Creating a Professional Development Plan (of a nurse educator)

Creating a Professional Development Plan

Write a 6–8-page professional development plan for your work as a nurse educator.
Learning never stops for the nurse educator. Lifelong learning is necessary to stay current both in the practice world and in education. Nurse educators need to have a plan for their own continued professional development that will help them maintain and advance their skills both as nurses and as educators.
The nursing profession needs nurse educators to educate more nurses, to introduce and educate about evidence-based practice changes, and more than ever, to join with our colleagues in other health care disciplines to exchange ideas and engage in interdisciplinary learning. As educators, we must continue to learn, be certified, and function at a high level to ensure continued growth for the nursing profession.
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:
• Competency 1: Analyze the historical evolution of nursing education.
• Describe forces (social, economic, political, or institutional) that may influence the nurse educator role.
• Competency 3: Analyze professionally established nurse educator competencies and models.
• Describe area of focus as a nurse educator, associated educator competencies, and professional goals in relation to nurse educator philosophy.
• Competency 4: Apply knowledge of legal and ethical issues relevant to higher education and nursing education.
• Assess abilities to meet goals, achieve professional development, and maintain ethical practices.
• Competency 5: Articulate how nurse educators serve as change agents and leaders to help advance nursing education and nursing practice.
• Discuss development of a leadership role in a chosen area of nurse educator focus.
• Competency 6: Develop a plan for engaging in scholarship in an established area of expertise.
• Develop a scholarship plan that includes analysis of how scholarship will be carried out in the nurse educator role.
• Competency 7: Establish a plan for pursuing continuous improvement in the nurse educator role.

Assessment Instructions
Write a 6–8-page professional development plan for your career as an MSN-prepared nurse. The professional development plan should include the following:
• Introduction: A brief introductory paragraph that clearly states the purpose of the paper.
• Area of focus: A description of your specific area of focus in nursing education, the position that you wish to obtain, and the educator competencies that you will need as an MSN-prepared nurse.
• Professional goals: A statement of your specific professional goals (a minimum of three) and discussion of their relationship to your nurse educator philosophy.
• Influences: A brief description of any additional forces (social, economic, political, or institutional) that may influence your nursing education role.
• Analysis: An analysis of how you will carry out scholarship activities as an MSN-prepared nurse and a specific plan for scholarship based on a model.
• Leadership role: A discussion of specific ways (a minimum of two) that you will develop a leadership role in your chosen area of focus.
• Development plan: Specific plans for professional growth and any additional education, certifications, or training to be acquired.
• Reflection: A reflection in a concluding paragraph on your abilities to meet goals and achieve your professional development plan and ethical practice.