Should there be an additional criteria to become a distance nurse educator?
Having
read a considerable literature on distance education thus far, this
writer could categorically say that all criteria to become a distance
nurse educator have all been elaborately discussed and covered in many
posts already, whether it may be about the criteria on the competence of
a nurse educator or the characteristics needed to become one, or even
the needed technological infrastructure to support to the success of a
distance nurse educator. So many substantial topics and issues have
already been conversed since the earlier days of this class that
dissected the fundamentals of online learning, and truthfully there
seems to be a replete of criteria of whatever there is to talk about
already.
For
the purpose of this paper, however, this writer would like to single
out a point though it may not be a considered wholly an additional
criteria. But, it is strongly believed that this can be a basis for
recommendation among leaders of distance nurse educators to ponder
deeply upon, and that in one way or the other, it may further help them
optimistically in the undertaking of being a nurse educator.
A
distance nurse educator should be able to intuitively develop the
ability to decipher, manage and harness creatively or even by gut feel,
all resources there is available including time coordination, in his/her
disposal just for the sole purpose of being able to make him/her chosen
style of pedagogy withstand and hurdle the barriers in order to become
effective and efficient in the field[1].
An
example on this is this writer’s own personal experience on how to
harness resources to overcome communication barriers like distance.
Having been enrolled in an online study in my home country prior to this
one, this writer experienced a lot of difficulties at the start in
coordinating with all stakeholders like teachers, classmates, and school
administrators even in coordinating with natural factors like time
difference of the United States and the Philippines, plus my own family
and job related concerns here. This writer had to laboriously look for
possible ways to be able to make all odds and ends meet (Odds and Ends,
2012). During the course of the process, this writer tried to utilize
long distance calls through land line and mobile phones. This type of
technology might not totally solve this writer’s difficulty; however it
motivated her to look for another option to communicate better. This had
led her to use the Skype facility (Waters, 2011) with the aid of a
webcam technology. With a thorough organizing and collaborating with her
online professors and classmates, this writer was able to do PowerPoint
class reports and presentations and interactively engage with them.
This was done over and over again and as a result, it even allowed this
writer to achieve one unintended consequence like moving away the
feeling of being isolated from her online classmates in the Philippines.
Putting
this experience in context, if a faculty nurse educator feels isolated
in online education, this writer disproves the barrier, which has been
included as a societal trend, as eradicable. Like conducting online
audio and video webinars would not only remove isolationism, but it
would save time, money and effort for the hospitals, universities and
students or participants without really undergoing travel risks and
unnecessary expenses. Much more, it does not actually diminish the
quality and effectiveness of its purpose.
If
a nurse educator would just really have to conscientiously look for a
way to succeed in distance education (Casemore & Gallant, 2007),
then it is just a matter of really putting himself/herself totally into
it using his/her own creative mindset, intuition and at the very least,
gut feel along every process. If this can be a valid additional
criterion in the prism of nurse education, then this writer suggests
that this concept be given a space to be considered a standard.
References
Casemore, R., & Gallant, M. (2007). Supervision: viewed from a distance. Therapy Today, 18(10), 44-45.
Odds and Ends. (2012). ED Review, 6.
Waters,S.(2011). The complete educator's guide to using skype effectively in the classroom. Retrieved July 14, 2012 from http://theedublogger.com/2011/04/03/the-complete-educators-guide-to-using-skype-effectively-in-the-classroom/
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