200 ■ II: ROLES FOR DOCTORAL ADVANCED NURSING PRACTICE
of other areas of practice. DNP - prepared faculty would provide leadership in
evidence- based practice, evidence- based teaching, and evidence- based system improve-
ments. EdD- prepared faculty would provide leadership in pedagogy, the assessment of
learning, teaching innovations, curriculum development, student support systems, and
faculty development; and MSN- prepared faculty would provide leadership related to
clinical expertise and use that expertise to teach students in the clinical setting, lab,
simulations, and classrooms.
As noted by these authors, there is substantial evidence that a doctoral degree in
and of itself does not qualify a nurse to teach and function effectively in academia; that
holding the PhD does not mean that an individual is prepared for an academic role; and
that being an expert clinician does not guarantee that one will be an expert educator.
Thus, while there is an important role in the academic environment for faculty with
all types of preparation and passion, consideration must be given to the preparation
needed to assume a faculty role.
■ PREPARING NURSE EDUCATORS WHO WILL HELP SHAPE
THE FUTURE OF OUR PROFESSION
Just as one would never be allowed to practice as a nurse practitioner without formal
course work and a supervised clinical practice, one should not be allowed to practice as
an educator without formal course work and a supervised teaching practice. Yet, our cur-
rent systems continue to appoint individuals to faculty positions who have never studied
theories of teaching/ learning, learning styles, how the brain works in relation to learn-
ing, curriculum development, program evaluation, the multiple demands of the educator
role, the dynamics of academe, resolution of student- related issues, course development,
effective student advisement, innovative teaching strategies, the research that does (or
does not) underlie teaching practices, and so on. Indeed, it is quite likely that some facul-
ty are not even aware of the existence of nationally endorsed nurse educator competen-
cies (Halstead, 2007) or certification available to document one’s expertise as an educator
(National League for Nursing [NLN], n.d.), as mentioned by the authors of this chapter.
Is it not possible to consider schools where faculty are expected to demonstrate that
they have been formally prepared for the educator role they will assume? Knowing that
many graduates of their programs accept faculty roles, could not PhD programs incor-
porate education- focused courses and carefully designed teaching practice experiences
to better prepare their graduates for the world of academe they will enter? Could those
students not be allowed to conduct dissertation research that addresses gaps in knowl-
edge related to effective educational practices? After all, if the goal of a PhD program
is to help students build knowledge, skill, and an identity as a scientist/ scholar, and to
set them on a path of a program of research, why not allow them to develop the skills to
study educational or pedagogical questions, thereby being able to advance that science?
Knowing that many graduates of DNP programs also accept faculty roles, could
not those programs also integrate theory and practice experiences that would prepare
them for that role, allow students to focus their capstone projects on education- focused
problems, encourage them to study policies related to education, and develop the skills
to lead system- wide initiatives that would improve our educational practices? After all,
if the goal of a DNP program is to translate evidence into practice and be able to use
evidence to transform systems, are not our educational systems in need of a stronger
evidence base and in need of some significant transformation?