The nurse educator has a critical role in novice nurses' preparation and support as they transition from academia to the clinical setting. Click below to explore some of the roles of the nurse educator and reflect on additional roles that you can identify.
It is important that the nurse educator assess how the novice nurse is personally experiencing the transition as the nurse educator has an important role in supporting the individual experiencing the transition.
Each individual will experience the transition differently and although models and theories are helpful as an overview, the individual experiences must be considered (Hampton et al., 2021).
Nurse educators and leaders have an important role in encouraging the new nurse as they experience feelings of frustration or inadequacy while they are developing their confidence (Hampton et al., 2021).
It is important that the nurse educator assess novice nurses' competency and practice gaps to help to create educational opportunities that address these practice gaps. Nurse educators should help novice nurses' set clear learning goals and help recognize their educational needs (Schipper, 2011).
Nurse educators should ensure that novice nurses have access to the four components of structural empowerment: information, support, resources and opportunities to aid in their transition (Kim & Shin. 2020).
Novice nurses developing a sense of belonging is important to facilitate their transition.
Nurse educators have an important role in the socialization of new staff. By welcoming the new nurse to the team and the organization, nurse educators can reduce feelings of isolation and increase the confidence of new nurses to ask questions (Hampton et al., 2021).
Communication with the health care team is a large contributor to stress for many new graduate nurses, by helping to facilitate relationships, the nurse educator can lessen this burden for new graduate nurses (Kim & Shin, 2020).
Preceptorship is an important component of transition to practice (learn more here).
Nurse educators have the responsibility of preparing staff nurses for the role of preceptorship.
Nurses who are not engaged in the preceptor role can be detrimental to the success of the new graduate nurse if they are assigned to precept (Quek & Shorey, 2018).
Training of preceptors to recognize teaching and learning theory, how to engage with the new graduate nurse, feedback techniques and communication skills is critical to the success of the relationship (Kennedy, 2019; Quek & Shorey, 2018).
Formalized training is available at different institutions however dependant on resources, nurse educators may need to develop curriculum to support the preceptors on the unit. This training occur in workshops, through online modules or through traditional teaching methods (Kennedy, 2019).
Deliberate matching of the preceptor and preceptee focused on learning and teaching styles and personality can help to facilitate learning (Quek & Shorey, 2018).