Maintaining Clinal Currency, Essay Example

Introduction

Maintaining current knowledge of the nursing profession requires nurse educators to embrace new and emerging trends within the field and to adapt those trends to educational strategies and frameworks. Nurse educators must identify new areas of knowledge that are relevant to current nursing practice objectives and promote these frameworks in an effort to achieve the desired academic outcomes. There are a number of strategies to consider in addressing the need for current knowledge, such as the identification of policies relevant to nurses, new and emerging technologies, practice techniques, healthcare costs, and communication issues. Remaining current in the knowledge base also supports the growth of nursing education to prepare graduates for a variety of situations. The following discussion will address these objectives and consider the importance of current knowledge in advancing nursing education to a new level.

Analysis

Nurse educators must maintain current knowledge and pass this on to their students so that they possess a level of credibility and support within the field (Fisher, 2005). Nurse educators are not always credible themselves, however, as they may be observed as limited in their knowledge and clinical scope because they do not perform hands-on clinical activities with patients (Fisher, 2005). Clinical currency is critical to achieve success as a nurse educator and to provide a challenging framework for nursing students to apply to real-world settings (Fisher, 2005). The academic setting is separate from the clinical environment, thereby making it difficult to be current in managing clinical perspectives if educators do not have current knowledge in these areas (Fisher, 2005). As a result, strategies must evolve that will be effective in providing nurse educators with the clinical framework that is necessary to enhance their credibility and to promote student growth (Fisher, 2005).

From a theoretical perspective, nurse educators are responsible for addressing some of the most current topics and relevant issues that nurses encounter in the workplace setting. It is necessary to remain current with clinical knowledge because practicing nurses use this knowledge on a daily basis in real-time settings (Craddock et.al, 2013). Educational theory lends itself to a collaborative approach that encompasses curriculum development in the classroom and in the clinical setting (Craddock et.al, 2013). This is accomplished using a process that supports a staged curriculum to accomplish learning objectives at the educator level (Craddock et.al, 2013). Under these conditions, nurse educators will be prepared to expand their knowledge of current practice methods to establish a solid reputation in transmitting knowledge effectively to students (Craddock et.al, 2013).

Nurse educators possess many responsibilities to provide their students with relevant information that will enhance their skill sets to achieve success in their careers. This practice requires the utilization of specific principles to guide educators in their efforts to instruct students with relevant book and clinical knowledge (Bastable, 2014). This is an essential component in the development of clinical knowledge and techniques that are instrumental in the lives of practicing nurses (Bastable, 2014). Nurse educators must demonstrate their ability to conduct research, use the Internet and other resources, communicate regarding nursing trends, and adapt to new technologies accordingly to ensure that their students are provided with an effective framework to achieve educational outcomes (Bastable, 2014). This is also critical in order to provide students with a framework to explore on their own that will support their growth and ability to obtain current knowledge without difficulty (Bastable, 2014).

Nurse educators must also be willing to collaborate with each other in areas where current clinical knowledge might be lacking because this will ensure that they are providing their students with the best possible resources to achieve success (Billings and Halstead, 2012). This process is essential in enabling nurse educators to achieve optimal success in this field and to embrace current knowledge effectively (Billings and Halstead, 2012). Nurses should also be subject to their own evaluations so that they are able to demonstrate the currency of their clinical knowledge on a regular basis (Oermann 2013). If they do not remain current in their clinical knowledge, it is likely that over time, their reputation will decline and their value will be diminished. Strategic approaches should be in place to provide nurses with the framework that is necessary to support their objectives and to conduct independent research as necessary to support their clinical knowledge base. A critical challenge for nurse educators, however, is to remain relevant and on top of the trends so that their students are fully aware of the changes that are taking place in the practice setting.

Conclusion

Establishing a framework for the development to obtain current clinical knowledge is a critical responsibility of nurse educators. It is important to develop a strategy that will include open communication with other nurses who are clinical experts, in addition to the development of an approach that will translate this information into a successful curricular model. Nurse educators often struggle to remain relevant in their field because of their lack of hands-on work experience in the practice setting. Therefore, different techniques should be considered so that they are treated with the respect that they deserve. A successful nurse educator embodies the core functions of a nurse, including expert theoretical knowledge, in addition to clinical knowledge that is current and relevant in today’s practice settings. Therefore, this role, although often misunderstood or taken for granted, is critical to the success of modern nursing practice on many levels throughout the healthcare system.

References

Bastable, S. (2014). Nurse as Educator Principles of Teaching and Learning for Nursing Practice. 4th edition. Jones & Bartlett Publishers.

Billings, D & Halstead, A., J. (2012). Teaching in Nursing. A Guide for Faculty. 4th edition. Saunders.

Craddock, D., O’Halloran, C., McPherson, K., Hean, S., & Hammick, M. (2013). A top-down approach impedes the use of theory? Interprofessional educational leaders’ approaches to curriculum development and the use of learning theory. Journal of interprofessional care, 27(1), 65-72.

Fisher, M. T. (2005). Exploring how nurse lecturers maintain clinical credibility. Nurse Education in Practice, 5(1), 21-29.

Oermann, M.H. (2013). Evaluation and Testing in Nursing Education. 4th Edition. Springer Publishing Company.