Preparing Clinicians for Roles in Academic Teaching: A Model for Clinical Associated Faculty Development

Abstract

Background and Purpose. Clinical associated faculty (CAF) are typically expert clinicians but novice educators, lacking professional development opportunities targeted to their unique needs. This can result in unnecessary variability in content delivery and potentially negative student learning outcomes. The purpose of this article is to describe the development, implementation, and evaluation of a faculty development program designed specifically for CAF. Method/Model Description and Evaluation. Thirty-two CAF completed a longitudinal faculty development program designed by faculty at the University of Colorado Doctor of Physical Therapy Program (CU). Content was driven by faculty development literature, core concepts of CU's Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) program, and key constructs for excellence in DPT education. Changes in teaching confidence were examined with a modified version of the Nurse Educator Skill Acquisition Assessment (NESAA) in pre-test/post-test design. Creighton University DPT Program (Creighton) adapted the faculty development program for their own CAF and similarly assessed change in teaching skill in 21 CAF using the NESAA. Additional data were collected through session evaluations and review of student course evaluations for both programs. Outcomes. At CU and Creighton, 28 and 21 participants, respectively, completed the CAF development program and all desired outcome measures. Outcomes revealed a significant increase (P < .05) on NESAA scores. In addition, results demonstrated decreased negative student comments related to teaching inconsistencies on course evaluations and an overall positive perception of the program by participants. Discussion and Conclusion. A CAF longitudinal faculty development program was developed and successfully implemented at 2 universities. This model could be used as a template by other DPT programs to address the existing faculty development gap and support the distinctive needs of CAF.

Professional Development for Associated Faculty: A National Assessment of Available Resources

“…Once AF are exposed to such development opportunities, they respond positively, desire more, and attend willingly, thus the education process could become self-perpetuating over time. 3,14 Participants spoke of seeking stability in AF within their programs, hoping to retain skilled and engaged educators. Faculty development and the resulting evolution of naturally occurring communities of practice can help to enhance stability 17 and increased knowledge and understanding of roles improves engagement in teaching 8 ; both add to the argument for consistent approaches to development.…”

“…9,15 Associated faculty also have different needs than core faculty, given their primarily clinical role and limited opportunity to fully engage within academia. 11,12,14,34 e best faculty development opportunities are tailored to the specific role and needs of a group, 3,12,18 therefore, development programs grounded at the level of the DPT program make the most sense, as many institutional professional development programs are uniquely suited to core faculty.…”

“…Once AF are exposed to such development opportunities, they respond positively, desire more, and attend willingly, thus the education process could become self-perpetuating over time. 3,14…”

“…8,10,13 Specific to AF, students also identify the need for consistent approaches to teaching, timely and effective feedback, and creation of clear links between classroom content and clinical relevance. 14,15 Associated faculty are an integral part of most DPT programs and without educator competence in each of these areas, student learning may be compromised.…”

“…Such support can be achieved through formal faculty development programs, which include both robust orientation to the institution/program and formalized training related to the role of educator. 3,7,14,17,18,26 In a systematic review of faculty development initiatives in medical education, Steinert et al 3 described best practices, including structured activities, longitudinal programs, experiential opportunities, content on evidence-informed teaching practices, and intentional community building. Looking specifically at clinical nurse educators (analogous to AF), Rice 11 and Santisteban and Egues 12 found that this group of educators had unique needs and targeted development opportunities needed to move beyond orientation to also include training to enhance educator identity, skill, and retention.…”