Jennifer L. Embree

The knowledge domain of professional identity in nursing is the analysis and application of information derived from experiences, critical reflection, and scientific discovery from nursing and other disciplines. Knowledge guides role clarity, decision-making, and advocacy. Key concepts described in this column include mindset, innovation, clinical judgment, and reflection. [ J Contin Educ Nurs. 2024;55(7):328–330]

Teaching nurses how to create a personal and professional development plan is important to help them structure measurable, obtainable personal and career goals. Meaningful goals and metrics for career growth are critical to nurses' professional development. As nurses learn about creating a personal and professional development plan, they can personalize their nursing journey. This column describes how professional development specialists can teach nurses to create a personal and professional development plan. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2022;53(10):438–441.]

Engaging clinical nurses in nursing research requires value for the nurses and a structured process. One way to involve nurses in research is through development of a research compendium. A professional development specialist can lead the creation of a research compendium. Identifying key stakeholders, developing a technologic infrastructure, piloting the compendium, gaining feedback, and identifying outcomes that will be evaluated are key. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2022;53(3):106–108.]

Identifying process breaks that increase risks to patient safety in hospitals results in the need for educational interventions. These interventions must be effective to meet the needs of a diverse nursing staff. Finding ways to best reach nursing staff and overcome challenges requires creative solutions to keep a large, diverse nursing staff up-to-date on current and best practices. Strategies include blended learning, electronic distribution, and educational flyers to provide a variety of formats to meet the educational needs within the organization. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2020;51(11):498-500.]

The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing | Specimen labeling errors in health care are costly. Using multiple educational interventions reduced specimen labeling errors and cost. Strategies included collaborative development of educational posters, compelling specimen mislabeling error stories, posting labeling results monthly, and providing real-time charge nurse notification of mislabeled/unlabeled specimens. Nurse educators can easily

Providing nursing professional development and continuing education during a pandemic or when participants are only distance accessible may necessitate a shift to online teaching. Shifting requires mindful preparation—meeting the nurses where they are, understanding and practicing using the technology, using effective virtual communication techniques, providing feedback, and evaluating the outcomes. [ J Contin Educ Nurs . 2020;51(8):355–358.]

A year-long Nurse Leadership Institute (NLI) for emerging leaders in primary care clinics and acute care environments was developed, implemented, and evaluated. The NLI's goal was to foster empowerment in interprofessional collaborative practice environments for nurses in the three cohorts of NLIs. The NLI was framed around the Five Leadership Practices of modeling the way, inspiring a shared vision, challenging the process, enabling others to act, and encouraging the heart. To create a professional learning environment, foster community, and enhance leadership skills, the Lean In Circle materials developed by Sandberg were adapted for content reorganization and discussion. Minimal literature exists specifically addressing nursing leadership professionals' development based on Sandberg's Circle materials. The findings of the three NLI cohorts reported in this article begin to fill this existing knowledge gap. Participants reported a significant increase in leadership skills. Recommendations for refinement of future NLI offerings are provided. J Contin Educ Nurs. 2018;49(2):61–71.

Clinical nurse specialist (CNS) students at an urban Midwestern university participated in a study to describe their satisfaction with civic engagement (CE) learning activities. A descriptive and cross-sectional study design housed a faculty-developed CE learning module with four learning activities: (a) gaining interprofessional collaborative practice leadership experience in a mock incident command experience; (b) identifying, researching, and writing a legislative letter about an area of public and/or health policy concern; and (c) developing a professional online network LinkedIn account with experienced CNSs; (d) identifying potential mechanisms for achieving board membership on a civic or professional nursing organization. Faculty developed an online survey to determine student satisfaction through quantitative and qualitative data. Participants completed the survey at the end of the course. Satisfaction with CE learning activities ranged from a mean of 6.07 to 6.75 on a 7-point Likert scale, with higher scores indicating more satisfaction. The overall mean score for CE activities was 6.27 (SD = 0.61) and mean score for course objectives' satisfaction was 6.55 (SE = 0.70). Students reported high satisfaction with their learning as a result of the CE activities. CNS students perceived high satisfaction with learning from the CE activities in this study.