Final Reflection

I believe it is imperative for myself, as nurse in an advanced role, to be a part of an environment where the standard of care is continuously improving. I do not believe in just maintaining the status quo. As a nurse educator, I have become a key leader by utilizing my creative skills and visions to help others learn and ultimately create an influential, desired nursing profession. As a result, I now understand that I must be a continuous learner and create a learning experience that is adaptable and inclusive, as well as promotes assessment and evaluation of the learning needs. I have seen how active learning and learner-based experiences have become the focus in classroom, clinical, online, and professional learning environments. I have become a leader, role model, and change agent that inspires others to learn and grow as individuals and as an organization.

I started my discovery as a nurse educator by serving in the role as the lead preceptor in Children’s Emergency Department, where I was employed as a registered nurse for 6 years. In this role, I developed the foundation of skills teaching new employees and I discovered my passion for education. As a result, I entered the MSN program at Nebraska Methodist College in the Fall of 2014. Throughout the time in graduate school, I took on the role as a Clinical Nurse Educator in the PICU at Children’s. I also taught an Assessment Across the Lifespan course to nursing students at Nebraska Methodist College and now teach Pediatric Advanced Life Support to healthcare professionals. My various educational and professional experiences have served as a stimulus in my growth and development of who I am today. My passion and dedication for nursing, along with my positive attitude and nurturing spirit have guided me to be a positive role model and mentor in my field. I strive to create a classroom that is open and encourages reflection, critical thinking, and exploration of new ideas and experiences. I hope to instill a sense of love and passion for learning in others.

In the academic classroom setting throughout my practicum experiences, I have assumed the scholarship role of integration, application, and teaching. Communication is a key aspect in my role of integration. I teach about the importance of communication in the nursing practice setting, in which nurses will have to communicate with several disciplines to provide the patient with complete, whole-person care. Multiple methods of communication were used to create an active learning environment for learners in my practicum experience, including oral, written, and kinesthetic. Communication is important in integration because education is communicated to students in several different methods in order to merge different teaching styles and accommodate for the different learning methods by students.

There is a strong need for educators to be continually learning and researching and thus being a resource for educating others on high quality, up-to-date, evidence-based nursing care to promote and improve health among at-risk populations. I reflected on my current career and how my passion has influenced my growth. As a nurse educator, I can enhance my leadership skills by surrounding myself in an institution that fosters role-modeling, guidance training, and leadership/management opportunities. I will influence individuals to create and explore their personal understanding and knowledge of the world, through participating in various experiences and continuous reflection on those experiences. In my philosophy of teaching, my key role will be to continuously assess how the students are learning. I do and will continue to serve as an active facilitator to stimulate the reflection and create an environment of open communication. As a nursing educator, I will focus on teaching delegation and prioritization skills, as well as unique problem solving strategies using available resources. My future awaits. I do know I will discover my dream, create a vision, communicate the vision to others, and create a positive, influential relationship in order to create a future full of continuous learning and teaching.