Interview of Nurse Educator and Clinical Nurse Educator Paper Example

Introduction

Clinical and nurse educators are nurses who qualified as nurses to work in a hospital, but they chose to teach instead of working full time in a hospital setting. Career planning is very important. To plan a career path, it is important to listen to people who are experienced in the field. The information they share can motive one to follow a similar path or try something else. In this paper, a nurse educator, and a clinical nurse educator will be interviewed. In the interview, the major areas to be covered include their qualifications, experience, and credentials. It will also include areas of expertise, challenges, and educator roles. Further, the interview covers not only challenges but also advise that the interviewees provide. A reflection will be carried out after a summary of the main points in the interview.

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Academic Nurse Educator

Summary

The name of the academic educator interviewed is known as Meghan. Currently, she teaches at Chamberlain University. Her current responsibilities include designing, implementing, evaluating and revising academic and continuing education programs for nurses in the nursing bachelor degree program at the institution. Meghan has a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN). She is also a Registered Nurse (RN). She has other credentials. This includes being a certified diabetes educator (CDE) and also a certified nurse educator (CNE). She is also interested I the area of diabetes and cardiac nursing. Her previous working experience includes a staff nurse and nurse manager in a large community hospital located in the Chicago area. Meghan has narrowed down her area of interest. Currently, she specializes in two major areas: diabetes and cardiac nursing. In research, her area of specialization in health promotion behaviors in people with diabetes. She is involved a lot in clinical faculty practices as a diabetes nurse educator, and she is actively involved in the presentation of educational conferences in the school of nursing. She also participates in conferences for students and staff nurses. Additionally, Meghan takes part in diabetes patient education.

Meghan described her role as a nurse educator. In her response to various questions, she pointed out that her professional role as a nurse educator is not a simple task. She contends that her work is highly complex. To her, there are three factors required to succeed: academic, organizational, and organizational competencies. Additionally, she suggested that nurse educators ought to be able to identify as well as develop their role for lifelong learning.

The role of an educator involves some challenges. One of the greatest challenges is shifting of thinking from a hospital setting to a class setting. Work during clinical rotations attending patients and guiding students deeply contrast. While the role of the primary RN involves ensuring the patient is safe and cared for, an instructor need not be closer to the students. The students can be left to struggle safely to finish assignments or find an answer to a problem.

Meghan plans to keep educating new nurses. So far, she has taught in two traditional, and also baccalaureate degree programs where he got a chance to be mentored. She plans to also acquire more skills and education in the field to higher levels. She has much advice for people aspiring to be nurse educators. She suggested that one who is planning to be a nurse educator since most of the skills, experience, and knowledge applied in nursing are still valuable as a teacher. They include clear communication, thorough documentation, patience, and organization. The more knowledge one has, the greater the ease of transition. Additionally, the nurse educator also advice that one has to review the legislation such as the nursing school policies, and the nurse practice Act.

Reflecting on the Experience of Interviewing Academic Nurse Educator

Interviewing an academic nurse educator gave me a rare opportunity to learn what their job entails and what one needs to do (especially the academic and professional qualifications) required to attain the title. More specifically, I learned that for one to achieve the title of academic nurse educator, he or she needs to be a Registered Nurse (RN) and to have attained a master's degree in Nursing (MSN). More importantly, one cannot be an educator if he or she has not been trained as a teacher. Consequently, an RN MSN nurse needs to get professional teacher training course and earn certified nurse educator (CNE) certificate. Apart from obtaining the CNE certificate, I learned that a nurse educator should be specialized educator in a specific nursing sub-field, such as diabetes, that he or she has a keen interest in (such as diabetes).

I also learned that academic nursed educators have an essential role in ensuring that trainee nurses, especially those pursuing bachelor's degree in nursing, are equipped with the necessary knowledge, skills, and behaviors needed in the field. To accomplish this, the academic nursed educators are involved in designing, implementing, evaluating and revising academic and continuing education programs for undergraduate student nurses. Moreover, I learned that nurse practitioners and nurse educators have distinct roles. Although both have the same training background; a nurse educator facilitates students' learning in the classroom, while the practitioner attends to the patients. Before the interview, I did not have a clear distinction between their roles. However, following the interview, I can now attest that both are key in the provision of quality healthcare.

Clinical Nurse Educator

Summary

The name of the clinical nurse educator is known as Leah. She works as a Medical Intensive Care Unit as a nurse educator at Advocate Trinity Hospital. Leah has worked for five years at the Medical Intensive care Unit (MICU). She also has two years' experience practicing as RN as well as MSN teaching experience. She holds a Master's of Science in Nursing (MSN). She is also a Registered Nurse (RN), and a Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL).

As an educator, Leah is experienced in the orientation of new nurses. She has experience in educational initiatives, policy changes, and practice changes. Additionally, she is involved in the development of nurses in affairs such as quality improvement, specialized skill building, and super users. Further, she has taught several classes such as medication administration, Foley insertion and pericare, critical care orientation, ventilator management, and difficult conversations.

While describing her role, Leah pointed out that being an educator involves many things both in the whole hospital as well as MICU. Besides the orientation of new nurses, she also educates all staff at the unit. Additionally, she teaches new nurses in the whole hospital. Some of the important classes she mentioned are "debriefings "which she said are crucial to giving feedback. As a nurse educator, she pointed out that they have had an opportunity to develop a new curriculum for the nursing orientation. The nurse has worked as a critical care unit education coordinator as she helped in the development of critical care didactic and simulation curriculum which covered hemodynamics, difficult conversations, decompensating patient, neuro, and ventilator management.

Working as an educator, Leah explained some challenges she faces. One of the challenges is educating about 115 students in shifts of 12 hours which takes place both day and night. The problem is made worse students are not there consistently. It is very difficult to ensure that the students have grasped the right message. Leah has plans for her future. She plans to continue working in the current position for another two years. However, she has no aspirations to move where she is or enrol for further education. As an educator, she pointed out that there is always something new to learn. To her, there is always an opportunity to improve something such as how to give feedback, how to organize a day, and how to educate a particular learner.

Reflection of Clinical Nurse Educator

Interviewing Leah was crucial to understanding the skills, experience, qualifications, and knowledge of a clinical nurse educator. It was also a chance to know the transferable skills and knowledge that a registered nurse possesses. Additionally, I have also learned about the responsibilities as well as challenges faced by a clinical nurse educator

Final Reflection Synthesizing Both Interviews

Interviewing a nurse educator and a clinical educator provided a great opportunity to learn more about life as a nurse in a hospital setting, and a nurse in an education institution. Both nurses have the same qualifications since both have completed similar undergraduate programs and they are also registered, nurses. However, Meghan has a master's degree. Both professionals agree that being an educator is a very difficult task. While Meghan aspires to grow in her career, Leah seems contended with her current position, and she has no plans for further studies or changing employer.