop a research proposal, identifying specific questions and exploring relevant literature. Projects may include original data collection with faculty supervision, or secondary analysis of existing datasets. Foci have included partnership learning between nursing students and older adults, models of sustainability for a traveling health clinic, and experiences of aging. Findings and recommendations feed into the broader faculty research agenda, provide a foundation for subsequent projects, and inform further development of educational programs. Students have presented at local and national conferences and developed papers for publication based on this joint work. We describe the benefits and challenges of these partnerships, drawing upon student and faculty reflections.

Is There Evidence of Failing to Fail in Our Schools of Nursing?

AIM: To assess evidence for "failing to fail" in undergraduate nursing programs. BACKGROUND: Literature on grading practices largely focuses on clinical or academic grading. Reviewing both as distinct entities may miss a more systemic grading problem. METHOD: A cross-sectional survey targeted 235 faculty within university and community colleges in a western state. Chi-square tests of independence explored the relation between institutional and faculty variables. RESULTS: The response rate was 34 percent. Results suggest failing to fail may be evident across the sector in both clinical and academic settings: 43 percent of respondents had awarded higher grades than merited; 17.7 percent had passed written examinations they felt should fail; 66 percent believed they had worked with students who should not have passed their previous placement. CONCLUSION: Failing to fail cuts across instructional settings. Further exploration is imperative if schools are to better engender a climate for rigorously measuring student attainment.

Orientation, Evaluation, and Integration of Part-Time Nursing Faculty.

This study helps to quantify and describe orientation, evaluation, and integration practices pertaining to part-time clinical nursing faculty teaching in prelicensure nursing education programs. A researcher designed Web-based survey was used to collect information from a convenience sample of part-time clinical nursing faculty teaching in prelicensure nursing programs. Survey questions focused on the amount and type of orientation, evaluation, and integration practices. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze results. Respondents reported on average four hours of orientation, with close to half reporting no more than two hours. Evaluative feedback was received much more often from students than from full-time faculty. Most respondents reported receiving some degree of mentoring and that it was easy to get help from full-time faculty. Respondents reported being most informed about student evaluation procedures, grading, and the steps to take when students are not meeting course objectives, and less informed about changes to ongoing curriculum and policy.

Initial evaluation of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars program.

BACKGROUND: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Nurse Faculty Scholars (RWJF NFS) program was developed to enhance the career trajectory of young nursing faculty and to train the next generation of nurse scholars. Although there are publications that describe the RWJF NFS, no evaluative reports have been published. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the first three cohorts (n = 42 scholars) of the RWJF NFS program. METHODS: A descriptive research design was used. Data were derived from quarterly and annual reports, and a questionnaire (seven open-ended questions) was administered via Survey Monkey Inc. (Palo Alto, CA, USA). RESULTS: During their tenure, scholars had on average six to seven articles published, were teaching/mentoring at the graduate level (93%), and holding leadership positions at their academic institutions (100%). Eleven scholars (26%) achieved fellowship in the American Academy of Nursing, one of the highest nursing honors. The average ratings on a Likert scale of 1 (not at all supportive) to 10 (extremely supportive) of whether or not RWJF had helped scholars achieve their goals in teaching, service, research, and leadership were 7.7, 8.0, 9.4, and 9.5, respectively. The majority of scholars reported a positive, supportive relationship with their primary nursing and research mentors; although, several scholars noted challenges in connecting for meetings or telephone calls with their national nursing mentors. CONCLUSIONS: These initial results of the RWJF NFS program highlight the success of the program in meeting its overall goal-preparing the next generation of nursing academic scholars for leadership in the profession.

The Nursing Education Partnership Initiative (NEPI): innovations in nursing and midwifery education.

The nursing and midwifery workforce is key to improving the performance of the health system overall. Health workforce shortages are significantly influenced by the productive capacity of health professions education institutions. Long-standing underinvestment in preservice nursing and midwifery education severely limits the capacity of institutions to educate nurses and midwives in sufficient numbers, and with the necessary clinical skills, for current and anticipated population health needs. The Nursing Education Partnership Initiative (NEPI) was established in 2011 by the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief in response to key capacity-building challenges facing preservice nursing and midwifery education in Sub-Saharan Africa. NEPI has formed partnerships with governments and key stakeholders in Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Malawi, and Zambia and supports 19 nursing and midwifery education institutions and 1 nursing council. NEPI has been informed by activities that strengthen education systems, institutions, and organizations as well as faculty capacity building. Ministry of health-led advisory groups were established to provide strategic direction and oversight for the work, fostering intersectoral dialogue and ensuring country ownership and sustainability. Three illustrative examples of innovations at the system, institution, and workforce levels describe approaches for country ownership, for addressing the shortage of highly qualified faculty, and for remedying the inadequate teaching and learning infrastructure.

Bologna process, more or less: nursing education in the European economic area: a discussion paper.

The Bologna Declaration and the subsequent processes is the single most important reform of higher education taking place in Europe in the last 30 years. Signed in 1999, it includes 46 European Union countries and aimed to create, a more coherent, compatible, comparable and competitive European Higher Education Area. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the Bologna Declaration achievements in nursing education at 2010 within eight countries that first signed the Declaration on 1999. Researchers primarily identified national laws, policy statements, guidelines and grey literature; then, a literature review on Bologna Declaration implementation in nursing was conducted on the Medline and CINAHL databases. Critical analyses of these documents were performed by expert nurse educators. Structural, organizational, functional and cultural obstacles are hindering full Bologna Process implementation in nursing education within European Economic Area. A call for action is offered in order to achieve a functionally unified system within nursing.

Journey toward integration of simulation in a baccalaureate nursing curriculum.

Simulation is increasingly being used as a teaching strategy in nursing education. The best learning outcomes occur when simulation is integrated into the curriculum rather than added to a crowded curriculum. Faculty are challenged to integrate simulation experiences into the curriculum in a way that promotes optimal achievement of student learning objectives. The purpose of this article is to describe the journey toward the integration of simulation in a baccalaureate nursing curriculum. A description of the journey from the beginning, through Health Resources and Services Administration funding, as a participating site in The NCSBN National Simulation Study, and through curricular redesign are presented in the context of faculty growth and lessons learned. The ultimate purpose is to provide guidance to faculty teaching in nursing programs that may be struggling with some of the same issues that beleaguered faculty during our journey.