Name: Jennifer J. Black
Current place of employment: VCU's School of Nursing

Current role (clinical, administrative, dean, adjunct, etc.): Full-time clinical instructor and clinical coordinator
Highest level of education: Master's of Science

Number of years you have been an RN: 4 ½
Number of years as a Nurse Educator: 3

Why did you choose to teach nursing (variety of work, flexible work schedule, encourage and educate eager minds, etc.)?
I hadn't originally planned on going into teaching (I planned to practice in a clinic), but it was the first job that I got. Having just finished my program, I was excited about giving the students the learning opportunities and the encouragement that I felt that I didn't always get as a student.

Over the year/s how has your initial opinion of teaching changed? What is responsible for those changes?
I am still mostly excited about giving each student the best learning experience possible. What I am learning is that "the best experience" is going to be different for different students. You have to be flexible enough to accommodate different learning styles and backgrounds.

Personally speaking, what is the best part of teaching nursing (advising students, classroom teaching, clinical instructing, etc.)?
I do mostly clinical teaching, but I enjoy doing lectures also. I like the clinical teaching because it takes what the students are learning in the classroom and allows them to apply it. It's great when you see the light bulbs go off as they go from theory to practice. I also love the patient interaction. It is great to help students learn about lifestyles and cultures that are different from their own in the context of healthcare.

In your opinion, what is the most difficult part of being a Nurse Educator?
For me, the most difficult part of teaching is working with hospital staff. There are so many wonderful staff members who take time and really work with students, but there are also some staff who behave as if they were never students themselves, as if they were born with all of the answers. I understand that teaching is hard work, but these students are the ones who will care for us eventually, so I think we should all work extra hard to teach them well!

Would you encourage fellow RNs to consider becoming Nurse Educators? Why or Why not?
It would just depend on the person's philosophy of teaching/learning. If they believe that we're here to help students to learn and to encourage them to ask questions, then I would. If they believe that we're here to discourage and abuse students, then I wouldn't. I think some people are great with patients and some are great with administration and some are great with students… I do encourage the ones who work well with students to pursue teaching.

In your opinion, what are some factors that retain you as a Nurse Educator?
It is very gratifying to help students gain their full potential as students and as nurses and as members of humanity. It is great to hear from students after they have passed the boards or gotten jobs as RN's and to say "I knew you could do it!"

What is your opinion of using the Internet as a teaching tool? (For example, one instructor teaching hundreds of students non clinical classes (A&P, Psychology etc.) in a virtual classroom?)
I think it is a great teaching tool. I think it is best used in conjunction with live classroom time.

What is the main reason you see nursing students dropping out of programs?
Not enough support. I believe that students would benefit from a peer mentor and faculty mentor to help support them through their programs. Just to hear someone say "Yes, I've been there and it's tough, but you can do it!" is invaluable. I think this would be especially helpful with our minority students, who may not find a role model as readily as a non-minority student.