Article Critique The Professoriate HIED 8500
Article Critique 2 Wow, I really wish I had read this article prior to taking this class! It would have saved me from my deer in the headlights moments of not understanding an institutions breakdown of faculty and obligations. This article explains that the reason for the shortage of nursing is due to the diminishing pool of nursing faculty. I was baffled to read that over that the year this article was written an estimated 40,000 qualified applicants to baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs were turned away due to the shortage of faculty. This article explains types of faculty appointments, educational qualifications needed for teaching, things to consider when taking a faculty position, what to expect when beginning a faculty position, the work environment, and opportunities for faculty development. When considering types of faculty appointments, first you should have an understanding of the appointment system. I know I did not have this knowledge before taking this class. The appointment system will vary depending on the institution. Tenure, also described as a permanent job contract is geared toward faculty with PhD s who are expected to perform all aspects of responsibilities including teaching, scholarship/research, service to the university and community, as well as nursing practice. Faculty who are hired into a tenure-track position are expected to demonstrate specific criteria, depending on the institution, that over a period of time is performed and once this faculty member has demonstrated excellence in this criteria (usually over a 5-10 year span) is evaluated by the institution and peers to determine if tenure is warranted. A non-tenure tract faculty position may be considered for faculty that do not want all the responsibilities associated with someone who is on a tenure track. Full-time nontenure faculty may spend more time teaching and less time with service and scholarship.
Article Critique 3 Non-tenured faculty in many institutions have titles that have the prefix clinical before the given faculty title. For example, instead of the tenured titled Associate Professor, the non-tenured title would be Clinical Associate Professor. According to this article, nurses who are have a PhD and prefer to have a career in research in an academic institution may be offered a non-tenured-track faculty appointment as a research scientist. This type of faculty will be responsible for producing and circulating new knowledge. There are also part-time or adjunct faculty positions for both clinical and classroom instructors. According to this article, a part-time clinical teaching appointment is a great way to enter a faculty position. These individuals usually have other jobs outside of the school of nursing or may just want the flexibility of being part-time. Before reading this article and taking The Professoriate, I only thought of teaching as a part-time or full-time option. I now have a better understanding about faculty appointments. Qualifications for teaching in nursing vary depending on the nursing program being taught. I have always been told, a rule of thumb for teaching in nursing is to have a degree higher than those they teach. For example, if you are a faculty in an entry-level nursing program (associates level) you would need to hold a bachelors degree. However, according this to article nursing programs strongly prefer faculty that has received their PhD. Non-doctoral prepared faculty may be expected to obtain a doctorate within a certain time period of becoming a faculty member. Those graduates that are doctoral candidates have more academic role knowledge as well as have learned educational methods that can assist with teaching. When considering a faculty position in nursing, it will be necessary to understand what the individual seeking employment wants and to know what exactly the nursing
Article Critique 4 program needs. It can be beneficial to research the institution you are seeking employment at and to learn more about the institutions expectations. Teaching position postings may not always be easy to find, so it is important to network and contact nursing schools about potential faculty positions. The nurse educator role can have its benefits such as flexible work hours and autonomy. However, there are some challenges that may present with being a nurse educator such as lower salary than if were practicing in a clinical setting and intense workloads. It is important for the individual seeking a nurse educator role to consider what is best for them by weighing the pros and cons. The expectations of a beginning faculty member can be overwhelming. As a new nurse, I was expected to learn the rules and regulations of the clinical setting. As a new nursing faculty member, you are expected to be knowledgeable about your clinical specialty as well as the expectations of your faculty role and be well informed about your institution. According to this article learning information about the institution you are working for such as the academic mission and hierarchy, faculty responsibilities, promotion system and educational policies, can make your transition more comfortable. The missions and philosophies of the institution serve as a guide to understand how its population is served. Not only will the institutions mission and philosophy guide new nursing faculty, but the nursing school s philosophy will have stated outcomes that are expected and can help guide faculty teaching. Determining the hierarchy scale within the institution as well as the nursing department can be beneficial for methods of communication. New faculty roles and responsibilities are very important to grasp to ensure success and job stability. Depending on the type of faculty appointment, nurse educator
Article Critique 5 roles vary. Part-time or adjunct faculty may be required only to teach and evaluate their students. Full-time faculty may be required to teach in class as well as clinicals, and take on other duties depending on the institutions expectations. Other duties may consist of scholarship/research, service, and student advising. Having an understanding of faculty expectations will help new faculty transition in their role. Academic rank and type of position is determined when faculty is hired. Promotions are based on education, academic experience, teaching efficiency, publications, research, scholarship, service, as well as leadership. Maintaining a curriculum vita (CV) will be necessary to detail experience through the years and will be required during promotion. A new faculty member should become familiar with the institutions faculty handbook and educational policies. By gaining a familiarization regarding policies faculty can become more comfortable in their work environment. It is also helpful in getting clarification of questions raised over time and how to handle them. Faculty development opportunities are abundant for faculty. Theses opportunities are based on enhancing teaching abilities. Depending on the institution, new faculty may be given a support system to help transition the individual into their new role. Examples include having a mentor for direct support, requirement for faculty development activities and faculty workshops. However, some institutions may expect the faculty to explore professional development opportunities on their own. This article also stressed something that has been mentioned a lot in The Professoriate, which is the importance of networking. While there may be school-specific opportunities for faculty development, conferences are designed to further educate faculty. Conferences are a way to learn more
Article Critique 6 outside your institution as well as gain an outside network of colleagues. It is important to know what opportunities are available to help further faculty development. In conclusion, this article is reflective of the many topics that we have learned in this class. I found it very informative and really wish that I had been given this article my first semester of the master s program. Transitioning from nursing practice to a teaching role can be a great opportunity to influence the next generation of nurses. Having an understanding and a better knowledge regarding faculty roles, qualifications necessary for teaching, considerations in taking a faculty position, what to expect as a new faculty member, the work environment, and faculty development opportunities all are beneficial for someone like me who will soon be in the market for a nurse educator faculty position. While this article personalized each description in regards to nursing, I feel that it just reinforced everything we have been learning in The Professoriate class.
Article Critique 7 References Penn, B., Wilson, L., & Rosseter, R. (2008). Transitioning from nursing practice to a teaching role. The Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, (13) 1, 1-15. doi: 10.3912/OJIN.Vol13No03Man03