Development of nurse educator competencies for inclusive teaching and emancipatory learning

Despite a clear need, nurse educator competencies to guide professional development and pedagogical standards for teaching, curricula, and learning environment curation have yet to be reimagined through an inclusive and emancipatory lens. This article describes the development of inclusive teaching and emancipatory learning competencies for nurse educators. In 2023, a task force at Georgetown University, Berkley School of Nursing developed nurse educator competencies for an inclusive learning environment that: 1) recognizes the lived experience of learners, 2) supports the practice of emancipatory learning, and 3) prepares nurses capable of identifying and disrupting factors that contribute to health inequity. Focus areas and draft competencies were derived from guiding documents and refined through a focus group discussion and survey. A conceptual framework emerged, depicting the competencies' role within the school's ecosystem. The resulting list of competencies is organized across three macro competencies: foster an environment of inclusivity, structure an inclusive curriculum, and facilitate critical appraisal. Each macro competency has two to three micro competencies with broad relevance. Each micro competency has a corresponding list of implementation examples. The Nurse Educator Competencies for Inclusive Teaching and Emancipatory Learning can inform faculty development, guide performance evaluation, and support curriculum review processes across nursing programs to cultivate relevant, meaningful, and empowering learning experiences.