Q. What gaps or challenges do you endeavor to be attentive to?

I strive to individualize my clinical teaching for each preceptee/learner, fostering a genuinely psychologically safe and supportive environment for adult learners to grow professionally. I value transparency of expectations and professional development. I will do this through tiered skills acquisition models, daily check ins and debriefs for fostering a reflective practitioner, and making lifelong learning fun. 

I not only have the responsibility of closing my own educational gaps, but as a passionate leader and educator, I will take on the responsibility of creating a curated, tailored diabetes curriculum for primary care clinicians, with excellent content, engaging active learning activities, and thoughtful evaluations. Typically, information is available in written form, via textbooks, online UpToDate, and even professional conference PowerPoint presentation handouts. Long term, I would like to partner with artists or graphic designers to create videos and illustrations for helping visual learners in our community.

Q. How are considerations of culture, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging positioned in your teaching philosophy?  

Diversity is near and dear to my heart. I recognize my own individuality and how my unique personal experiences and differences have shaped me into the man I am today, the intersectionality of my identities, and how many of my favorite parts of myself are marginalized, don't fit into the majority. As a leader and educator, I leverage my passionate flare in education spaces, celebrating and utilizing the diversity of my learners to improve the learning for themselves and their peers. Facilitating a safe learning environment is a fundamental imperative; I want all of my students to feel welcomed (never "tolerated"), unconditionally loved, and appreciated. Carefully creating curriculum for students to work together and share reflections will enhance all of our experiences, student and educator.

Q. What are your big picture goals as it pertains to technology-enhanced education? To what extent do you want to or don't want to embrace technologic applications and advances in your teaching work? Why?

I transition between innovator and early-adopter for most technology in the clinical setting. I enjoy piloting new advances in technology and then training people on utilizing the technology to it's highest to improve clinical workflow and outcomes. Healthcare is constantly evolving. As an educator, I want to not only mirror this adaptability in my teaching, but to also lead by example with my learners. It's important for me to demonstrate early adoption of technology, making technology more accessible and fun. Integrating technology and new advances in technology in the classroom setting will foster bolstering their technology engagement and acumen for the rest of their nursing careers. 

Q. How do you envision continuing to learn and develop yourself as an educator (clinical, didactic, or formal presenter, etc.)?

I am a lifelong learner, and find enjoyment out of pushing myself to learn new things both in and out of the work setting. I see myself continuing engaging in professional conferences in diabetes management and running nonprofits, studying the annual standards of care in diabetes management from professional organizations with industry experts, researching newly published scholarly and research articles, and staying up to date as an imperative for my consulting as a clinical diabetes expert. As someone with neurodivergence, my interest-based nervous system finds new information interesting and stimulating. Continuous improvement (personal and professional) is a core to my being. I thrive in our healthcare and education environment. I never grow stale, I never get board. Sharing my experiences, training, knowledge, and passion is my contribution to students and colleague.