Introduction
I had the privilege of interviewing two nurse educators. Audrey Shafer RN MS is an assistant professor at Monroe Community College and Dorothy Vandervoort RN MS CCRN is a clinical professor at the University of Rochester School of Nursing. Monroe Community College has an Associate degree program and the University of Rochester has an accelerated Bachelor program. Audrey Shafer teaches in the classroom and clinical settings. Dorothy Vandervoort teaches in the simulation lab and clinical setting.
Academia
Audrey Shafer RN MS
Audrey Shafer is an assistant professor at Monroe Community College in their Associate degree program. She has been a registered nurse for 21 years and has spent the past 10 years teaching. Audrey began her teaching career by slowly branching over from clinical instruction to both clinical and classroom instruction. She has her MS in Nursing Administration. Audrey is also employed by Rochester Regional Health System at Rochester General Hospital on their Medical Oncology and Pulmonary step down units. This is where her student instruction takes place. She teaches Adult and Pediatric Medical Nursing in the last semester of the program at MCC. Students who are accepted to MCC come for a variety of reasons. Some are trying to gain a second career. Some are stay at home moms. Others have lost jobs and are trying to find new employment. The average age of MCC nursing students is early to mid thirties. About 15-20% are male and many students come with English as a second language.
Audrey describes her role as a nurse educator as one of mentorship. She sees herself as a role model for her students. The example she sets in the classroom and in the clinical setting she hopes will be remembered in a positive light. Her desire is to not just delve deep into disease processes and academic material, but to help students learn how to critically think. She wants them to be able to think like a nurse upon graduation.
When Audrey sees the excitement of new nurses as they progress through the program and embark on their new careers in nursing she feels accomplished. She loves to watch the students love what they are doing. For many of Audrey’s students the education they gain is life changing. She loves being a part of that life change.
As with most groups of students there are a few that are less motivated than others. Audrey sees the need for students to take responsibility for their own education and not to just coast through the program. Nursing is an art form and takes work. Dedication to the profession is important to Audrey, and when students do not take their responsibilities to heart and dedication is lacking, this places not only the students, but also the faculty in a difficult situation. There is a balance that needs to be maintained. For faculty, this includes committee work and educational requirements that may take time away from class time preparation and focusing on student achievement.
Audrey’s future plans included reaching the position of associate professor by next year. She started out her career as an educator in the position of adjunct faculty and she has incrementally progressed to higher standing within the MCC nursing faculty. She wishes to continue to grow in her practice and teaching. Audrey will be staying at MCC until she retires. As for right now she will not be pursuing her doctorate, however she has not completely left it out of the picture she has designed for her career; maybe in the future.
As I embark on a new journey into the world of nursing education, Audrey left me with a few words of advice. She told me love what I do. Love to teach. If you are unable to put love into your instruction, the students will suffer as well as yourself. Also, love to learn. Life-long learning is highly encouraged in nursing today and keeping current with trends in nursing is expected of educators by their students. She also stated that good communication skills are one of the most important attributes a nurse educator can possess, but the most important attribute of all is patience. Above all, patience will allow the nurse educator to become successful at instruction.
Audrey Shafer is an assistant professor at Monroe Community College in their Associate degree program. She has been a registered nurse for 21 years and has spent the past 10 years teaching. Audrey began her teaching career by slowly branching over from clinical instruction to both clinical and classroom instruction. She has her MS in Nursing Administration. Audrey is also employed by Rochester Regional Health System at Rochester General Hospital on their Medical Oncology and Pulmonary step down units. This is where her student instruction takes place. She teaches Adult and Pediatric Medical Nursing in the last semester of the program at MCC. Students who are accepted to MCC come for a variety of reasons. Some are trying to gain a second career. Some are stay at home moms. Others have lost jobs and are trying to find new employment. The average age of MCC nursing students is early to mid thirties. About 15-20% are male and many students come with English as a second language.
Audrey describes her role as a nurse educator as one of mentorship. She sees herself as a role model for her students. The example she sets in the classroom and in the clinical setting she hopes will be remembered in a positive light. Her desire is to not just delve deep into disease processes and academic material, but to help students learn how to critically think. She wants them to be able to think like a nurse upon graduation.
When Audrey sees the excitement of new nurses as they progress through the program and embark on their new careers in nursing she feels accomplished. She loves to watch the students love what they are doing. For many of Audrey’s students the education they gain is life changing. She loves being a part of that life change.
As with most groups of students there are a few that are less motivated than others. Audrey sees the need for students to take responsibility for their own education and not to just coast through the program. Nursing is an art form and takes work. Dedication to the profession is important to Audrey, and when students do not take their responsibilities to heart and dedication is lacking, this places not only the students, but also the faculty in a difficult situation. There is a balance that needs to be maintained. For faculty, this includes committee work and educational requirements that may take time away from class time preparation and focusing on student achievement.
Audrey’s future plans included reaching the position of associate professor by next year. She started out her career as an educator in the position of adjunct faculty and she has incrementally progressed to higher standing within the MCC nursing faculty. She wishes to continue to grow in her practice and teaching. Audrey will be staying at MCC until she retires. As for right now she will not be pursuing her doctorate, however she has not completely left it out of the picture she has designed for her career; maybe in the future.
As I embark on a new journey into the world of nursing education, Audrey left me with a few words of advice. She told me love what I do. Love to teach. If you are unable to put love into your instruction, the students will suffer as well as yourself. Also, love to learn. Life-long learning is highly encouraged in nursing today and keeping current with trends in nursing is expected of educators by their students. She also stated that good communication skills are one of the most important attributes a nurse educator can possess, but the most important attribute of all is patience. Above all, patience will allow the nurse educator to become successful at instruction.
