March 20, 2024 • 30 mins
In this episode of the Digication Scholars Conversations, host Kelly Driscoll interviews Tina Abate, Clinical Assistant Professor and Coordinator of the Nursing Student Internship Program at Stony Brook University's School of Nursing.
Tina shares her journey to Stony Brook University and her passion for healthcare. Discover how ePortfolios are transforming the career development of nursing students and helping them land their dream jobs.
Learn about the value of ePortfolios in presenting a holistic view of students' skills and experiences and how they can be a powerful tool for advocacy in the nursing field.
Don't miss this insightful interview with Tina Abate.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:01):
Welcome to DigicationScholars Conversations.
I'm your host, Kelly Driscoll.
In this episode, you'll hear part oneof my conversation with Tina Abate,
Clinical Assistant Professor andCoordinator of the Nursing Student
Internship Program in Stony BrookUniversity's School of Nursing.
More links and information about today'sconversation can be found on Digication's
(00:26):
Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Full episodes of Digication ScholarsConversations can be found on
YouTube or your favorite podcast app.
Welcome to DigicationScholars Conversations.
I'm your host, Kelly Driscoll, and todayI am so pleased to welcome Tina Abbate.
(00:46):
Tina is a clinical assistant professorand coordinator of the Nursing
Student Internship Program in StonyBrook University's School of Nursing.
Welcome, Tina.
Thank you for having me.
Absolutely.
So, Tina, I would love to start ourconversation today just learning
(01:06):
a little bit about what broughtyou to Stony Brook University.
It's such a beautiful, uniquearea and institution, so I
would love for our listeners tolearn a little bit about that.
Sure thing.
So, I was born and raised, um,on Long Island, and I started
my nursing career at Stony BrookUniversity Hospital in Nicolls.
(01:29):
Um, then around 2006, I, uh, decided togo back to school, to graduate school.
So, I was, uh, lucky enough tobe awarded a fellowship program
at Binghamton University.
So, Um...
I lived there from 2006 to 2015, soI graduated with my doctorate in 2015
(01:53):
and it was time to head back home.
So um, a position opened at Stony BrookUniversity School of Nursing and I was
very honored to accept it and I've beenthere for eight years now and I love it
and I just see myself retiring from there.
It's just Just an amazing place to work.
Yeah.
(02:13):
Yeah.
It's a really special school.
I, I had the opportunity to visit thecampus a few times and Oh my gosh, I still
remember this adorable little bed andbreakfast that was close to an area where
you could walk by the water, although I'msure there's a lot of areas where you can
walk by the water, but it was so gorgeous.
(02:35):
There are all these waterfall and Igot to enjoy the sunset there, so I
have happy memories of my time visitingthis school and I don't know if you
know this, but Digication's actuallybeen, uh, working with SBU since 2007.
So, it's been a very long history,and, uh, you're our first guest from
(03:00):
Stony Brook University, so I'm veryexcited to, to have you on the podcast.
And, um, I was interested, you know,can you recall when your passion
for healthcare started to emerge?
Was there someone in your life or,um, maybe an experience that you
(03:22):
had that was an inspiration to you?
Yeah.
In high school, actually.
Okay.
I, I knew, I knew, I knew I wanted todo something where I was helping people.
I just wasn't sure whereI was going to land.
Um, in that regard, but, um, Ihad originally wanted to be a
pediatrician, so our high school hada program where you could shadow a
(03:46):
doctor for the day, and, um, I spentthe bulk of that day with a nurse.
And I said, wait a minute,um, this is what I want.
I want that, uh, interaction withpatients, um, like nurses do.
And so I pursued my bachelor's degree fromBinghamton, um, in Nursing, and it really
(04:09):
is a phenomenal career, a profession tobe in because we have so many different
options, um, you don't even have to beat the bedside or working with patients.
There are so many roles, um, that youcan have within the nursing profession.
It's just that dynamic.
So, you know, I feel very lucky that,um, I had that experience because it
(04:33):
really guided me to my present day.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And so tell us a little bit aboutyour time in the Nicoll as well.
