Nevada RNformation - March 2011

March, April, May 2021 Nevada RNformation • Page 15
Welcome Board of Nursing Director of Education
Vicki Walker DNP, RN, BS
You are on the job less than
a month, and pandemic hits.
This was the situation for the
Board of Nursing's (BON) new
Director of Nursing Education,
Dr. Michelle Johnson, EdD,
RN, CPNP-PC. Shortly after
starting in a new role with
the Nevada BON, Dr. Johnson
had to transition to a remote
work structure within the
evolving parameters to prevent the spread of COVID.
This transition left Dr. Johnson in a frustrating situation
because a large portion of her job is to physically assess
programs around the state.
Many nurses in Nevada may not even recognize that
the BON even has a Director of Education position. The
BON itself is appointed by the Governor of Nevada and
has executive, legislative (i.e., advising on and enforcing
legislation), and judicial responsibilities for the oversight
of the nursing profession in Nevada. The BON staff
work for the Board to carry out the daily functions like
issuing licenses. They also serve to advise the Board on
the health of nursing in Nevada.
The Director of Education position functions mainly
to monitor the health of nursing education in our state.
There are several layers of nursing education in Nevada
which include CNA, LPN, ADN, and BSN programs.
While the state doesn't accredit programs, it does
approve new programs and reviews existing programs
on a regular basis. Dr. Johnson serves as the lead for
this approval and review process.
Dr. Johnson has nearly 30 years of experience
in nursing, administration, and academia. Before
coming to the BON, she served as the Chief Nurse
Administrator for Hawaii Pacific University. She
is thrilled to bring her experience to Nevada in
safeguarding that educational programs uphold the
Nurse Mentorships: Growing Our Own, Versus
Eating Our Young
Dr. Susan Rux, PhD, MSN, RN, PHN, ACNS-BC,
CHEP, CNE, CPRW, NEA-BC
Gretta Williams, AS, RN
Reprinted with permission from
New Jersey Nurse October 2020
Nursing is an incredibly inspirational and rewarding
profession unlike any other. However, for all the
momentous experiences, our profession has its
share of challenges, stemming from personal and
interprofessional conflict. Consider the climate of
today’s acute care environment, heavy workloads,
increased patient acuity, and limited resources – the
perfect storm to add to feelings overwhelmingness of
nurses trying to find and maintain balance – who can
the nurse rely on for support and guidance? This is a
quintessential occasion where mentors can offer the
necessary collegial support by modelling a genuine
interest of the success of their fellow nurse. Nurses are
devoted to delivering high quality and compassionate
care to their patients.
Effective mentorship require commitment to
developing the mentoring relationship between the
mentee and mentor (Andrews & Wallis, 1999; Bally,
2007; McDonald, Mohan, Jackson, Vickers, & Wilkes,
2010). Many forms of nurse mentorships exist, with
experienced nurses taking a new nurse under their
wings as a prominent example. The transition from
nursing school to becoming a novice professional
nurse can be an intimidating experience – the new
responsibilities, requisite knowledge, and ethical
principles to uphold. Nursing school provides a
foundational education to prepare students for the
career of professional nurse, but when faced with the
reality of integrating that knowledge into practice,
new nurses may feel unprepared. Incivility, and
related terms such as horizonal violence, underscore
the importance of mentoring in the context of the
overall organizational performance and stability (Bally,
2007). All too often nurses begin their first position
with minimal guidance, leaving that feeling of being
unsupported. A qualitative study by Simons and Mawn
(2010) found that newly licensed registered nurses felt
as though they experienced hostility and were working
with a pack of barracudas that ate their young.
When we consider how to grow our next generation
of nurses, incorporating mentoring into the ongoing
responsibilities of nurses is critical for the development
of elf and social awareness as well as relationship
management acumen. Tomajan (2012) noted that
nurses in staff development roles contribute to role
transition by serving as mentors to nurses in practice.
Mentoring contributes to job satisfaction and a healthy
work environment (Lee, Dennis, & Campbell, 2007).
Nursing mentorship programs are ways to socialize
and prepare nurses for the transition into the nursing
profession. Chan, Glass & Phang (2020) identified,
through a systematic review, three characteristics for
nurse mentorship success: higher level of experience
in nursing, provision of personalized support in
accordance to the mentees’ requirements, and
establishment of a relationship marked by a sense
of mutual gain, engagement, and commitment (p.
47). When considering the phrase, “nurses eating
their young” (Bartholomew, 2006; Rowe & Sherlock,
2005; Simons & Mawn, 2010), one may think of an
experienced nurse being too critical of a new nurse as
a strategy to help them learn or gain competence more
expeditiously, however, this tactic leaves new nurses
feeling discouraged. As nurses, why eat our young
when we can grow our own? With confidence in the
mentoring relationship, the new nurse will be more
confident in asking questions to enrich their nursing
practice, seek advancement in their career goals,
inclusive of serving as a future nurse mentor.
