NURS 6351 Week 1 Discussion 1: Self-Assessment and Competencies
According to Halstead and Frank (2018), “The competencies required of health care professionals to deliver safe, quality care will continue to be debated by leaders in health care and health care education” (p. 4). Yet, nurse educators can look to established professional competencies, derived from effective practices in the field and from evidence in the literature, to guide their actions.
What competencies are nurse educators expected to achieve and demonstrate? What are the commonalities and differences among competencies required in differing domains in which nurse educators work: in clinical settings as staff developers, in clinical settings as patient educators, and in academic settings as educators of nursing students?
For this Discussion, you conduct a self-assessment to gauge your skills and abilities relative to essential competencies. Bear in mind that the purpose of this exercise is to engage in honest evaluation of your competencies to guide your learning as you go forward in this course. Even if you have seasoned clinical expertise or experience as a clinical instructor, you will likely discover areas for growth and development related to the role of nurse educator.
To prepare
- Reflect on key concepts you have previously explored in this Master of Science in Nursing program. What can you deduce about the expectations of nurse educators?
- Review the National League for Nursing Nurse Educator Core Competency presented in the Learning Resources. How are these competencies influenced by characteristics of settings (clinical and academic) and roles (teaching nursing students, staff, or patients)?
- Reflect on the competencies specific to your Practicum setting/role, and compare them to the competencies for settings/roles outside your chosen domain.
- Using the competencies presented in this week’s Learning Resources, assess your level of expertise as a nurse educator.
- Based on your understanding of the Learning Resources and the results of your self-assessment, what do you consider to be your strengths? Where do you see a need for professional growth?
- View the Introduction to the Practicum, provided in this week’s Assignment area, and reflect on your upcoming Practicum Experience. How do you think this information could inform your plans for the Practicum, including the development of your Practicum Professional Development Objectives (which you will include in your Practicum Professional Experience Plan)? What experiences might you outline with your preceptor to continue developing your strengths and address your perceived areas for improvement?
By Day 3
Post a summary of the results of your self-assessment. Explain two or more strengths and two or more areas for professional growth relative to the competencies you will need as a nurse educator in your intended setting/role.
Read a selection of your colleagues’ responses.
By Day 5
Respond to at least one of your colleagues by describing similarities and differences among competencies in each of the settings/roles addressed. Explain how this relates to the results of your self-assessment and your plans/goals as a nurse educator.
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