Nurse Faculty Orientation: An Integrative Review.

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Academic Development
• Faculty Retention

Background:

• Nursing faculty orientations exhibit variability in structure and content.
• This inconsistency may negatively impact faculty effectiveness and retention rates.
• Standardizing orientation is essential for supporting new nursing educators.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify essential components for effective nursing faculty orientation.
• To develop a comprehensive orientation checklist for nursing faculty.
• To create an index of mentor-mentee responsibilities for academic nursing roles.

Main Methods:

• An integrative review methodology was employed, following the Ganong approach.
• A systematic search yielded 48 relevant articles for analysis.
• Included articles underwent rigorous evaluation and interpretation.

Main Results:

• Key elements for a successful nursing faculty orientation were identified.
• A detailed orientation checklist covering academic culture, teaching, scholarship, and service was created.
• An index outlining mentor-mentee responsibilities was developed based on the evidence.

Conclusions:

• Formal orientation facilitates the transition of nursing faculty into academic roles.
• A comprehensive checklist aids mentors and mentees in monitoring progress.
• Addressing new faculty needs can enhance satisfaction, productivity, and retention, ultimately improving student outcomes.