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Engage in Scholarship
NLN Core Competency VII: Engage in Scholarship
Boyer identified four pieces that complete the puzzle of scholarship for nurse educators. These are application, discovery, integration, and teaching (Glanville & Houde, 2004). The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) helps define each of these scholarships.
Application: Where emphasis is on the use of new knowledge in solving society’s problems (AACN, 2016).
This scholarship is important to clinical advancement and clinical competency (AACN, 2016). I feel that keeping certifications current is important to maintain competency. I currently am BLS and PALS certified. In the next few years I would like to obtain my Certification for Nurse Educators (CNE) and eventually get my Doctorate. I would like to further my education to be a better resource to my students. I plan to attend conferences and workshops, read research journals, and complete continuing education to increase my knowledge. I think this also would help me be a future mentor for other nurse educators.
Discovery: Where new and unique knowledge is generated (AACN, 2016).
Research is a huge part of the scholarship of discovery. At my current job, nurses are continuously involved in various research projects at the bedside. We are the ones giving the research medications or trialing different equipment. I have come to realize the importance of research as I have helped patients participate in these studies. I hope to be involved in research in the future, whether it be in clinical research or nursing education research, I think all are important to the scholarship of discovery. Another facet of this scholarship is having a spirit of inquiry, which I believe is important (AACN, 2016). I hope to further develop this in myself and pass it on to my students.
Integration: Where new relationships among disciplines are discovered (AACN, 2016).
Integration combines knowledge from different disciplines to advance knowledge (AACN, 2016). I am very interested in public health, especially in maternal/newborn health. In the future I would like to share my knowledge of teaching with communities that don’t have the resources available to practice advanced care. This could include communities in the United States or in other countries. For now, I hope to collaborate with other health care professionals to increase the effectiveness of clinical and simulation for students.
Teaching: Where the teacher creatively builds bridges between his or her own understanding and the students’ learning (AACN, 2016).
I love learning and sharing what I have learned is exciting and very rewarding for me. Teachers must be knowledgeable in theory, curriculum design, and evaluation techniques (Halstead, 2007). I plan to continue learning through educator conferences and workshops. I also hope to find many wonderful mentors who I can trust to guide me through my first few years and give me new ideas and techniques to use in my teaching. In the future, I would like to help develop a new course or incorporate new technology into the classroom. I am also interested in developing simulation activities and increasing my knowledge of this technology. Eventually, I would like to be able to be a mentor to a new nurse educator and help them find their personal teaching style and demonstrate different techniques for teaching.
References
American Association of Colleges of Nursing. (2016). AACN position statement on defining scholarship for the discipline of nursing. Retrieved from http://www.aacn.nche.edu/publications/position/defining-scholarship
Glanville, I., & Houde, S. (2004). The scholarship of teaching: Implications for nursing faculty. Journal of Professional Nursing, 20(1), 7-14. doi:10.1016/j.profnurs.2003.12.002
Halstead, J. A. (2007). Nurse educator competencies: Creating an evidence-based practice for nurse educators. New York, NY: National League for Nursing.
