Do you recall your first shift on a new unit? Do you remember your nervousness and the myriads of questions that went through your mind? Being a novice is uncomfortable. It requires bravery and humility—bravery to speak up and humility to quiet oneself and listen. By definition, a novice is an individual with no experience placed in a situation in which they are expected to perform (Benner,1982). Beyond the novice level is the advanced beginner, proficient, competent, and expert level in hierarchical order.
For nurses, transitions in practice settings can create an awkward phenomenon in which a seasoned nurse becomes a novice again. Exemplars include an ICU nurse transitioning to an ambulatory setting or a bedside nurse from any specialty transitioning into an educator role. Transferable skill sets and ways of thinking are helpful; however, the roles and expectations can differ vastly.
Beyond orientation, the output of a novice educator may be significantly maximized with the assistance of a mentor. The mentor can help provide insight and understanding into the responsibilities of the NPD Specialist as a learning facilitator, change agent, mentor, leader, champion for inquiry, advocate for NPD specialty, and a partner for practice transition.
Understanding the value of mentorship, the Consortium of New Jersey Nurse Educators (CNJNE) offers new NPD specialists with less than one year of experience in the role up to one year of mentorship as a member benefit. This is voluntary, and members must request a mentor by contacting a Transition to Practice (TTP) Committee member. A meeting with a TTP co-chair follows this request. The TTP Committee convenes to find the right match for the mentee, depending upon their needs and experiences. The mentee-mentor relationship continues depending upon the mutual agreement of the dyad.
The TTP Committee is also working on a toolkit for novice NPD Specialists, which will be a CNJNE member benefit. The Toolkit will contain nine sections and will be authored by a CNJNE member with expertise in that area. The first section introduces the NPD Systems Practice Model (Rheingans, 2016). The subsequent eight sections will cover best practices and tips in the areas of Orientation and Documentation, managing the process of offering Nursing Continuing Professional Development, supporting research Inquiry, managing clinical affiliations, competency management, writing reports, and the valuation of NPD work, for committee membership, and selecting and using technology, including social media.
The Association of Nurses in Professional Development (ANPD) recently released 13 module resources for novice NPD practitioners that provide an overview of the roles and responsibilities of the Nursing Professional Development Scope and Standards required for NPD practice. More information can be found on their website: www.anpd.org.
This article is the first in a series discussing the transition of bedside nurses into educators. Over the following issues of New Jersey Nurse, I hope to cover the successful transition of bedside nurses into the roles of Nursing Professional Development (NPD) Specialist, Faculty member in academia, and Clinical Instructor. Educators in these roles will contribute their insight.
Reference
Association of Nurses in Professional Development (2024). Transition to NPD Practice. https://www.anpd.org/core-curriculum/transition-to-npd-practice
Benner, P. (1982). Novice to expert theory. American Journal of Nursing, 82(3):p 402-407. https://journals.lww.com/ajnonline/citation/1982/82030/from_novice_to_expert.4.aspx
Rheingans, J. (2016). The NPD Practice Model. Journal for Nurses in Professional Development, 32(5), 278-281. https://www.nursingcenter.com/journalarticle?Article_ID=3784777&Journal_ID=54029&Issue_ID=3784473
