Faculty Development In Nursing Education What Is Faculty Development?
Faculty development refers to the planned and structured professional training of faculty members to enhance their effectiveness in their roles. This process encompasses career planning, focusing on educational approaches, the educational environment, leadership in nursing education, and scholarship. It involves continuous learning and growth for novice, mid-career, and experienced faculty members to improve their skills and competencies as educators (Finke, 2009).
Implementation of Faculty Development Program in Nursing
Faculty development is crucial for the professional growth of nursing educators. Felver et al. (2010) argue that faculty development should be a lifelong learning process that is intentional, planned, and proactive. The process of faculty development involves career planning and should be aligned with the National League for Nursing (NLN) Core Competencies for Nurse Educators.
The NLN Core Competencies for Nurse Educators were created by the Task Group on Nurse Educator Competencies (NLN, 2005) and provide a comprehensive framework for faculty development. These eight core competencies include:
- Facilitating student learning
- Facilitating learner development and socialization
- Using assessment and evaluation strategies
- Participating in curriculum design and evaluation of program outcomes
- Functioning as a change agent and leader
- Pursuing continuous quality improvement in the nurse educator role
- Engaging in scholarships
- Functioning within the educational environment
These competencies encompass 66 task statements that are considered essential for the role of a nurse educator. They provide a comprehensive view of the faculty role and help guide faculty development over time.
Faculty development should consist of learning activities that expand the knowledge base of nurse educators, increase their skills and competencies, and enhance their effectiveness in their roles. These activities may include educational conferences, webinars, courses, workshops, online modules, mentoring programs, peer support systems, and centers for teaching excellence.
The development process begins with orientation to the educational institution and opportunities to facilitate student learning. Once faculty have a strong foundation in student learning, including assessment and evaluation, the focus should shift to curriculum development and evaluation, leadership development, and scholarly activities. Faculty should also create a reflective faculty development plan that assesses their current knowledge and identifies future development opportunities. Reflective practice is considered an essential component of faculty development, as it helps faculty recognize additional areas for growth (Brookfield, 1995; Tanner, 2006).
Impact of Faculty Development in Nursing
The responsibility for faculty development is shared among the faculty member, department chair, academic administrators, and the college or university (Finke, 2009). According to Barksdale et al. (2011), faculty development programs are essential for preparing novice educators and ensuring that faculty remain current and effective with new teaching strategies. Faculty development helps educators transform their teaching practices, supports professional growth, assists with faculty promotion, and aids in retaining faculty members (Felver et al., 2010).
Effective faculty development programs are designed to motivate faculty and reduce the stress associated with learning their roles and responsibilities. Instructors often have high expectations of themselves, and unclear roles or expectations can cause additional stress (Brazeau & Woodward, 2012). A formalized faculty development program, such as the one developed by Foley et al. (2003), provides opportunities for professional growth by enhancing faculty skills and aims to recruit and retain nursing faculty.
Faculty development plans should be individualized and consider the personal goals and development needs of each faculty member. Programs should support faculty across their career stages—novice, mid-career, and expert—by focusing on their specific roles and responsibilities. For example, Barksdale et al. (2011) designed a faculty development program for novice educators that included instructional development, mentoring in the academic and educator role, and career development.
It is crucial to work closely with faculty to design personalized professional development plans that align with their unique needs and help them succeed in their roles as nursing educators. Nursing faculty are responsible for maintaining and developing their competencies in various areas, including facilitating student learning, teaching strategies, assessment, evaluation, curriculum development, scholarship, and leadership.
Faculty development programs should support the professional growth of educators throughout their careers, helping them stay current with changes in the academic environment. Academic institutions should prioritize faculty development to retain students and foster institutional and individual excellence.
Further Research and Considerations
Future research should focus on evaluating the effectiveness of current faculty development activities and determining whether they need to be revised or improved. Research should also explore new and emerging technologies that could support faculty development initiatives. Personalized faculty development programs that focus on assisting faculty with promotion and career advancement should be considered.
Faculty development should be tailored to each institution’s mission, vision, and goals. A needs assessment should be conducted within each organization to design a planned process for faculty development. This approach will ensure that faculty members receive the support they need to thrive in their roles and contribute to the institution’s overall success.
Conclusion
Faculty development is a critical component of nursing education that supports the professional growth and retention of educators. By implementing structured and personalized development programs, institutions can help faculty members enhance their skills, stay current with teaching strategies, and achieve their career goals. Effective faculty development not only benefits the individual faculty members but also improves the overall quality of nursing education and patient care.