Faculty Orientation: A Good Start
Kimberly Brownie, MSN, RN and Tamarah Pearson, MSN, RN, CEN
Introduction
Good Start is the Bon Secours Memorial
College of Nursing (BSMCON) program to
onboard new faculty.
While attending 2016 National League for
Nursing (NLN) New Faculty Intensive Workshop
prior to starting on-site, we discovered many
colleges and universities do not have formal
faculty onboarding programs. Conversations
with these faculty identified that our
opportunity to attend the workshop and be
included in a year-long orientation process was
a unique experience in the academic world.
As new faculty we were included in the first
formal Good Start program for Bon Secours
Memorial College of Nursing. We experienced
first-hand the importance of building
relationships among new faculty and staff and
having easy access to resources while learning
the faculty role.
Materials and Methods
Good Start faculty participate in monthly
group meetings focused on the NLN Core
Competencies of Nurse Educators. These
meetings provide a nurturing environment to
build rapport, develop skills, and have fun.
Each new faculty member reviewed and
presented one of the core competencies over
the course of the academic year to the Good
Start group. Individually, each faculty member
has a support team that consists of:
• Their direct supervisor
• Faculty Navigator
• Course Mentors
• Software subject matter experts
This network allowed for consistent
discussions related to successes and
challenges faced by the faculty members.
Faculty and staff at large were surveyed upon
completion of the 2016-2017 Good Start
program.
Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing
Results
Conclusion
Each Good Start faculty member from the 2016-2017 New Faculty Retention Good Start supports new faculty during their
academic year successfully delivered their assigned 7
transition into their role, offers multiple safe
courses, participated in college and nursing faculty
share governance, acclimated to the academic Number of places for asking questions and seeking
83% New Faculty
environment, and has remained on staff with Bon 6 guidance, and improves faculty retention and
Secours Memorial College of Nursing. satisfaction. The Good Start program is
60% currently being tweaked to provide this
5
Not only have the Good Start faculty completed their additional support with the next
Number of
first year in teaching, they are actively engaged in New Faculty implementation of the program.
leadership roles within the institution. For example: 4
Retained
• New course development (since hire
date)
• Shared governance committee officers 3
67% It takes a village to mentor new faculty
• Significant existing course modifications members.
• Nominated for the Faculty Daisy Award
• Served as Course Mentors 2
• Applied for promotion in rank
• Practicum course leads 1
• Global Outreach team leaders
Survey Results
0
2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18
Good Start Program Contributes to the
Success of the Nursing Program The retention rate with the Good Start program is
Neutral 100% compared to 60-83% in prior years. However,
6% Successful
surveys of the faculty identified improvements for
18%
the next session: Reference
Very Neutral • Continue Good Start into a second academic year
Successful Successful on a modified schedule 1. National League for Nursing. (2012). The scope of
76%
Very Successful • Provide a Faculty Navigator that is separate from practice for academic nurse educators. Philadelphia, PA:
Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.
the Course Mentors
• Focus primarily on aspects of teaching during the
first year, development of other areas later
17 responses received from faculty and staff
(62% response rate)
• “Provides new faculty with resources, contacts,
Acknowledgements
and enables new faculty to feel prepared and be
successful”. • Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing
• “It helps orient new faculty members to the • Dr. Chris-Tenna Perkins, PhD, RN, ANP, CNE
culture, policies, and procedures of the College • Laura Vasel, MSN, RN, CPNP
while making them feel part of a community”. • Julie Marsh, MEd
• “It submerges new faculty with support and • Good Start Faculty Navigators and Course
insight to all questions. It gives new faculty Mentors
direction and answers questions before they are
asked”.