ABSTRACT
A critical component of the progression of a successful academic career is being promoted in rank. Early-career faculty are required to have an understanding of appointment, promotion, and tenure (APT) guidelines, but many factors often impede this understanding, thwarting a smooth and planned promotion pathway for professional advancement. This article outlines the steps taken by an APT committee to improve the promotion process from instructor to assistant professor. Six sigma's DMAIC improvement model was selected as the guiding operational framework to remove variation in the promotion process. After faculty handbook revisions were made, several checklists developed, and a process review rubric was implemented; recently promoted faculty were surveyed on satisfaction with the process. Faculty opinions captured in the survey suggest increased transparency in the process and perceived support offered by the APT committee. Positive outcomes include a strengthened faculty support framework, streamlined promotion processes, and improved faculty satisfaction. Changes to the APT processes resulted in an unambiguous and standardized pathway for successful promotion.
Subject(s)
Career Mobility , Faculty, Nursing , Schools, Nursing/organization & administration , Academic Medical Centers , Humans , Staff DevelopmentABSTRACT
Gonorrhea is the second most common sexually transmitted infection (STI) after chlamydia. After a significant decrease from 1975 to 2009, trends reveal that gonorrhea is on the rise. NPs need to review the latest CDC guidelines regarding STIs, as treatment guidelines are regularly changing.
Subject(s)
Gonorrhea/epidemiology , Sexually Transmitted Diseases/epidemiology , Urethritis/etiology , Chlamydia Infections , Gonorrhea/complications , Humans , Students , UniversitiesABSTRACT
Patients with comorbid mental and physical illnesses often present in the primary care setting. To explore the complexities of caring for these patients, a Behavioral Health Therapeutics course was developed and taught in the first semester of a Doctor of Nursing Practice program. This article describes the research, theories, and curricular innovations used in the online learning environment, which provide the foundation for the course and reflect the essential changes called for in the 2010 Carnegie report. Highlighted in this article is the unfolding case study method using Backward Design by Wiggins and McTighe in the planning phase, Zull's model for engaging the brain in the Implementation phase, and grading criteria created from Tanner's "Case for Cases: A Pedagogy for Developing Habits of Thought" in the evaluation phase.
