Welcome!  At VUSN, faculty are considered a critical resource and teaching is valued. The process of appointment is a thoughtfully considered, involving the time and care of many, including the new faculty member.  Therefore, in recognition of this investment, guidance and opportunities for success in the academic role are supported through orientation and ongoing faculty development.

The goals of orientation are to:

1. Welcome new faculty to the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing community and make visible the institutional commitment to faculty development. 

2. Provide new faculty with information and resources to encourage/facilitate/support their transition to a new academic role and enable best performance. 

3. Provide new faculty with a group of mentors to foster collegiality and build supportive relationships.

Evidence has increasingly acknowledged the importance of supporting faculty in transition to new academic roles, and especially from expert clinician to novice academic educator.  Typically, the first year in a new role is focused on developing practical skills for the workplace, followed by focus on scholarship and career development. New faculty benefit from guidance in prioritization and planning to meet the multiple challenges of a new academic role.

At VUSN, we make the following assumptions about new faculty orientation:

• Orientation is a process, not an event.
• Orientation begins before the new faculty member arrives and continues through the critical period for transition of 1 year and beyond.
• Orientation activities focus on individual interactions with others in the program, school, and university.
• Orientation is dependent upon an ongoing process of feedback from new faculty to improve, refine, and evolve the program.
• Orientation is flexible, adaptive, and individualized to meet new faculty needs, but centered on core elements.
• Orientation should not be a burden, but convenient and productive for new faculty.

Therefore, the VUSN orientation program is designed to support initial and ongoing goals for functioning in the educator role, from development and strengthening of educator competencies to academic leadership capabilities, and success in the environment, in an organized comprehensive manner. Self-assessments, initiation of a beginning network of mentors, scheduled meetings, comprehensive resources, and clear objectives create a framework for new faculty orientation.

Objectives

At the completion of the NFO process/program, the faculty member will be able to: 

• Complete administrative steps to …
• Describe the VUSN mission, philosophy, and program objectives
• Identify the structure and functions of VUSN Faculty Organization and all standing committees
• Identify and find selected educational policies and academic regulations
• Discuss the academic responsibilities of a VUSN Faculty member
• Recognize course content and the progression through the curriculum plan
• Participate in the ongoing process of professional development as a nurse educator
• Initiate positive interpersonal relationships with colleagues
• Identify appropriate channels of communication