Successful last Children’s Nursing Educator Forum of the year
The focus of this Forum was on our role as Nurse Educators and why we train nurses. We watched 2 short inspiring videos – one a tribute to nursing and the other considering the impact you can have as a nurse educator. Are you someone who touches hearts? Are you someone who shapes minds? Are you someone who lights new fires? Are you someone who inspires a generation? This is what Nurse Educators do.
These were timely encouragements for us to reflect on, and we thought of many occasions from our own practice where for example we experience the satisfaction of seeing a student putting into practising or getting right what we have taught.
Training nursing is a truly hands on experience. We might be postgraduate educators but thankfully it appears that we are all still true clinicians at heart. This was born out by the response of Forum delegates to the following question:
Where is your favourite place to share knowledge and inspire students?
- 27% In a large lecture theatre
- 64% At the bedside of a child
- 18% Facilitating a conversation with a small group of students
- 0% Demonstrating a complex procedure in a lab
- 9% Setting up and running a simulation
In addition to these reflections, it was also great to get a quick update about the next phase of the Children’s Nursing workforce observatory, being developed by the CNDU in partnership with Children’s Nursing Educators from this Forum. Natasha North shared a quick preview of the plan to share information about children’s nursing training activity. More information will be shared in due course and can also be found at: http://www.childrensnursingunit.uct.ac.za/CNPDI/Evidence/WorkforceObservatory
We plan to continue the Children’s Nursing Educators Forum online in 2021, and look forward to the opportunity it provides to connect with colleagues from across the continent who are impacting and inspiring the next generation of trained children’s nurses.