Nurse Educator Interview

Interview Questions for Dr. Tarte:
1). How long did you work as a bedside nurse? I worked as a bedside nurse off and on for over 11 years

2). What made you decide to leave bedside nursing and become a Nurse Educator? I knew I could do more for the department than I was being allowed to do. I originally left bedside nursing full time to work as a Supervisor-Educator in Emergency Services although I still staffed when needed. I then worked in Nursing Informatics and taught in that role. Even though my title was not that of a nursing educator, I taught nurses weekly, as well as Doctors, CNAs, Respiratory staff, Radiology staff, Laboratory staff, and students from all healthcare backgrounds.

3). What are your teaching philosophy and goals of nursing education? (this one is a long one)
I have been an educator my entire life. I taught my friends how to play jump sticks, my sister how to handle mean people, and when I was in nursing school, I taught a room full of kindergarteners how to wash their hands properly (it was part of our clinical rotation). I realize some may see that as a stretch, but Ive taught people throughout college and now in the professional world. I believe it is important for all nurses to be educators. Nurses educate patients, family members, our communities, students, and teammates. We educate to share knowledge. Knowledge is not power, sharing knowledge is power!
Our patients need to know about their disease processes, medications (usages, dosages, and potential side effects), treatment procedures and discharge planning. We train family members how to adjust to their loved ones diseases and the greatest approach to caring for them. We alert communities about public health issues, safety, and their best approach to healthier lifestyles. As nurses, we are forever busy educating students in their clinical surroundings and we share our knowledge with peers in order to approach the healthcare world in a more powerful manner.
I believe that nurse educators must be nurturing, caring, and compassionate towards their students. We must acknowledge that nursing is both an art and a science and have know-how in psychomotor, affective, and intellectual skills in order to teach their students. Nurse educators must serve as role models for their students and teach appropriate and necessary socialization as well as sharing knowledge. Nursing students must be taught that treating a patient often involves a complex web of trained health care personnel to address different needs, such as occupational therapists, physicians, and pharmacists. Nurse educators must be able to teach their students how to appropriately interact with other members of the health care team.
As a nurse educator, I believe that group work is essential for the development of social skills, sharing knowledge, acknowledging personal differences, and overall for the socialization of the nursing student. Knowledge and role-play with interdisciplinary health care team members is important to help the nursing student understand their role in patient care and the health care delivery process. Group work challenges students to deal with different ideas and viewpoints, and encourages critical thinking.
Nurse educators must utilize multiple teaching styles to most efficiently reach their students. Not all students learn in the same way and not all teaching material is intended to be taught in one particular style. It is imperative that nurse educators take inventory of their students learning styles and plan their lessons and curriculum so the widest variety of learning styles can be addressed and a majority of students receive information in a way that they can best process and utilize.
Nurse educators must take into consideration student disability, cultural and generational differences, as well as familiarity with technology. Students are not just an open book to be filled with knowledge; they come with their own set of knowledge and experiences as well as personalities. Nursing is a field that is primarily dominated by females and it is important that nurse educators do not participate in gender bias with their students. Nursing students are a diverse population and nursing instructors must be able to set aside any biases they have in order to promote a positive, caring learning environment. Nurse educators must be able to adapt to their student population in order to facilitate an accommodating learning environment.
Nurse educators can learn just as much from their students as their students can learn from them. They must be able to acknowledge their mistakes and accept responsibility if they misinform their students or students find conflicting information about a particular topic. Nurse educators must be open to pursuing and learning new information, as well as learning information about topics outside of their expertise to broaden their knowledge base. It is important for nurse educators to be up to date on best nursing practices/evidence-based practice and current research in their field of expertise.
Nurse educators must be knowledgeable and passionate about their subject of interest. Nurse educators must be able to keep their students engaged in difficult learning material that may not be easily understood by students. They must be able to facilitate learning by promoting critical thinking and challenging students in both the classroom and the clinical setting. Nurse educators are critical in the facilitation of nursing students learning, personal and professional growth, and success in a nursing program.
4). What teaching style do you normally use with your students? I normally use a facilitator and hybrid style mixture of teaching.

5). How do you evaluate your students? I evaluate my students with written assignments, discussions, quizzes, tests, and their performance clinically with assigned tasks at the bedside during clinical rotations. I teach at two separate universities.

6). How do you know that student/nurse goals are being met? I follow our university policies, the outlined course objectives/goals, and assessments defined for the course. If my students are successful in all areas, they are successful in my course.

7). What additional support do you provide if a student/ nurse is having difficulty? I send out weekly emails to students and if I find that particular students are having difficulty, I will send them a personal email asking questions if they are alright or if they need assistance. If I do not get a response in a timely fashion (48-72 hours) I will send another email and call the student on the phone and text them. I let them know, they matter to me!