I'm sure that that was very special andwhat was it that kind of made you shift
and get more involved in, in teaching?
So, um, my goal was never really to teach.
(04:56):
When I pursued my doctorate, I,I got into the BS to PhD program
and, um, my, my research was very,uh, neonatal ICU, um, focused.
I did my dissertation on, ongastroschisis, um, so I was
heading down more of a, a clinicalresearch type of background.
(05:19):
Um, but then, uh, in 2007, I was asked,uh, to teach a clinical group to bring
a group of students to the Nicollsand, um, you know, being a graduate
student, it was financially difficultat the time and they were offering me
wages and I said, okay, absolutely.
So I brought students to the Nicolland, um, just something came over me.
(05:44):
It was just as if I had metmy professional soulmate.
Like, it was like that deep, like,I said, What's happening here?
Like, I, it It was a completedeparture from what my goals
were because I was also thinkinghospital administration and things.
So I continued to askfor teaching assignments.
And I just, uh, I fell in head overheels and it's really just, it's become
(06:10):
part of my core being at this point.
So and I've been teachingnow for 16 years.
Wow.
Yeah.
Wow.
So we have, um, uh, aninteresting connection, uh,
that I wasn't expecting today.
One of the children that I adoptedwas actually born with gastroschisis.
(06:31):
And I'm not even probablypronouncing it correctly.
It's a big work.
Wow.
Yeah.
But, um, he was in the Nicoll,um, for almost two months.
Um, I did not, I hadn't met himyet at the time, but learning about
that, it's just incredible whatmodern medicine can handle, really.
(06:58):
And what babies canhandle too because Right.
They, they, they are my goalies.
Resilient.
Yeah.
beings ever.
And yeah, I just have the mostlove and respect for babies, uh,
that will always be part of me.
Um, so that's incredible whatthey endure, but still persevere.
(07:19):
Yeah.
Yeah.
I mean, they are, I mean,they arise here, made to.
Survive, really.
I mean, it is definitely just built in.
They require a lot of care andattention, but they are still,
yeah, lighty, lighty little being.
It's more about light.
I hope he's okay.
(07:39):
Yes, he's wonderful.
I'm glad.
Yes, yes.
Thank you for asking.
Yeah, he's doing great.
Um, so circling back to, uh, TheSchool of Nursing and Digication,
so do you know when the School ofNursing started using Digication?
(08:00):
Were you a part of that or wasit something that was already
integrated when you joined?
At least in the undergraduate program,um, I had introduced it, I would
say about 2018 or so, um, as partof the leadership and management
(08:20):
courses in the undergraduate program.
Um, so I would say about 2018.
Okay, great.
Yeah.
And I know more about what you were doing,you know, a little bit, not, I'll know
more in a few minutes, but I know moreabout what you were doing within the, um,
kind of student internship program, but Iwould love to hear if, you know, if you're
(08:45):
still utilizing ePortfolios and otherkinds of courses and experiences as well.
Um, so it sounds like you may have beenone of the early users of ePortfolio
technology within the School of Nursing.
And was it that managementcourse that was where it began?
(09:09):
Correct!
Okay.
And did it have any kindof, um, connections to
accreditation or assessment?
Because I know, in some other healthcarerelated fields, that's sometimes how
this kind of technology gets, um,gets incorporated into the curriculum.
(09:31):
Um, and other times it's morefocused on providing a space for
the students to really tell theirstory about their experiences.
So I was kind of curious how it might haveUm, maybe first started and if there's
been any kind of evolution since it began.
Absolutely.
Um, it had just started really withthem, uh, developing a resume because
(09:56):
we have student learning objectivesthat in this course, um, and the
formal term is, uh, transitionsinto baccalaureate nursing practice.
Okay.
Um, I just call it leadership andmanagement for short, but it's basically
bridging that journey between studentand baccalaureate prepared nurse.
(10:17):
Um, so the course focuses, um, in part ondeveloping your career, putting your best
foot forward, and we have starting studentlearning outcomes that pertain to that.
So it started with a resume andthen I decided to take it a step
further with our RN to BS students.
