Need for Faculty Development Programs for Nurse Educators

"The mind's natural activity on the part of the learner and the intellectual guidance on the part of the nurse educator are both dynamic factors in education". Teaching is laden with many educational challenges requiring a breadth of skills, to convey the knowledge. The task of teaching in general is complex and difficult. Fortunately a variety of faculty development programs have been developed to help the nurse educator play this difficult role. The goals for Faculty Development Programmes are twofold: to help prepare teachers in diverse settings to work with an effective and collaborative manner; and to enhance learning and practice. Several potential barriers can impede participation in teachingimprovement programs. Research has shown that faculty may underestimate both their own potential for improvement and the potential usefulness of programs. Empirical studies in evaluating many faculty-development programs proved that teachers rate the experience as useful, and they recommend their experience to colleagues that such programs can improve teachers' knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Although this rationale for using facultydevelopment is fruitful, most faculties still have not participated in programs to improve teaching skills. Thus, even the best teacher can benefit from training. Some teachers are excellent without training; however, that fact should not diminish attempts to help all teachers be as effective as possible. The difficulty of teaching coupled with the evidence that educators can improve their role indicates the value of faculty-development programs.