A Structured Orientation Development System for Nursing Faculty

A national nursing shortage is nearing its crest. The Baby Boomer generation is beginning to retire in record numbers. Healthcare technology is continually evolving and the topography of nursing education is changing. In order to acquire, develop, and retain excellent nursing faculty to meet the ever changing demands, nursing faculty need to be streamlined into the world of academia. A Structured Orientation Development System (SODS) was developed to aid nursing faculty into the transition from expert bedside nurse to expert nursing faculty. A literature review found no evidence of a structured type nursing faculty orientation system. The purpose of this project was to develop a systematic structured nurse educator orientation system. The orientation system incorporated the National League for Nursing (NLN) Core Competencies of Nurse Educators and Patrica Benner`s From Novice to Expert theory into a survey for nursing faculty members. The survey results were used to determine the nursing faculty member\u27s self perception of their teaching competency level. Individual goals were developed based on teaching competency levels, and a plan was devised to evaluate the nurse faculty member`s teaching competency level at six months and one year. The program allowed the nursing faculty participants to evaluate their teaching competency level utilizing the NLN Core Competencies of Nurse Educators as a guide, and develop goals to improve their teaching competency level