In early 2022, the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) announced the Maryland Nurse Faculty Annual Recognition Awards (NFAR), recognizing faculty for their contributions to nursing education and service to Maryland nursing students.
Each of the award recipients is nominated by their Dean or Director of Nursing and receives $10,000.
Dr. Rhonda Roxanne Rash, Assistant Director of Nursing at Cecil College, was an NFAR recipient in 2022. Dr. Rash shared some thoughts with us on being a nurse educator below:
What is the most important thing you’ve learned in your career as an educator?
Telling the students “I do not know, but I know where to find out” is one of the best things an instructor can tell their students.
I had previously worked the night shift (10 years) on a unit that was separated from the rest of the facility so I was used to being on my own.
As a new instructor, I thought I had to have the answers to everything. I learned quickly that is not the case.
I became an advocate for my students finding the answers to their own questions. I would question them until they eventually realized they knew the answer (they just did not have confidence in themselves to trust what they knew) or I would provide the resources for them to find the answers for themselves.
Letting them know that they were not expected to know ‘everything’ but were expected to be able to find the answers is empowering for them.
Telling their instructor, their fellow students, or their patient, “I do not know but I will find out” is honest and fosters a sense of trust. To me, that is the best gift I can give them
Thank you to Dr. Rash for your continued contributions to nursing education in Maryland and congratulations on this well-deserved recognition!
Stay tuned as we continue our 2022 NFAR awardees spotlight series. You can find the full list of 2022 awardees here:
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