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Many Schools of Nursing’s Deans and Directors throughout the nation find themselves hiring novice nurse educators for a wide variety of reason such as expansion of their nursing programs, retirement of nursing faculty, and presentation of other opportunities for experienced nursing faculty. Deans and Directors for Schools of Nursing in Tennessee are faced with the same challenge. As a result, the Tennessee Deans and Directors for Schools of Nursing have made a commitment to help novice nurse educators, in particular, to be successful in their new role. These Deans and Directors know the specific needs of novice nurse educators they are hiring and essential topics that these nurse educators must become familiar with in order to be successful. In 2017, the Deans and Directors for Schools of Nursing in Tennessee developed the Tennessee Nurse Educator Institute. In its third year, the Tennessee Nurse Educator Institute is offered annually before the start of the academic school year. The purpose is “to provide knowledge and skills for the novice nurse educator and a refresher for more experienced faculty.” Initially, it began as a two-day activity but since has been expanded to three days. Topics include valuable information for the novice nurse educator such as writing test items and analysis; a perspective on surviving the first year as a novice nurse educator; designing a curriculum; engaging students in the 21st century; the importance of the RN-NCLEX blueprint; the basics of clinical teaching; teaching with simulation; evaluation methods for didactic and clinical courses; developing a syllabus; and the importance of program evaluation. Since the launch of the Tennessee Nurse Educator Institute, the total number of nurse educators attending the institute is 195. At the end of the three-day educational activity, nurse educators complete an evaluation to ensure the institute is its goals. In addition, participants are asked for input on what they felt helped them the most, the strengths and weaknesses of the program, and future topics to include. Responses from the evaluations have been overwhelmingly positive. Participants completing the survey was n = 133. Results of the evaluations from the three years showed the following: 98% (131/133) of the participants strongly agreed or agreed that the purpose of the conference was met, the information received will help them be more effective in their position, and they could use the information they learned right away; and 97% (129/133) of the participants strongly agreed or agreed the conference met their expectations. No barriers or obstacles have been encountered in achieving the program’s goal. The Tennessee Deans and Directors for Schools of Nursing plan to continue with the institute every year to help meet the needs of novice and more experienced nurse educators. When nurse educators are given the proper tools to be successful, nursing education is ultimately advanced with outcomes consonant with excellence. The goal is to make sure that nursing educators are using evidence-based practice when teaching future nurses.

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Newly hired nurse educators face multiple challenges in today's rapidly changing academic environment. Transitioning from clinical practice into academia without the benefit of effective mentoring may lead to dissatisfaction, frustration, and attrition. Newly hired nurse educators may find difficulty in understanding academic areas of teaching, scholarship, and service, especially if they are transitioning from clinical practice. An effective mentoring program for nurse educators provides guidance, support, resources and assistance, as well as an opportunity for experienced faculty mentoring team members to guide newly hired nurse educators through the complex world of academia. The purpose of this project was to create a sustainable mentoring program to promote successful assimilation of newly hired nurse educators into the academic environment. Methods: The method was a Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) project to create an effective mentoring program for newly hired nurse educators. The project leader (scholar) guided the Faculty Mentoring Program Committee (FMPC) through the creation and progression of the faculty-mentoring program. The triad that consisted of the scholar Greta Marek, DNP, RN, CNE, her mentor M. Peggy Hays, DSN, RN, COI, and faculty Cynthia Clark, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN regularly discussed the project's progress. The Experienced Nurse Faculty Leadership Academy (ENFLA), sponsored by Sigma Theta Tau International/Chamberlain College of Nursing Center for Excellence in Nursing Education, provided an evidence-based program that encouraged learning and growth for the scholar. A review of the literature included searches in PubMed, CINAHL, ERIC, Ovid, Google Scholar and EBSCHO host using the search terms: academic mentoring, nursing faculty mentoring, mentoring programs, nurse educator mentoring. Limitations placed on the search were English language, peer reviewed, and a timeframe of 2000 to the present. Scholar reviewed 29 full-text articles and 20 university websites; used Watson's Theory of Human Caring and Benner's Novice to Expert models in relation to nurse educator mentoring programs. The scholar formed the FMPC at their college of nursing secondary to the need to develop a formalized faculty-mentoring program. Information from the literature review guided planning, actions and recommendations from the committee. Results: The ENFLA scholar endeavors to continue to work with the FMPC towards the mentoring program's growth and sustainability. The committee developed the program's mission, vision, goals, outcomes, logo, and a semester-by-semester structure. The FMPC created two different tracks for newly hired nurse educators: a three-semester program for experienced nurse educators and a five-semester program for novice nurse educators. The first semester of each track focuses on orientation to the university, the college, and assigned courses. Newly hired nurse educators remain a cohort, instead of the traditional dyad mentoring model. Experienced nurse educators serve as a resource person and share their expertise in teaching, scholarship, or service. The goal of remaining in a cohort would be to help newly hired nurse educators develop team-building skills, enhance collegiality, provide support, adapt to the local culture, and provide consistency. The new nursing faculty, hired during the 2014-2015 academic year, serendipitously decided to form an ad hoc committee to the FMPC, to ensure input. The ad hoc committee will collaborate with the FMPC to determine the mentoring program's effectiveness each semester through formative and summative evaluations. Conclusion: Members of the FMPC expressed a sense of renewed purpose and pride while collaborating on creating a sustainable mentoring program. Ad hoc committee members expressed optimism and excitement about working with the FMPC towards evaluating the mentoring program's effectiveness.

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