Confucius, a Chinese philosopher and politician
who emphasized personal and governmental morality,
correctness of social relationships, justice, kindness,
and sincerity — “Acquire new knowledge whilst
thinking over the old, and you may become a teacher
of others.”
References
Andrews, M., & Wallis, M. (1999). Mentorship in nursing:
A literature review. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 29,
201-207.
Bally, J. M. G. (2007). The role of nursing leadership
in creating a mentoring culture in acute care
environments. Nursing Economic$, 25, 143-148.
Bartholomew, K. (2006). Ending nurse-to-nurse hostility:
Why nurses eat their young and each other.
Marblehead, MA: HCPro, Inc.
Chan, E.-Y., Glass, G. F., & Phang, K. N. (2020). Evaluation of
a hospital-based nursing research and evidence-based
practice mentorship program on improving nurses’
knowledge, attitudes, and evidence-based practice.
Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 51(1), 46–
52. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.3928/00220124-
20191217-09
Lee, A., Dennis, C., & Campbell, P. (2007). Nature's guide
for mentors: Having a good mentor early in your career
can mean the difference between success and failure
in any field. Nature, 44, 791-797. doi: 10.1038/447791a
McDonald, G., Mohan, S., Jackson, D., Vickers, M. H.,
& Wilkes, L. (2010). Continuing connections: The
experiences of retired and senior working nurse
mentors. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 19, 3547-3554.
Rowe, M. M., & Sherlock, H. (2005). Stress and verbal abuse
in nursing: Do burned out nurses eat their young?
Journal of Nursing Management, 13, 242-248.doi:
10.1111/j.1365-2834.2004.00533.x
Simons, S. R., & Mawn, B. (2010). Bullying in the workplace:
A qualitative study of newly licensed Registered
Nurses. American Association of Occupational Health
Nurses Journal, 58, 305-311. doi: 10.3928/08910162-
20100616-02
Tomajan, K. (2012). Advocating for nurses and nursing.
Online Journal of Issues in Nursing, 17(1), doi: 10.3912/
OJIN.Vol17No01Man04
state's regulatory standards to ensure the public's
health and safety.
In the midst of a pandemic, Dr. Johnson has found a
positive perspective for the future of Nursing Education
in Nevada. "I am hoping that COVID will not have
a negative impact, but instead, schools will see the
value of online and virtual education environments,"
said Dr. Johnson. "Because every student isn't equal,
we may see more adoption of a variety of education
environments in the future. COVID has forced us to
embrace the value of online."
For those considering entering the nursing
profession, Dr. Johnson advises, “Do your homework,
understand what is involved in a program and what
the profession of nursing entails. You have to be
committed to the educational process and treat it like
it’s a job.” She also draws attention to Nevada school’s
2020 NCLEX pass rates for nursing, which are among
the highest in the nation.
Report on District 1
(Northern)
Darlene Bujold, President, District 1
NNA’s District 1,
incorporating Northern Nevada
and its Rural Areas, is anxious
to move into 2021 as a dynamic
presence. This past year has
driven change and innovation
for all, the NNA included.
Interaction became more
virtual, but we were undeterred
in the continued advancement
of member support via
webinars and zoom meetings. Of course, we continue
to provide this popular publication quarterly to keep all
licensed Nevada nurses informed.
This Northern Nevada District is always proud to
promote and host our biannual Nurses Day at the
Legislature during session held here in Carson City.
Again, this event has been reimagined thanks to the
pandemic. Rather than a one-day live event, we will
promote understanding of processes and encourage
nurse involvement throughout the session by
recognizing and explaining bills and drafts as they arise
that are of special interest to the nursing population.
Several presentations will be offered free of charge
during the legislative session.
This year will mark a transition in leadership as
nominations open to "new blood." My tenure as
President comes to an end in the fall. Dr. Bernadette
Longo has been elected President-Elect and is poised
to take on this leadership role seamlessly. "Bernie" has
a long and illustrious history of volunteerism with both
local and State appointments. She holds a doctorate
in Nursing Education and is a professor emeritus who
continues to teach at the Orvis School of Nursing.
I encourage all who wish to contribute to our
proud profession to consider running for office. My
experience has been one of making lifelong friendships
with amazingly learned colleagues who have never
failed to provide encouragement, support, and
opportunities for personal and professional growth.
2021 offers hope and a light at the end of this Covid
tunnel. Let’s move forward united and take advantage
of what we have learned to make our profession
stronger and more resilient!
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