8). How do you ensure you are engaging student/nurse learning? If I get questions on my Questions for the Instructor’ area in Canvas I do my best to answer within 24-48 hours; I email weekly (sometimes more); I answer texts constantly; I keep my eye on students who turn in assignments ‘late’ and offer support and ask if there is anything I can do to assist; I ‘work with’ students who need additional time (if I give one student additional time, I do not count others late. If I do for one, I do for all)

9). What are some challenges you face as a Nurse Educator? I’ve been taken advantage of because I had a HORRIBLE experience as an undergraduate student, and I do not want any student to feel the way I did, so I give students chances. Many times, they can use that as ammunition to take advantage of my kindness.

10). How do you assist a student who is not performing adequately in academics? I work with them. I refer them to student services. I have assisted them in withdrawing from the course because I did not want their GPA to suffer. I have also assisted students in taking an Incomplete in the course until they could complete their work correctly. I want them to be successful.

11). Can you tell me about a positive experience you have had in teaching students/nurses? I taught a CNA student several years ago who was about to graduate from NC State in Chemistry. He was only doing Chemistry because his parents made him. He was taking the CNA course for fun. He was good! I asked him if he had ever thought about nursing? He hadn’t and I introduced him to the bridge program. BSN in anything could get you into a nursing program, and in 18 months, you could get your BSN in nursing. He did it at UNC-Chapel Hill (in North Carolina- BIG Rivals HA HA) He graduated and called me up! I was so proud of him. He didn’t stop there. He is now a CRNA. WOW!!!!!! We are still friends!

12). Can you share with me any advice pros and cons of becoming a nursing educator? If you want to be a nurse educator, give your students your ALL! They deserve it! FIGHT for them! They deserve it! I love what I do, and my students love me! I am truly blessed!!!!

Dr. Tarte

Dr. Val Tarte DNP, MSN, RN
704-574-2191 cell
Nursing Professional

Nurse Educator Interview Paper
Assignment Guidelines
Your interview paper should include:
Who does the interviewee teach?
What does your interviewee teach and where?
Trends and changes in nursing education as experienced by the person you interviewed.
A reflection that compares your interview data to class readings and the literature that you reviewed prior to conducting the interview (pay special attention to trends, themes, concepts, and changes in nursing education)
What you learned as a result of this assignment
A conclusion discussing your personal thoughts, opinions, views, and insights related to the specific area of nursing education of your interviewee
Your paper should be at least 34 pages (excluding the cover and reference pages), typed in Times New Roman using 12-point font, and double-spaced with 1″ margins. Your paper should be written in APA format (6th edition) with correct spelling and grammar and include references as appropriate.

NURS535 Nurse Educator Interview: The Paper
Criteria Ratings Pts
Demographic Information
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7.5 to >5.93 pts
Background on interviewee is addressed including occupation, teaching location, and teaching area.
5.93 to >4.43 pts
One piece of background information is missing: occupation, teaching location(s), or teaching area.
4.43 to >0 pts
At least two pieces of background information are missing: occupation, teaching location(s), or teaching area.
/ 7.5 pts
Trends & Changes
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45 to >35.55 pts
Trends and changes in nursing education as experienced by interviewee are clearly indicated.
35.55 to >26.55 pts
Trends and changes in nursing education as experienced by interviewee are included but somewhat lacking.
26.55 to >0 pts
Trends and changes in nursing education as experienced by interviewee are either absent or severely lacking.
/ 45 pts
Reflection & Learnings
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52.5 to >41.48 pts
Reflections and learning regarding interview data are well written and include references to class readings and literature.
41.48 to >30.98 pts
Reflections and learning regarding interview data are included and have some references to class readings and literature, but references or reflections are lacking.
30.98 to >0 pts
Reflections and learning regarding interview data are absent or minimal, and references to class readings and literature are absent or minimal.
/ 52.5 pts
Conclusion
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30 to >23.7 pts
Conclusion is clear and well written and includes personal thoughts, opinions, views, and insights regarding nursing education.
23.7 to >17.7 pts
Conclusion includes personal thoughts, opinions, views, and insights regarding nursing education, but is somewhat lacking.
17.7 to >0 pts
Conclusion is absent or does not includes personal thoughts, opinions, views, or insights regarding nursing education.
/ 30 pts
Organization, Writing, & APA
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15 to >11.85 pts
APA format (6th ed.) is followed, and written in APA formal letter format. Written in a clear, concise, formal, and organized manner. Information from sources is paraphrased appropriately and accurately cited.
11.85 to >8.85 pts
APA format (6th ed.) is mostly followed. Writing is generally clear and organized but is not concise or formal in language. Multiple errors exist in spelling and grammar with minor interference with readability or comprehension. Most information from sources is paraphrased and cited correctly.
8.85 to >0 pts
APA format (6th ed.) may not be followed. Writing is generally unclear and unorganized. Errors in spelling and grammar detract from readability and comprehension. Sources are missing or improperly cited.
/ 15 pts

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