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.
you should have conducted the interview and submitted a written synopsis of 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
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 – Angela Wright
Title of the person you will be interviewing – Nurse Educator of critical care unit at JMH
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 – 16 years
Date and time of your scheduled interview
Your list of 10–12 interview questions
Your interview paper should include:
Who does the interviewee teach?
What does your interviewee teach and where?
Trends and changes in nursing education as experienced by the person you interviewed.
A reflection that compares your interview data to class readings and the literature that you reviewed prior to conducting the interview (pay special attention to trends, themes, concepts, and changes in nursing education).
What you learned as a result of this assignment.
A conclusion discussing your personal thoughts, opinions, views, and insights related to the specific area of nursing education of your interviewee.