Now these are students that have theirtwo year RN degree and they're pursuing
(10:39):
their four year baccalaureate degree.
So in the course, not only do theydevelop their resume, but they
also develop this e portfolio.
As part of the course andpart of their course grade.
Nice.
Nice.
So as they're coming in, you know, atthese different kinds of levels in their,
(11:00):
um, kind of education and professionalpursuits, how, how are you introducing
them to this type of technology and maybehow it may differ from other kinds of.
tools that they're using either atschool or when they're in the field.
(11:20):
So, um, I ha...
We have them get into the educationprogram sooner than later, even though
the, uh, assignment is due at the end.
And we provide them a lot of guidance,um, and we have, uh, a very prescriptive,
prescriptive rubric that details what theyshould be including in this ePortfolio
(11:42):
so that they can start collecting theirmaterials and, um, they, part of their,
the points earned are also visual appeal.
Because you can have just astraightforward, um, ePortfolio,
which is fine, but to have a littlebit more visual appear and flair
to it, I think is very helpful.
(12:03):
So that's, you know, they want to earnthe top-tier points for each category
that includes some sort of visual appeal.
It doesn't have to be anything crazy, but,um, you know, something just to make it
a bit more appealing as you look at it.
Um, so they also get, um, resourceson how to access, uh, you know, Bring
(12:26):
them to the tutorials that you provide.
Um, I also have some screenshotsof my own and then of course I can
reach out to Digication or myselffor any, um, you know, it takes a
little, this definitely a learningcurve with any platform that you use.
So, um, once they get the hangof it, then, then they're fine.
(12:48):
Oh, good.
Glad to hear that.
And I know.
As we've been developing Digicationover time, we really have had a focus
on making it something that can bepersonalized and, um, you know, giving
students the opportunity to presentwho they are, not just, um, you know,
(13:12):
um, using it as a file repository andI know in especially sometimes in more
healthcare oriented disciplines or anykind of professional practice programs
they're often required to share youknow their experience and certifications
professional development opportunitiesbut very often other platforms are very
(13:38):
kind of form-oriented and very strictin how that information is presented.
So do you feel like the students enjoyedthe opportunity to do something that
wasn't so form-oriented, even if therewas a little bit of a learning curve.
Did they find that thatwas valuable to them?
(13:58):
Yeah, I think so because it,Digication, uh, definitely is flexible
and gives you that levity to developsomething that can represent you.
Um, so I have seen some really,I've graded some very amazing,
beautiful, it's almost like artwork.
(14:20):
You know, some of these, uh,students really just go that
extra mile to create these, uh, Iwould say ePortfolio art, I guess.
And you really can really, um,understand and get to know the student
just by taking a journey throughtheir ePortfolio and, you know,
career development is so important.
(14:41):
Uh, in this course, they gothrough a mock interview, um,
with someone that they don't know.
And, um, Actually, our mock interviewersare a master of leadership and
education students, so they needexperience in interviewing, and, um,
the students as well, to get really,uh, immersed and get some practice
(15:06):
in nursing profession-orientedinterviewing questions.
So the master's students interviewthe RN students, the undergraduate
students, uh, for a fictitious joband they can choose either a med surg.
position, uh, a leadership positionor applying to graduate school.
(15:27):
So the interview can haveone of those three foci.
I okay And then the students then go offand meet with the Career Center one on
one and they get their resume tweaked bythem because they're, you know, really
the experts in resume development.
And, um, you know, the finalpart of it is to put all of this
(15:50):
together into an ePortfolio.
They need something that will setthem apart from the, you know,
fellow candidates for a job thatthey're pursuing or graduate school.
So I think, um, It's more ofa holistic type of approach.
Excellent.
Yeah.
And as they're building this out, um,you know, you mentioned that the process
(16:12):
started with, with the resume and thenit sounds like it's evolved to include.
Other kinds of content that they'vecreated, maybe as part of your class, but
also other classes that they've taken.
Could you describe a little bit about whatkinds of things that they're including
(16:33):
within those ePortfolio pages now?
