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Volume IV, Issue 2 November 2007 |
Quinsigamond
Community College |
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Staff Development Links
Staff
Development
Erica Merrill
Staff Development
Room
114 Ahlfors Hall
November's Events
Instructional Technology
Workshops for Faculty:
QCC Book Club
Reading
Roundtable
In accordance with the college's strategic initiative to optimize the use of technology for improved and cost-effective communication, this newsletter is being distributed via email as the best means for information-sharing with faculty and staff. |
Editor: Erica Merrill "Alphabet Soup" by Karen Kaletski Dufault "Certification as a Nurse Educator" by Patricia Creelman
"Race
the Clock – Erase Writer’s Block" I learned something new recently – November is National Novel Writing Month, and every November since 1999, a website known as www.nanowrimo.org (“NaNoWriMo”) has sponsored an online contest for aspiring writers. There’s just one “catch” – the contestants must write an entire original novel (at least 50,000 words) from start to finish in one month! It’s a race against the clock (and against writer’s block)! I cannot imagine cranking out a 50,000-word novel in only one month. To be honest, I can’t even imagine finishing, within the next ten years, the dream-based novel that I’ve been working on since December 2001! Free-writing, stream-of-consciousness, brainstorming, day-dreaming, outlining, character-mapping – these techniques only get me so far, and when writer’s block hits, it’s excruciating. Weeks and weeks of sitting in front of my PC, day after day, staring at the blank white screen and that little blinking curser winking curiously at me, as if it holds some great secret that it teasingly refuses to share. But when inspiration smacks me in the face, and my plot ideas flow like wine from a golden cup, my characters once again start walking around inside my head, taking on a life of their own, taking control of their own personalities and little quirks and habits, until I am forced to write their destinies as they dictate them to me. A certain minor character steps into the foreground and slowly but surely builds up his back-story, until the day he jumps up and down inside my head, kicking my brain cells, hitting a nerve, and generally throwing a temper-tantrum; I finally give in and make him the major character he is just dying to be. (And I literally mean dying, because he later whispers in my ear that I must kill him off in the end – by now, I don’t want to, since I have grown quite fond of him, but it has to happen; “it’s meant to be,” he reassures me.) Then, another major character does a complete 180˚ by deciding to take a fork in the road that I never planned for him to take, and he willfully changes the entire outcome of my story. He laughs devilishly every time I try to write him back down that original fork; he just continues on his merry little way, deliberately ignoring me until I once again abdicate control and find a way to incorporate this new “quirk” into his personality. “Just go with it; I know what I’m doing, and I know where I’m going,” he boasts. “Trust me!” And he keeps on marching down that road; I chase after him, frantically (and furiously) typing his new fate, all the while thinking, yeah, he’s right, his way is better; just go with it!
Alphabet Soup
MEd:
Master of Education Future AE-C (Asthma Educator Certification)????!!!????!!!????? Am I crazy? Health Educators never stop learning. I have discovered that just keeping up with the ever-changing medical profession, state-of-the-art diagnostic technology and wide variety of pharmacological treatments alone, is a daunting task. During my 26 years as a respiratory therapist, I have strived to be the best educator that I can be by earning the aforementioned credentials. Each certification gives me additional expertise in a variety of specialty areas, which I use to augment lessons taught in my Respiratory Care classes. Each has a specific purpose and requires mastery in the subject area. Each requires hours of preparation and study. Each has added to the alphabet soup of initials after my name! Each becomes a notable, little feather in my cap … proof that at my advanced age (tee hee!), I am still capable of learning, achieving and maintaining high standards. And now, the fact that the MCCC will be awarding “points” for my alphabet soup only adds additional incentive to pursue my quest for continuing education! The latest specialty certification offered for respiratory therapists is the Asthma Educators Certification – the “AE-C” credential. When this credential was first introduced in 2002, my curiosity was piqued. Do I dare attempt another exam? I watched and waited as specifications about the test began to appear in the professional literature, and I spoke to individuals who had taken it. I also knew that the American Association of Respiratory Care was offering a course that prepared therapists to pass this rigorous examination. Unfortunately, the review classes were always held in locations on the west or south coasts during times that did not jive with my teaching assignments. When I heard that the course was being offered in Rhode Island, I jumped at the chance to participate! So on the first beautiful weekend in April, I traveled to the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Warwick, RI to learn more about asthma and the AE-C credentialing process. The prep course covers a plethora of information concerning the asthmatic condition. Some of the startling, yearly statistics include the following information about asthma in the United States:
The two-day event was filled with presentations on a variety of asthma issues. Experts in the field spoke eloquently on topics such as: patient history and assessment; pulmonary function testing; asthma triggers and pharmacological management; pathophysiology and epidemiology; organizational issues of setting up an asthma clinic; devices and adjuncts to self management; patient education; managing psychosocial issues from a clinic-based perspective; and finally, test-taking techniques. The pharmacological management of asthma is mind-boggling. New drugs to control and treat asthma are introduced to the market each month. Words and acronyms such as: anticholinergics; bronchial provocation; SABA; LABA; humanized monoclonal anti-IgE antibodies; leukotriene modifiers; MDI; DPI; CFC; HFA, etc., were explained in great detail. Cockroach feces (yuck!), dust mites, animal dander, molds, and second-hand smoke are all common environmental triggers. I was reminded that humidifiers and vaporizers can be sources of allergens and should not be used routinely, unless the user is prepared to wash the equipment daily with a 1:3 acetic acid/water solution. I learned that little Johnny’s favorite stuffed animal could be placed in the freezer for 1-2 hours to remove troublesome allergens … neat! All in all, the two days spent with colleagues from all over the East coast was most worthwhile. The information gleaned from this conference was informative, challenging, and somewhat humbling. Even though I was familiar with the majority of information presented, I also discovered that there is much more to be learned about this deadly and somewhat misdiagnosed malady. So, now the question becomes, do I take the AE-C test??? Let’s see how I feel after a few weeks of rest and relaxation. If I rejuvenate enough to “hit the books”, perhaps I will attempt the examination! There is nothing better than another serving of “alphabet soup” to keep my educational incentive alive and fulfill my pursuit of life-long learning! Wish me luck!
