Page 6 - SOUTH FLORIDA HOSPITAL NEWS & HEALTHCARE REPORT JUNE 2022

Ready to Grow

Your Career?

Miami Dade College

Offers Nursing

Opportunities for Education

BY DANIEL CASCIATO “We’re reaching out to retired

clinical practitioners and nurses
Florida, along with the rest of the United States, is in
who have a wealth of information
the midst of a severe and long-standing nursing short- to share with the students and
age. The shortage has affected the number of clinical we are having some success

preceptors as well as nursing faculty who prepare with that.”

-Dr. Tommie Norris
nursing students.
Population growth, retirement and the where they are clinical experts and mov- another faculty member in a course to but also really want to share their knowl-
COVID-19 pandemic have all impacted ing to teaching as a novice educator may have that real live experience. edge and expertise with students.”
the growing demand for more nursing cause concern. “The lecture component of teaching is The other thing that's unique with
educators. Colleges and universities are To counter this, she says that Miami the most challenging,” she adds. “We’ll Miami Dade is that it has strong practice
now recognizing the need for innovation Dade decided to cultivate its own nurs- provide classroom resources and online partners—hospitals and community
to reduce the nursing shortage and ing faculty. programs to help them become comfort- agencies that are partnering with MDC to
attract qualified nurses as teachers and “One way we plan to do this is by hir- able.” give the students a broad and hands-on
faculty. Miami Dade College is one ing nursing experts in the clinical area If nothing is done to alleviate the nurs- clinical experience.
statewide college that is taking a proac- who need the opportunity to grow into ing faculty shortage, it will impact nurs- “What we're finding is some of our
tive approach to this problem. becoming a nurse educator,” explains Dr. ing students, and ultimately, patient out- practice partners are allowing their nurs-
“Right now, it is rather difficult to Norris. “We're going to provide mentor- comes. es to have clinical groups because it
recruit and hire qualified, experienced ship and extra training for those faculty “The fewer faculty you have, the fewer allows our nursing students to have an
faculty,” says Dr. Tommie Norris, Dean of to make sure they understand the role of students you can take to the clinical set- immersion in that hospital,” says Dr.
the Benjamin Leon School of Nursing at a nurse educator, how to be effective in ting,” says Dr. Norris. Norris.
Miami Dade College. “There's so much the classroom, and how to communicate Miami Dade is also looking to recruit Nursing education is a great career, Dr.
competition with travel nursing as well with students. We know that's something retired nurses to serve as adjunct faculty. Norris notes.
as the gap of pay between private prac- that is going to take extra resources from “We’re reaching out to retired clinical “It's never too late to go into a career in
tice and academia that we're finding it our side, but I feel like it'll be well worth practitioners and nurses who have a nursing education,” she says. “What we
really difficult to hire faculty who have it when we have those individuals who wealth of information to share with the have to do is make sure that nurses know
teaching experience.” have that experience behind them.” students and we are having some success the benefits of becoming a nurse educa-
She says burnout from COVID is also Dr. Norris expects that it should take a with that,” says Dr. Norris. “We'll need to tor, whether it's a full-time position or a
an issue with people who want to enter year for these clinical experts to be really get a robust pipeline of those part-time position. There are so many
academia. Most of these individuals who trained as nursing educators. However, adjuncts to come back each semester to joys and rewards.”
have a Master’s degree or a Doctorate as they are learning, she says that they help. There are many who still want to For more information, visit
degree are working in hospitals already will teach side by side or work with remain at the bedside in the hospitals, https://www.mdc.edu/nursing/.

6 June 2022 southfloridahospitalnews.com South Florida Hospital News