Um, maybe in addition to the, the resume?
So definitely the resume.
They have a welcome page wherethey introduce themselves.
We encourage them to include a photoand just give a brief description about
themselves and their, um, work history.
They can record it, get audio or theycan, you know, Do both narratives and
(16:58):
audio if they, they wish, um, theyput in their nursing philosophy, which
is constructed in a previous course.
So they take their nursing philosophyand they present it as one of
their first tabs in the ePortfolio.
They also put in, um, their goals.
(17:18):
Where do they see themselves?
That's such a typicalinterview question, right?
Where do you see yourself in five years?
So, that's housed in the ePortfolio and,um, any certifications, professional
development, things like that.
And the last thing that they, um,include is they do a poster presentation
(17:40):
in, um, the sibling course that wehave for leadership and management.
So, they put their professionalposter in there as well, where
they do like a hypothetical.
Um, EPP project that'sleadership oriented.
So they have, you know, a nicedisplay, a professional display
of one of their um, projects.
(18:01):
It's so much better thanuploading a paper, you know.
So this is just uh, a reallygreat thing to include in there.
So that's what they um,have in their ePortfolio.
Nice.
So are they doing any kind of um, I know,you know, as part of your roles, you're
coordinating the, um, the internshipprogram with the nursing students.
(18:23):
Are they pulling in any kindof reflections or, um, maybe
materials about that kind ofinternship experience as well?
I know they're not sharing, you know,specifics about the, the patients and
things, but are they able to share?
Elements of what that kind of experiencewas like for them in their ePortfolio.
(18:46):
Not at this point, but that isdefinitely something to consider.
So right now I have thisassignment with our RN.
These are post licensure students.
This spring I'm bringing in, Iwill be bringing in ePortfolios
to the pre licensure students.
Nice.
So, and in the internship Ihave pre licensure students.
(19:08):
So they, these pre licensure students,take transition into professional practice
as part of their last semester, justlike the RN students, um, and what I
see with that is, um, on their resume,putting a QR code to their ePortfolio,
just like I recommend to the RN students.
(19:30):
Yeah, um, and they can, you know,link out so that when they're
uploading their resumes and things,um, for their job applications,
that QR code will be right there.
Yeah.
So, um, adding reflections, Ithink, is a, is a great idea.
to have a tab like reflectreflections of student nursing
(19:51):
or something to that effect.
Yeah, we've had some other programs thathave had a lot of success in using that
as a plate because so often when they goYou know, before they've had these kind of
field experiences or even, you know, maybehaving an experience with even a group
of other nurses, you know, there's thingsthat are being learned every day, right?
(20:15):
Yeah.
And having that space for them to, uh,Um, you know, not just, you know, kind
of document the day to day, but youknow, there's these incredible kind of
light bulb moments that happen in thosekinds of experiences and it can be a
beautiful place for that to be recorded.
And I know sometimes theykeep that area private.
(20:38):
And may, um, you know, make decisionsabout how they might like to craft
that to be shared with externalaudiences later as part of that
more career oriented portfolio.
And, um, so if that's somethingyou're interested in pursuing, I'd
love to show you other examples.
So that you might get some ideasabout how to do that with your,
(21:01):
um, nursing students as well.
I think they'd really love that.
They'd enjoy it.
And you'll probably love reading them.
I love hearing those types of, um,stories from students and it really
connects them to the profession even more.
Yes.
Yeah, yeah.
Um, and in terms of the kind of, uh,interviewing process, if they've gone
(21:26):
through kind of crafting that narrative,even if they're not showing that exact
page to the person interviewing, it'llbe kind of at the top of their resume.
mind and describing, you know, experiencesthat they've had in the field too.
So we, we can chat more about that after.
(21:50):
That sounds good.
I love to see them used in any kindof field experience, internships.
Um, I just think they'resuch a great asset.
Um, but I was curious, so when youstarted, you know, using this with the
students, and maybe it's something thatyou kind of communicate to them now,
(22:10):
um, you know, from your perspective,what kind of value do you feel like
The e portfolios give the students andthen what kind of value maybe does it
provide to the School of Nursing atmaybe, you know, during the time that
you're actually working with the studentsand maybe even beyond that because
(22:32):
they do have access as alumni as well.
