Qualities of a Great Nurse Educator

Prof. Amelita M. Roc BSN,RN,MAN,PhD(o)

I have just three things to teach:

simplicity, patience, compassion. Simple in actions and thoughts, you return to the source of being.

Patient with both friends and enemies, you accord with the way things are.
Compassionate toward yourself, You reconcile all being in the world
- Chinese Poem

#1: Passion

Do you have the HEART to teach ?

If you dont want to be a Nurse Educator, then you will not make a good Nurse Educator

Its a difficult and challenging job thats not for everyone, but those who really love nursing and teaching will thrive.

Passion shows through in all aspects of teaching: in the lesson plan, attention to detail, and especially in the attention paid to students.

REFELECTION TIME

AM I PASSIONATE ?

#2: Humor

* You cant even THINK about being a Nurse Educator unless you have a sense of humor. Handle it all in stride with a quick joke and a smile.

REFELECTION TIME

DO I USE HUMOR ?

#3: Confidence

Teaching is a tough job, especially when your students are adults. After all, they have grown minds, so why should they listen to you?

As they say, sometimes even the best nurses cant be Nurse Educators it takes a special level of confidence in your own talent and ability in order to teach others how its done.

Your sense of confidence is what gives your students confidence in you. If you are constantly second-guessing yourself, youll be a mess in the classroom even if youve got 25 years of nursing experience under your belt.

If that sounds scary, well, thats because teaching can be scary

The good news? The more you start to teach others, the more you realize how much you still have to learn yourself

In turn, the more you desire further learning, the better teacher you become. * The ability to recognize ones own opportunities for growth is of paramount importance.

And when you finally realize that youre always a student (and like it!) thats when youre a real Nurse Educator

REFELECTION TIME

AM I CONFIDENT ?

#4: Critical Reflection everyone makes mistakes

If youre lucky enough to be a Nurse Educator, your mistakes will likely be pointed out to you in a large classroom full of people who expect perfection. Embarrassing, yes, but it happens to everyone. The key is to learn from it. And why stop there?

Learn from everything that you do

Think critically about your actions, not just at New Years resolution time but every day. Your job as a Nurse Educator is to be constantly learning.

When you are looking in the mirror, you are looking at the problem. But, remember, you are also looking at the solution.

REFELECTION TIME

DO I REALLY KNOW MYSELF?

#5: Positive Attitude

A positive attitude is helpful in any type of job, but is especially important when one is considering becoming a Nurse Educator.

Positive thinking can bring happiness and levity and helps a person cope with the setbacks of every-day life.

When Nurse Educators find themselves dealing with the tedious minutia of academic life, filled with endless bureaucracy and regulations, a positive attitude can overcome even the worst day.

Practice your own positive attitude by laughing at jokes, reading inspiring quotes, or simply writing down 10 things youre thankful for

It can make a huge difference

Negativity may harm the students perception of nursing and may encourage the student to develop a negative attitude toward the field

REFELECTION TIME

DO I HAVE THE POSITIVE ATTITUDE ?

#6: Social Skills

You dont have to be the most vivacious flower in the garden, but it does help as a Nurse Educator to be open and communicative

Basic social skills are important as a teacher, because you are a role model to your students

Emotionally we learn to manage strong feelings such as anger and show empathy for others, which can be helpful when managing difficult students

Ethically we develop the ability to sincerely care for others and engage in sociallyresponsible actions, which is of utmost importance when shaping the minds of future nurses

Behaviorally we learn specific communication skills such as sharing and turn-taking imagine a hospital without these skills, and you begin to realize how important they are.

REFELECTION TIME

AM I A SOCIABLE PERSON ?

#7: Adaptability

Adaptability is a key skill for a Nurse Educator because no two subjects (and indeed, no two students) are alike.

Its impossible to apply the same template to every type of situation with which you are presented.

REFELECTION TIME

CAN I ADJUST TO DIFFERENT SITUATIONS ?

#8: Dedication

There is no question about it: nursing is a tough job. To be a nurse, a person needs endless dedication and a real belief that they are changing the world.

By being an example of dedication, the instructor is able to teach a valuable lesson that will help students break into their chosen profession and stay there.

To see dedication in a teacher inspires the students and shows them that even through many years of nursing, that the instructor has not lost their spark. In some ways, teaching a future nurse the art of determination is even more important than teaching those basic nursing skills

REFELECTION TIME

AM I DEDICATED TO TEACHING ?

#9: Emotional Intellect

Part of a teachers job is to help a student get through the course with success.

Sometimes this means recognizing that specific students need extra help, and sometimes it means giving freer reign to a student who is doing especially well.

Emotional intelligence can help you discern what your students need, but it can also be a valuable tool to help you decide how to react in stressful teaching situations, navigate academic politics, and bond with students to give everyone a richer and more meaningful experience.

Research tracking over 160 high performing individuals in a variety of industries and job levels revealed that emotional intelligence was two times more important in contributing to excellence than intellect and expertise alone.

REFELECTION TIME

AM I EMOTIONALLY MATURE ?

#10: Patience

Patience is one of those obvious traits that is often surprisingly under-cultivated in teachers.

Having patience both with students and yourself will create a more disciplined, more rational you.

How to get this coveted quality?

RELAX
You can immediately make progress by taking a few deep breaths taking an extra 30 seconds to answer a students question make a diagnosis reply to an irate patient. ALL THINGS TAKE TIME !

Patience can overcome anxiety, fear, discouragement and failure, which you can apply both to your own teaching style, but also impart to your students.

REFELECTION TIME

DO I HAVE THE PATIENCE ?

 Tell me, and I will forget. Show me, and I may remember. Involve me, and I will understand. - Confucius, 450 BC