Certification as a Nurse Educator Professional certification is the voluntary process by which a non-governmental entity grants a time-limited recognition and use of a credential to an individual. This is given only after the individual verifies that he or she has met pre-determined and standardized criteria. Certification is the vehicle that a profession or occupation uses to differentiate among its members, using standards, sometimes developed through a consensus-driven process, based on existing legal and psychometric requirements (Durley, 2005). In 2005, the National League for Nursing (NLN) developed a certification exam to be offered to nurse educators. The development of this certification was significant to the nurse educator field in that, for the first time, this national certification recognized “nurse educators” as having a specialty area of practice and created a means for faculty to demonstrate their expertise in this role. This is the first such exam to be offered to nurse educators and is seen as a mark of distinction for nursing faculty. As described by the National League for Nursing, the goals of the Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) exam are: to distinguish academic nursing education as a specialty area of practice and an advanced practice role within professional nursing; recognize the academic nurse educator’s specialized knowledge, skills and abilities and excellence in practice; strengthen the use of core competencies of nurse educator practice; and demonstrate a commitment to professional development, lifelong learning and nursing education as a career. In keeping with the expectations of the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission Standard II-Criterion 8, talents of faculty/administrators are called to reflect scholarship through teaching, application, and the integration and discovery of knowledge. Attainment of certification as a CNE will provide one such mechanism for reflection of this scholarship expectation of Nurse Education personnel. Certification as a Nurse Educator also provides formal recognition of knowledge, skill and abilities essential to the role of nurse educator, assures public recognition of Nurse Education as a specialty within the field of Nursing, and effectively serves to promote a positive effect on nursing faculty, recruitment efforts and measures aimed at reducing the existing faculty shortage. The National League for Nursing has established strict eligibility requirements for candidates who are interested in pursuing this certification such as: possession of current RN licensure; possession of a masters or doctoral degree in Nursing with a major emphasis in nursing education and several years of experience in the role of nurse educator. This certification exam is based on a blue print that relates to “NLN Core Competencies of Nurse Educators”. These competencies include essential knowledge and skills that: facilitate learning; facilitate learner development and socialization; use assessment and evaluation strategies; promote participation in curriculum design and evaluation of program outcomes; encourage pursuit of continuous quality improvement in the academic nurse educator role; and demonstrate engagement in scholarship, service and leadership. Since the first offering of this certification exam in 2005, valuable resources have become available to faculty who are interested in pursuing this credential. A candidate handbook containing a detailed test blueprint, reference list, and sample questions is available, free of charge, by visiting the NLN web site at www.nln.org. In addition, a self-assessment exam is available for purchase by potential candidates, for a nominal charge by visiting www.nln.org/facultycertification/information/sae.htm. This self-assessment exam is an online, 65 item multiple-choice practice exam that parallels the CNE exam. Not only does this exam provide a “practice session” for potential candidates, but also provides rationales for correct and incorrect answers. Truly this is a very effective methodology to measure readiness to sit for the actual exam, as a score report is provided for candidates, to assess strengths and areas needing additional study. Additional resources are available in the form of regional “test-prep” workshops throughout the country, one in particular being offered by the Mass Rhode Island League for Nursing, during October 2007. Finally, the QCC Nurse Education Department is amassing a library of resources, readily available to be used by faculty who are interested in seeking the CNE certification. The total cost of the certification process, including practice exam and the cost of the actual certification exam approaches $400.00; however, staff development funds can be used to partially cover these costs. The exam can be taken at regional centers of the candidate’s choice and is offered in the online format. Three hours are allotted for taking this exam and results are available immediately upon completion of the exam. |