Yeah, which is very important.
So That they continue having thisaccess beyond their graduation date.
Right.
Well, like I said, career developmentis so important for so many reasons,
but at the core, for me personally,how I feel about career development is
(22:55):
I want them to land their dream job.
I want them to be offered theirdream job and their backup jobs.
Um, but I, if they are interested in.
The ER or another specialty area.
Those areas tend to be verycompetitive and, you know, they're all
graduating roughly at the same time.
(23:16):
So there's competition forthese fellowship programs.
And, um, so I feel that they can landtheir dream job that they have been
working towards for their entire program.
Then they're more likely to stayand that could possibly impact
(23:37):
Turner, you know, turnover.
Retention.
So let's put them in a positionin the best position possible to
nail that job that they reallyhave wanted to pursue from day one.
So that maybe that they'll stay.
Right, right.
Because we do, we see our,our, uh, turnover rate since
the pandemic has increased.
(23:59):
So we need to do some work pre pandemic,but definitely now post pandemic, um,
in trying to curtail that turnover rate.
Because it does cost aninstitution a lot of money to train
individuals and things like that.
So, you know, if they don't get that dreamjob and they have to take their backup
(24:19):
job, there's going to be a turnover there.
You can almost guaranteeit, um, in these days.
So, yeah, yeah.
That's where I really feel careerdevelopment and giving them a
rounded opportunity to presentthemselves is so important.
Yeah.
Yeah.
(24:39):
And I was curious too, if they're everapproached as, um, you know, almost as
advocacy tools for, for nursing and thefield, um, because they do, I think...
provide information about, you know, whatis at the heart of that individual and
(25:04):
why they are pursuing that as a career,you know, as you were mentioning, you
know, it kind of became part of your core.
And your journey, you know, itwasn't a straight path to, to where
you are now, but you wouldn't bewhere you are now without having
had those prior experiences.
(25:25):
So you know, I was curious if thestudents are, are sharing their
ePortfolios, um, with other studentsas they're going through the program,
if they're sharing them with...
other, um, professorsthat they're working with.
Do they get shared with any kind ofsite supervisors that they might have?
(25:48):
What is, what is that process like?
Well, they have the opportunityto share their ePortfolios in
any manner that they choose.
Um, but you know, I.
A resume only tells you the professionalaspect, the e portfolio pads, that
information with the personal aspect,and we have many students that enter
(26:11):
the profession because they had ahistory of some sort of cancer or
some sort of disease process thatput them in the care of nursing.
And that's why.
They became a nurse or a familymember or, you know, these stories
are just incredible to hear.
And, you know, I hear themanecdotally, but to have them, you
(26:35):
know, housed if they're comfortablewith it in an ePortfolio that says,
this is why I'm pursuing nursing.
And I want to advocate forthe psychiatric patient.
I want to advocate for thepediatric oncology patient.
You know, the ePortfoliois the perfect place.
You can't really express that.
On a resume.
(26:55):
So it just takes that resume tothe next level by giving, you
know, the person who's readingit some insight into this person.
Yeah.
So, you know, how they chooseto share it though is, you
know, based on an individual.
We don't have any strictrequirements on that.
Um, they don't do peer review.
I mean, just ePortfolio.
Um, but that is certain, certainlysomething, um, I would consider for
(27:20):
the pre licensure students, right?
Yeah.
And maybe a part of thatinternship experience.
Yes.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Uh, do you know, you know, as part of,um, the process, if they are choosing to
share them out, uh, maybe with potentialemployers, you mentioned that You give
(27:41):
them advice on including the QR code.
Um, have you heard back from any studentsabout, you know, if they heard from a
potential employer that they looked attheir portfolio, or if there was something
about the process of putting the portfoliotogether that may have helped them when
they got into that interview stage?
(28:04):
Not, not specifically ePortfolio oriented.
