ABSTRACT
Entering into academia as a nurse educator requires a major transition from the practice arena to the educational world. The nurse, often an expert clinician, enters as a novice educator. Lessons learned from personal experience and a literature review were integrated. These lessons are organized into three categories: knowledge deficit, culture and support, and salary and workload. Findings are shared with new nursing faculty to ease the transition.
AUTHORS
Received: March 13, 2008
Accepted: August 25, 2008
Posted: October 30, 2009
Ms. McDonald is Nursing Instructor, Chippewa Valley Technical College, River Falls, Wisconsin, and Staff Nurse, Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota.
The author thanks Valinda Pearson, PhD, RN, for editorial assistance with this manuscript and Kathleen Kalb, PhD, RN, coordinator of the Master of Arts Degree in Nursing, educator concentration. The author also thanks her husband, Daniel, and children, Jacob and Rebecca, for their support during the journey to a master’s degree in nursing.
Address correspondence to Paula Jo McDonald, MA, RN, CPON, Nursing Instructor, Chippewa Valley Technical College, 500 South Wasson Lane, River Falls, WI 54022; e-mail: pmcdonald6@cvtc.edu.
doi:10.3928/01484834-20091022-02
