Arrange a Nurse Educator Interview and Develop Nurse Educator Interview Questions
Arrange a Nurse Educator Interview
By the end of week 2, you will identify and arrange to interview an experienced nurse educator about the trends in nursing education that she/he has observed or experienced during her/his career in education. You will also develop 10–12 interview questions.
By the end of week 4, you should have conducted the interview and submitted a written synopsis of the interview. Please review the requirements for the paper (listed under week 4) before arranging the interview because the paper requirements will assist you in writing your interview questions and conducting the interview.
Please note: You should begin thinking about this activity as soon as possible because the nurse educator you select may not be able to meet during the time frame you wish, and you may need to select someone else for the interview.
Assignment Guidelines
The person you select to interview must have a minimum of 5 years experience as a nurse educator currently practicing in academia, staff development, or a clinical nurse educator or patient educator. No family members please.
You may arrange to conduct the interview in person, by phone, or by online web conferencing.
In general, when you contact a prospective interviewee, state who you are and explain that the interview is for a university course assignment.
Ask for a convenient time to meet for a 30-minute interview.
Review the literature (at least 2 sources) related to the nurse educator’s specific field of nursing education.
Type 10–12 interview questions.
Be prepared to record responses by:
Leaving a space below each of your typed interview questions for jotting down responses
Using a tape recorder, but you must ask permission for the interview to be recorded
General Guidelines for Developing Interview Questions
Your interview questions will depend on the method of interview (formal or informal, face to face, or online web meeting/conferencing) and the specific area the nurse educator is practicing.
Word your questions clearly and concisely.
Ask open-ended questions.
Begin the interview with simple, factual questions that are easy to answer (icebreakers). This will help put the nurse educator at ease and help you establish a rapport. For example:
You may ask about qualifications, credentials, expertise, experience, level of education, responsibilities, and/or a typical day.
You may wish to ask questions that elicit feedback about how the person became interested in nursing education, how education was selected as a career path, and what steps were taken to become a nurse educator.
Next, seek information about personal experiences and opinions, such as:
Teaching philosophy and goals related to nursing education
Experiences with curricula
Experiences with evaluation
Ways of knowing that student goals are met
Ways of engaging and/or enriching student learning
Outlook on the future of nursing education
The most effective teaching strategies
Positive experiences in teaching
Challenges faced as a nurse educator
This week, you must submit the following information to your faculty for approval:
Name of the person you will be interviewing
Title of the person you will be interviewing
Specific area of education of the person you will be interviewing
Length of time the person has worked in the current position as a nurse educator
Date and time of your scheduled interview
Your list of 10–12 interview questions
If you were not able to schedule the interview during week 2, you may conduct the interview during week 3 or 4 (see week 3 for the interview guidelines). Your written synopsis of the interview should be submitted by the end of week 4 (see week 4 for written paper guidelines).
