NLN Core Competencies
"Let us never consider ourselves finished, nurses. We must be learning all of our lives"
- Florence Nightingale
Nurse Educator Core Competencies
Facilitate Learning
Competency I
Nurse educators must develop the knowledge, skills, and attributes to facilitate learning. They must share their enthusiasm for learning by inspiring their students to achieve greatness. Integrating evidence-based teaching strategies into their daily instruction creates opportunities for students to develop critical thinking skills. Creating active learning environments helps to incorporate the knowledge into their existing conceptual framework and facilitates understanding (Halstead, 2019).
I facilitate a culture of curiosity within the learning environment by encouraging students to explore how different concepts are connected and relate them to their real-life experiences.
I will implement activities developed from each learning theory during the first year of my teaching career. Feedback from students will guide my future efforts when developing future learning activities.
Facilitate Learner Development and Socialization
Competency II
Educators guide novice nurses through a continuum of education by developing their critical thinking and reasoning skills. Each concept builds upon another, leading to a deeper level of understanding. The morals and values students acquire facilitate their professional identity and reputation as a nurse. Educators focus on creating learning environments that promote self-reflection that focus on the socialization of the role of a nurse. Modeling professional behavior sets the standard for how students conduct themselves and develop values such as integrity, compassion, and empathy (Halstead, 2019).
I lead by example and encourage others to base their nursing practice on values such as integrity, empathy, and compassion.
In my future career, I will develop this competency by evaluating current research projects related to the subjects I am teaching and sharing the findings with my students and peers.
Function as a Change Agent and Leader
Competency V
Nurse educators advocate for nursing education and the profession as a whole. They develop leadership qualities in their students that will affect the future of nursing. They must conduct change by empowering others to seek the advancement of the nursing profession through education and scientific research. To do so requires the educator to advance their leadership skills and develop core competencies for which they lead. Additionally, academic leaders implement organizational and healthcare policy change strategies (Halstead, 2019).
I strive to empower my peers to communicate ideas about creating positive change. I lead others to be strong advocates for their patients and peers.
As I progress through my career, I will develop this competency by advancing my own leadership skills through self-reflection, community engagement, and team-building exercises.
Pursue Continuous Quality Improvement in the Nurse Educator Role
Competency VI
It is impossible to predict what the future of healthcare will be. Nurse educators must develop evidence-based curricula that prepare students to thrive in a continuously changing environment. They must remain current in educational, technological, societal, and nursing practice changes. By doing so, they will develop nurses to provide care, conduct research, influence public policy, and implement system-wide change. Educators must commit to lifelong learning and participate in career enhancement through professional development opportunities to enhance their educational role. They mentor students and colleagues by sharing their knowledge and experiences (Halstead, 2019).
I use my influence as a nurse to enact changes in hospital policies by collaborating with interdisciplinary teams to outline identified problems and propose solutions.
During my career, I will seek opportunities that deepen my understanding of legal and ethical issues related to higher education. I will acquire this information through independent research analysis and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Engage in Scholarship
Competency VII
To promote positive health outcomes locally, nationally, and globally, educators must seek opportunities to deepen their understanding of how students learn. To do this, they must implement scholarly activities within their expertise and disseminate knowledge to different audiences through various techniques. Lastly, they must demonstrate integrity, perseverance, creativity, and courage within their practice (Halstead, 2019).
In my nursing practice, I use my creativity to develop innovative solutions for systematic problems that will help my patient and other patients within the facility.
In my academic career, I will develop this competency by incorporating feedback from students and peers regarding the efficacy of instruction techniques and materials to understand better how students learn.
Function Within the Educational Enviornment
Competency VII
In order to function within the educational environment, educators must be able to assume the faculty role by encompassing the institution’s missions and goals. Recognizing that every academic entity has its standards, educators will act as leaders in influencing institutional change. They must actively participate in the institution’s governance system to do this. Collaborating and networking with internal and external partners allows educators to identify how social, economic, and political influences higher education. To enhance nursing’s influence within the academic community, they must display professionalism and respect for their colleagues (Halstead, 2019).
I am a member of the American Nurses Association (ANA) and utilize their academic resources to stay current on federal regulations related to the nursing profession.
Throughout my academic career, I will network with other professionals to evaluate current social, economic, and political influences affecting higher education.
References
Halstead, J. A. (2019). NLN core competencies for nurse educators: A decade of influence. NLN, National League for Nursing.
National League for Nursing. (2022). Core competencies for academic nurse educators. Strengthening the future of the nursing workforce. https://www.nln.org/education/nursing-education-competencies/core-competencies-for-academic-nurse-educators