Expert Clinician to Novice Nurse Educator: Learning from First-Hand Narratives

Research shows that the sharing of personal, first-hand stories not only enhances learning and eases the transition to a new role, but also helps novice educators understand that their challenges are shared by others. With the goal of improving the experience of nurses making the transition from the role of clinician to that of educator, this unique book presents the findings of a phenomenological study focused on the research question, What is the lived experience of clinicians as they assume new roles as clinical nurse educators? These narratives describe challenges and transformations in each nurses identity and relationships during the transition process. The text includes recommendations from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a framework for interpreting these stories. The narratives are from 32 nurses who participated in a four-day Clinical Nurse Educator Academy while they were transitioning from a clinicians role to that of an educator. While they had diverse clinical and educational backgrounds, there were consistent similarities between the experiences they described. One of the common threads was the inevitability of having to embrace being in the role of novice and accepting the initial discomfort often inherent in a new situation. This acceptance is what helped them to succeed. The book will serve as a valuable text for graduate students in nurse educator courses as well as students and nurses seeking support, insight, and inspiration in their transition to the clinical nurse educator role. Key Features:: Presents experiential narratives from 32 nurses who made the transition from clinician to educator Eases a nurses transition from the role of expert to that of novice Includes research-based insights in a highly accessible style and format Integrates National League for Nursing Core Competencies into the text Provides inspiring, helpful, and comforting guidance for nurse clinicians feeling lost or confused in a new role