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NLN Core Competencies for Nurse Educators: Are They Present in the Course Descriptions of Academic Nurse Educator
Ann Fitzgerald1, Angela M McNelis, Diane M Billings
1About the Authors Ann Fitzgerald, PhD, RN, CNE, FNP-BC, is a nurse practitioner, Extended Care Specialists, Fort Wayne, Indiana. Angela M. McNelis, PhD, RN, FAAN, ANEF, CNE, is professor and associate dean for scholarship, innovation and clinical science, George Washington University School of Nursing, Washington, DC. Diane M. Billings, EdD, RN, FAAN, ANEF, is professor emeritus, Indiana University, Indianapolis, and consultant in nursing education. For more information, contact Dr. Fitzgerald at ancillanurse@yahoo.com.
Aim:
As an initial approach to determining representation of the NLN Core Competencies for Nurse Educators in Master's of Science in Nursing Education and Post-Master's Certificate programs, the study identified the presence of the competencies in course descriptions.
Background:
The competencies are the gold standard to ensure academic nurse educators have the knowledge and skill to teach, assist learners, develop curricula, and implement effective evaluation methods.
Method:
A descriptive design that applied web scraping techniques was used to collect data from school web pages, including course descriptions, credit hours, practica information, distance accessibility, and Certified Nurse Educator exam preparation.
Results:
Four competencies were well represented (≥85 percent), and four competencies were poorly represented (<50 percent) in a sample of 529 schools.
Conclusion:
Programs should review courses and course descriptions for inclusion of all competency areas that prepare nurse educators and make revisions to address poorly represented competencies.
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