Um, I do get, um, emails andcorrespondence from students after they
graduated saying I, I got the job that Iwanted, um, you know, and they'll offer
their gratitude for the course and allthe career development that we've done.
(28:27):
And that just, that feels so good, youknow, that I've got the job that they,
they want because you know, when welook at turnover, um, and retention, all
of that trickles down to the patient.
Yeah, so having a facility withlow turnover and I'm not saying
ePortfolios is the cure for tur...
turnover or retention.
(28:49):
Oh, alright, yeah., but you know,it could be part of how we can
keep, um Employees in one place.
Yeah, you know for longer,um It's just a thought.
Yeah.
Yeah and finding that position thatis You know, a good fit for them
(29:10):
where they are at that point, right?
Um, and it may keep expanding from there,but for, yeah, for them to be able to
get their dream job, as you mentioned,uh, right when they graduate is, is huge.
Welcome to DigicationScholars Conversations.
I'm your host, Kelly Driscoll.
In this episode, you'll hear part oneof my conversation with Tina Abate,
Clinical Assistant Professor andCoordinator of the Nursing Student
Internship Program in Stony BrookUniversity's School of Nursing.
More links and information about today'sconversation can be found on Digication's
(00:26):
Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Full episodes of Digication ScholarsConversations can be found on
YouTube or your favorite podcast app.
Welcome to DigicationScholars Conversations.
I'm your host, Kelly Driscoll, and todayI am so pleased to welcome Tina Abbate.
(00:46):
Tina is a clinical assistant professorand coordinator of the Nursing
Student Internship Program in StonyBrook University's School of Nursing.
Welcome, Tina.
Thank you for having me.
Absolutely.
So, Tina, I would love to start ourconversation today just learning
(01:06):
a little bit about what broughtyou to Stony Brook University.
It's such a beautiful, uniquearea and institution, so I
would love for our listeners tolearn a little bit about that.
Sure thing.
So, I was born and raised, um,on Long Island, and I started
my nursing career at Stony BrookUniversity Hospital in Nicolls.
(01:29):
Um, then around 2006, I, uh, decided togo back to school, to graduate school.
So, I was, uh, lucky enough tobe awarded a fellowship program
at Binghamton University.
So, Um...
I lived there from 2006 to 2015, soI graduated with my doctorate in 2015
(01:53):
and it was time to head back home.
So um, a position opened at Stony BrookUniversity School of Nursing and I was
very honored to accept it and I've beenthere for eight years now and I love it
and I just see myself retiring from there.
It's just Just an amazing place to work.
Yeah.
(02:13):
Yeah.
It's a really special school.
I, I had the opportunity to visit thecampus a few times and Oh my gosh, I still
remember this adorable little bed andbreakfast that was close to an area where
you could walk by the water, although I'msure there's a lot of areas where you can
walk by the water, but it was so gorgeous.
(02:35):
There are all these waterfall and Igot to enjoy the sunset there, so I
have happy memories of my time visitingthis school and I don't know if you
know this, but Digication's actuallybeen, uh, working with SBU since 2007.
So, it's been a very long history,and, uh, you're our first guest from
(03:00):
Stony Brook University, so I'm veryexcited to, to have you on the podcast.
And, um, I was interested, you know,can you recall when your passion
for healthcare started to emerge?
Was there someone in your life or,um, maybe an experience that you
(03:22):
had that was an inspiration to you?
Yeah.
In high school, actually.
Okay.
I, I knew, I knew, I knew I wanted todo something where I was helping people.
I just wasn't sure whereI was going to land.
Um, in that regard, but, um, Ihad originally wanted to be a
pediatrician, so our high school hada program where you could shadow a
(03:46):
doctor for the day, and, um, I spentthe bulk of that day with a nurse.
And I said, wait a minute,um, this is what I want.
I want that, uh, interaction withpatients, um, like nurses do.
And so I pursued my bachelor's degree fromBinghamton, um, in Nursing, and it really
(04:09):
is a phenomenal career, a profession tobe in because we have so many different
options, um, you don't even have to beat the bedside or working with patients.
