The development of a practising nursing faculty

Practice is where skills are developed and where theory must pass testing. This is best done by observing and responding to human needs so that theory generated will have a precise fit. A variety of joint appointments with a focus on nursing have been established between the Faculty of Nursing at The University of Calgary and nursing service agencies in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The expected outcome is congruence between teaching, theory development, and practice. This paper differentiates faculty practice as scholarship from other forms of faculty involvement in practice settings. The nature of faculty practice is examined and various models of faculty practice are discussed. The Calgary model, designed to fit faculty member's focus on care to specific practice settings is described.