NONPF 39th Annual Meeting
Each course in the on-line graduate nursing program at our School of Nursing and Health Studies provides students with weekly synchronous sessions that offer them the opportunity for real-time interface with faculty and classmates. Multiple cohort start dates throughout the year and low student-to-faculty ratios necessitates increasing on-line adjunct faculty. This presents the challenge of developing effective mentoring and communication methods for a large number of on-line faculty from varied backgrounds with significant time constraints due to full-time clinical/research schedules.
Using quantitative and qualitative evaluation data from faculty and students, the Advanced Pathophysiology course faculty developed a successful faculty mentoring program that has resulted in improved performance and course satisfaction for both faculty and students. This presentation will highlight specific strategies for mentoring on-line faculty, with varied levels of experience, to develop technology and facilitation skills and provide ongoing support to foster professional development and retention.