Expanding the armamentarium for faculty development

When peers teach in a faculty workshop, a wonderful opportunity is provided for a mutually rewarding experience. The biggest problem was a lack of time to fully develop all of the content with the participants. A full-day workshop was really needed. Evaluations immediately after the workshop were very positive. The four-month follow-up evaluations were also positive; we had a return rate of 70% in the latter time period. We had hoped that the workshop would encourage other components within our nursing school to offer similar exchanges in their areas of expertise. This has not come to pass. All of us who came up with the idea, developed the content, and presented the material felt very good about the role we played in maximizing gerontology expertise and promoting positive attitudes about elderly in our school. Although peer workshops have limitations, especially the lack of depth gained over time in course work, the advantages are many. The time frame is rapid for the learners; the learning is relatively painless and allows for much independent follow-up through annotated bibliographies, discussion, handouts, and tools for teaching. Furthermore, presenters are being recognized for their expertise; preparation time is minimal because the teaching is within their area of expertise and many of the tools and literature are in constant use. It is economically feasible because of the numbers of faculty reached and the resources already available. The positive aspects of the peer workshop coupled with nursing facultys' natural interest and motivation outweigh the disadvantages. The peer workshop becomes an addition to our armamentarium of dynamic and innovative methods for expanding faculty growth and knowledge.