Personal Information and Development of Educator RoleMy journey into nursing education began in 1997. I graduated from Ferris State University School of nursing in May 1997, summa cum laude, and entered the world of novice nursing. I began a nine month orientation on a medical surgical floor in a small rural hospital after which I was transferred to the emergency department. The experiences of the medical surgical environment provided enough confidence and learning to allow me to embrace the challenges of emergency care. The particular challenges of a rural emergency department require nurses to be motivated, highly independent, assertive, and well educated. The demands of the position matched my skills well, and the challenges taught me more than I can ever repay.
After three years in the emergency nurse role, I was recruited by an agency that provides Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) classes across the country and across the healthcare spectrum to teach. Previously, teaching had not been one of my career goals and I accepted the trial position with reservations. Teaching one class in PALS to a group of 62 nurse anesthetists proved to be an anxiety inducing and highly rewarding experience. Following my teaching debut, I pursued every opportunity to teach while continuing to work full time in the emergency department. The following five years I taught across the country and to everyone from dental hygienists to emergency physicians. The broad spectrum of students required me to adjust my teaching strategies to match my audience, and in those instances where I was teaching to a mixed audience, to introduce creativity so that every member of the class reached a high level of understanding of the material presented. I learned how to keep the seasoned veterans interested while bringing the inexperienced students the knowledge they needed. As my teaching experience progressed, I discovered a deep abiding passion for teaching. In 2007 I began my RN to BSN completion courses via an on line university. I found the learning curriculum stimulating and was deeply interested to learn in a continuous communication environment. The curriculum was particularly challenging in the depth and detail of the assignments. I enjoyed this learning experience and graduated with my Bachelor’s in nursing in 2009. In 2010 I was offered the position of clinical nurse faculty for Ferris State University, which I gratefully embraced. For two years I taught a variety of levels of nursing students from first to final semester in several settings including urban large hospitals and a small rural hospital. Again, the variety of experiences stretched my capabilities and challenged my creativity. My devotion to teaching was amply rewarded during this time and continued to grow. In September 2011 I was invited by Ferris State University to become an instructor in the newly developing simulation laboratory. From the very beginning, I felt a deep sense of homecoming as education and technology merged in this high fidelity learning environment. I worked tirelessly to bring all the components of the technology into play and into congruence with the teaching modality which was being developed to create an integration tool to bridge the divide between didactic and clinical learning experiences. In December 2011 I was offered the position of clinical coordinator and simulation coordinator for the School of Nursing at Ferris State University. I assumed this position in January 2012. The coordinator position has allowed me to appreciate a whole new view of the education process and has allowed me to work within the realm that spans from basic skills labs to textbook assimilation to clinical experiences. I have worked assiduously to ensure a high level of excellence in the clinical experiences the students are assigned by increasing communication between didactic faculty and clinical nurse faculty, increasing communication of expectations between the university and the clinical sites, and by being a liaison between all invested parties. I have worked closely with the theory faculty and the simulation staff to create an integrated simulation experience that is a realistic, professional, and challenging to the student while remaining a safe environment for learning. In September 2012 I began my Masters program with a focus in nursing education. I will graduate with my Masters in Nursing Education December 2015. I am eager to return to the education role, and my ideal role would involve teaching pharmacology and pathophysiology. My passion for the simulation laboratory continues and I am eager to continue to expand the interprofessional learning opportunities as well as the virtual experiences. I see technology that integrates the traditional education tools with exciting, creative, innovative teaching strategies as a prime method of increasing student comprehension and retention as well as inducing a lifelong love of learning. My five year goals include expanding simulation laboratory possibilities not only within the program but within community partnerships, expanding my teaching repertoire into further didactic, simulation and online opportunities, as well as beginning my terminal degree. My ten year goal includes completion of terminal degree and tenure track professorship or leadership position as well as building a simulation program and center that is recognized state-wide. |