Reflection
Audrey has the rare talent of making a person feel comfortable and confident in her presence. She encourages and instills a desire to learn more from her. Audrey truly enjoys her job. Her ability to touch the lives of so many new nurses is an accomplishment and a source of pride for Audrey. Yet she is humble in her attitude. Audrey is a nurse educator to be emulated and I will continue to look for opportunities to learn from her.
Clinical
Dorothy M. Vandervoort RN MS CCRN
Dorothy, or Dot as her students, patients, and peers more affectionately know her, has a total of 37 years experience as a registered nurse. She received her MS in nursing administration from New York University, her MS as a clinical nurse specialist in Med-Surg from University of Buffalo, and her post-masters primary care NP from University of Buffalo. Dot is also a certified Critical Care Registered Nurse. She is employed at the University of Rochester School of Nursing as a clinical instructor for adult med-surg. Dot also teaches in the simulation lab. Students may also have her as their capstone instructor as they near the end of their nursing program.
The students that are enrolled in the accelerated BS program where Dot teaches are adult learners with a variety of learning needs and an array of learning styles. There is also a wide age range. The average age of the students is about 28 years old. They come with varying backgrounds, cultures, and life experiences. This makes it both exciting and challenging for Dot. It is challenging in the sense that the students all learn differently and at a different pace. Some take tests well, and others do not. Some are better at writing essays than others. The trick is to understand where the students are coming from and how they learn best. The excitement comes when Dot sees the understanding click within the individual students. When the student engages with the material and the patient, and the light bulb turns on, that is the moment Dot works for.
For Dot, she plans on continuing to educate new nurses in the clinical setting. She has started to slowly pull out of some of her responsibilities as a clinical nurse as she is looking to retirement in the next 5-6 years however. Dot will maintain her registration and certifications as she continues to teach and into retirement.
As we closed the interview, Dot mentioned several things for me to keep in mind as I embark on my career as a new nurse educator. She stated that I need to know what my educational requirements are for the institution I am working at or am applying to. Dot encouraged me to have a plan. This will enable me to maintain and enhance my situation as an educator. Patience was a quality that Dot said was important for the nurse educator to have. Some situations may be frustrating. Some students may just need extra time to understand the material. Patience will go a long way in the world of education. Pertaining to students, Dot stated that it was important to make clear objectives and make your expectations for the students clear. Making sure that you know your students early on and what their needs may be. Pick out the struggling students early or you may be trying to catch up with the rest of the students as well.
Dorothy, or Dot as her students, patients, and peers more affectionately know her, has a total of 37 years experience as a registered nurse. She received her MS in nursing administration from New York University, her MS as a clinical nurse specialist in Med-Surg from University of Buffalo, and her post-masters primary care NP from University of Buffalo. Dot is also a certified Critical Care Registered Nurse. She is employed at the University of Rochester School of Nursing as a clinical instructor for adult med-surg. Dot also teaches in the simulation lab. Students may also have her as their capstone instructor as they near the end of their nursing program.
The students that are enrolled in the accelerated BS program where Dot teaches are adult learners with a variety of learning needs and an array of learning styles. There is also a wide age range. The average age of the students is about 28 years old. They come with varying backgrounds, cultures, and life experiences. This makes it both exciting and challenging for Dot. It is challenging in the sense that the students all learn differently and at a different pace. Some take tests well, and others do not. Some are better at writing essays than others. The trick is to understand where the students are coming from and how they learn best. The excitement comes when Dot sees the understanding click within the individual students. When the student engages with the material and the patient, and the light bulb turns on, that is the moment Dot works for.
For Dot, she plans on continuing to educate new nurses in the clinical setting. She has started to slowly pull out of some of her responsibilities as a clinical nurse as she is looking to retirement in the next 5-6 years however. Dot will maintain her registration and certifications as she continues to teach and into retirement.
As we closed the interview, Dot mentioned several things for me to keep in mind as I embark on my career as a new nurse educator. She stated that I need to know what my educational requirements are for the institution I am working at or am applying to. Dot encouraged me to have a plan. This will enable me to maintain and enhance my situation as an educator. Patience was a quality that Dot said was important for the nurse educator to have. Some situations may be frustrating. Some students may just need extra time to understand the material. Patience will go a long way in the world of education. Pertaining to students, Dot stated that it was important to make clear objectives and make your expectations for the students clear. Making sure that you know your students early on and what their needs may be. Pick out the struggling students early or you may be trying to catch up with the rest of the students as well.
Reflection
Dot is a genuine person and honest in everything she does. She cares about her students and hopes that they will excel in their careers as nurses. She taught me that it is a difficult task at times, but well worth the effort to see your students succeed. As varied as the human race is, so are a group of students, and this makes teaching challenging as well as exciting. As a new nurse educator, I will strive to treat all students fairly, and give them the attention and consideration they deserve. I will be patient with students and most importantly with myself as I embark on this new journey of nurse educator. Dot has years of experience, not only as an educator, but as a registered nurse as well, and I wish I could have spent more time gleaning wisdom from her.
Final Reflection
The roles of the academic and clinical educators are linked. Students gain knowledge and expertise from both. The classroom is where the knowledge and understanding are planted and the clinical setting is where real world application of this knowledge and understanding occurs and blossoms.