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The Nurses
for a Healthier Tomorrow advertising campaign, "Nursing
education … pass it on," features messages aimed
at nurses and nursing students who may consider a career in
nursing education. Four nurse educators were chosen for the
campaign, and through first-person testimonials, they demonstrate
the professionalism and passion necessary to educate America's
future nurses.
The following
nurses are featured in the campaign:
- Joanne
Pohl, PhD, RN, ANP, FAAN - Associate Professor and Associate
Dean for Community Partnerships at the University
of Michigan School of Nursing in Ann Arbor, Mich.
- Randolph
Rasch, PhD, RN, FNP - Professor and Program Director in
the Family Nurse Practitioner Specialty at Vanderbilt
University School of Nursing in Nashville, Tenn.
- Carol
Toussie Weingarten, PhD, RN - Associate Professor in the
College of Nursing
at Villanova University in Villanova, Pa.
- Debi
Vendittelli, MSN, RN - Associate Professor in the Department
of Nursing at Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Mich.
Joanne
Pohl, PhD, RN, ANP, FAAN, has been teaching for
more than 25 years. She has research, teaching and practice
responsibilities, including being responsible for overseeing
two academic nurse-managed centers and school-based clinics
in Ann Arbor. Pohl also advises master's and doctoral students.
"Nursing
education today is a stimulating and fulfilling way to prepare
and influence health care providers for tomorrow," Pohl
said. "I value the variety of roles in nursing education.
I am able to combine the best of nursing - education, research,
practice and administration."
Randolph
Rasch, PhD, RN, FNP, is the first black male to
earn a PhD in nursing and the first black male to earn a master's
of science in nursing degree as a family nurse practitioner.
He has been teaching since 1975 and has worked as a public
health nurse and family nurse practitioner. He initially became
an educator because teaching is a way to multiply his ability
to provide care for people.
"In
practice, care is directly provided to individuals, families
and communities. In teaching, you can still provide that care
and prepare more nurses to provide care," Rasch said.
"I was interested in the campaign because it was a way
to encourage other nurses to consider nursing education. It
is something that I have done with my students since I first
started teaching."
Carol
Toussie Weingarten, PhD, RN, began her career as
a staff nurse in an adult medical-surgical teaching unit.
Two years later, she began graduate study and often worked
with students in obstetric units during the day and as part
of the staff in the adult intensive care units in the evenings.
Working simultaneously at both ends of life taught her the
enjoyment of adapting to new settings and cultivated a broad
appreciation for nursing.
"I
have a career that I love and that combines the best of the
worlds of nursing and of teaching. Being clinically involved
helps my teaching, and teaching helps my clinical work,"
Weingarten said. Even as a full-time educator, she remains
involved clinically, dividing her time between the Villanova
campus and the surrounding Philadelphia area.
"As
nurses, we are essential to the health of our communities,
be they local or global," she said. "As nurse educators
we ensure that our communities have the nurses who are prepared
to meet current and future health needs and to lead the next
generation of health-care providers."
Debi
Vendittelli, MSN, RN, has been involved with nursing
at all levels: staff nursing, management, education and advanced
practice. Her clinical experience spans medical-surgical,
intensive care, emergency and community health nursing. She
currently is a full-time nursing instructor and also does
medical-legal consulting for defense attorneys.
Vendittelli
said she wants to get more nurses interested in becoming instructors.
"Being
a nursing instructor in classroom, lab and clinical settings
is always challenging and never boring," she said. "Being
able to teach others the art and science of nursing is an
honor. It gives me great personal satisfaction to help students
with critical thinking processes and to see them progress
from novice students to new graduates."
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