Beliefs of a Nurse Academician

0

NE IS WEARIED demia,

which

need to separate

aca-

and see a way through

to the future.

barbs

that

produce

5

and even a old

reach, grow,

mally), 6

their

degrees

with

money,

hours,

nurses

were not ready for degrees,

For students and faculty marks of the socialization academician

include

to be truly socialized, the and growth of the nurse

renewing,

ple; 4. an attitude that learning is a neverending, ongoing process for which one assumes selfdirection and responsibility by summoning one’s personal

energy

Journal of Professional Nwsing,

and resources;

Vol 8, No 2 (March-April),

print,

and through

the arts,

the factors that make some cli-

9

an appreciation

that academic

the other freedoms, well as a right;

freedom,

like

is a responsibility

as

10

a planned

11

the ability to think through one’s philosophy of education and to appreciate the ef-

time for rest and renewal;

fects of congruence (or lack of it) between the belief and the value system of the teacher, the learner, and those who control and support the academic setting; 12

the recognition

of the accomplishment

of

peers, students, self, and orhers, and to rejoice in the learning process itself; 13

a nonexploitive teaching-learning-research process imbued with honor, integrity, and ethics in both its means and ends;

14

an academic environment that fosters faculty growth through accepting the common humanity between nurse-teacher, client or an patient, student, and others, including

and lasting;

3. a milieu that fosters interest in ideas in addition to an orientation to things and peo-

that ideas are to be shared in

a sense of respect and mutual trust between teacher and learner and opportunities to earn and validate that respect and trust;

2. as confounding as it may be to prepare learners to function in a world the teacher may not know, an education must be liberalizing and freeing to be relevant, effective,

an acceptance

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the following:

1. exposure, and evidence of it, to perennial truths, values, wisdom, and the history of ideas on a regular basis;

infor-

an acknowledgment of colleague relationships with fellow faculty members;

were not as yet

academically socially acceptable. Even now there is a belief that nurses rent a building on campus but have not as yet been socialized as nurse academicians.

and

7

and lip reading.

This group plays exactly into the hands of physicians, nurses, and other academics who have long held that

search, ques-

(formally

mates more conducive to communication and expression than others;

the wall, one wonders how long they intend to flaunt the diploma as they criticize those who contributed to it. Many have passed through the portals of academia, but for a portion it “didn’t take.” They have bought

research

and assume risks as well as rewards;

appreciating

from

those who are yet to be socialized in academia, in spite of the degrees they hold. As one walks into their offices and sees the university diplomas displayed on

to apprehend,

query,

words, actions,

There are many sniggers

the opportunity tion,

There are

of which stands centuries

itself with the need to learn,

anti-intellectual

against

a tendency

it from “the real world.”

many real worlds-one and aligns

by aspersions

include

appreciation mote it;

1992: pp 67-68

of those who finance

and pro-

67

68

LAUREL

15. the perception of change and innovation in the context of the three-tense reality (past, present,

future)

and to learn

measure,

weigh the meaning,

with ever-increasing ical skills;

and view data

families,

ease, impoverishment, portunity, willing

the barriers

COPP

of dis-

and lack of equal op-

and to empower

those who are

to take on these societal adversaries.

and analytNot the real world? Look again!

and

16. the transmission patients,

conceptual

to evaluate,

in an effort to penetrate

ARCHER

of the gift of learning community,

to

and society

LAUREL ARCHER COPP, RN,

PHD, FAAN Editor