There are so many roles, um, that youcan have within the nursing profession.
It's just that dynamic.
So, you know, I feel very lucky that,um, I had that experience because it
(04:33):
really guided me to my present day.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And so tell us a little bit aboutyour time in the Nicoll as well.
I'm sure that that was very special andwhat was it that kind of made you shift
and get more involved in, in teaching?
So, um, my goal was never really to teach.
(04:56):
When I pursued my doctorate, I,I got into the BS to PhD program
and, um, my, my research was very,uh, neonatal ICU, um, focused.
I did my dissertation on, ongastroschisis, um, so I was
heading down more of a, a clinicalresearch type of background.
(05:19):
Um, but then, uh, in 2007, I was asked,uh, to teach a clinical group to bring
a group of students to the Nicollsand, um, you know, being a graduate
student, it was financially difficultat the time and they were offering me
wages and I said, okay, absolutely.
So I brought students to the Nicolland, um, just something came over me.
(05:44):
It was just as if I had metmy professional soulmate.
Like, it was like that deep, like,I said, What's happening here?
Like, I, it It was a completedeparture from what my goals
were because I was also thinkinghospital administration and things.
So I continued to askfor teaching assignments.
And I just, uh, I fell in head overheels and it's really just, it's become
(06:10):
part of my core being at this point.
So and I've been teachingnow for 16 years.
Wow.
Yeah.
Wow.
So we have, um, uh, aninteresting connection, uh,
that I wasn't expecting today.
One of the children that I adoptedwas actually born with gastroschisis.
(06:31):
And I'm not even probablypronouncing it correctly.
It's a big work.
Wow.
Yeah.
But, um, he was in the Nicoll,um, for almost two months.
Um, I did not, I hadn't met himyet at the time, but learning about
that, it's just incredible whatmodern medicine can handle, really.
(06:58):
And what babies canhandle too because Right.
They, they, they are my goalies.
Resilient.
Yeah.
beings ever.
And yeah, I just have the mostlove and respect for babies, uh,
that will always be part of me.
Um, so that's incredible whatthey endure, but still persevere.
(07:19):
Yeah.
Yeah.
I mean, they are, I mean,they arise here, made to.
Survive, really.
I mean, it is definitely just built in.
They require a lot of care andattention, but they are still,
yeah, lighty, lighty little being.
It's more about light.
I hope he's okay.
(07:39):
Yes, he's wonderful.
I'm glad.
Yes, yes.
Thank you for asking.
Yeah, he's doing great.
Um, so circling back to, uh, TheSchool of Nursing and Digication,
so do you know when the School ofNursing started using Digication?
(08:00):
Were you a part of that or wasit something that was already
integrated when you joined?
At least in the undergraduate program,um, I had introduced it, I would
say about 2018 or so, um, as partof the leadership and management
(08:20):
courses in the undergraduate program.
Um, so I would say about 2018.
Okay, great.
Yeah.
And I know more about what you were doing,you know, a little bit, not, I'll know
more in a few minutes, but I know moreabout what you were doing within the, um,
kind of student internship program, but Iwould love to hear if, you know, if you're
(08:45):
still utilizing ePortfolios and otherkinds of courses and experiences as well.
Um, so it sounds like you may have beenone of the early users of ePortfolio
technology within the School of Nursing.
And was it that managementcourse that was where it began?
(09:09):
Correct!
Okay.
And did it have any kindof, um, connections to
accreditation or assessment?
Because I know, in some other healthcarerelated fields, that's sometimes how
this kind of technology gets, um,gets incorporated into the curriculum.
(09:31):
Um, and other times it's morefocused on providing a space for
the students to really tell theirstory about their experiences.
So I was kind of curious how it might haveUm, maybe first started and if there's
been any kind of evolution since it began.
Absolutely.
Um, it had just started really withthem, uh, developing a resume because
(09:56):
we have student learning objectivesthat in this course, um, and the
formal term is, uh, transitionsinto baccalaureate nursing practice.
Okay.
Um, I just call it leadership andmanagement for short, but it's basically
bridging that journey between studentand baccalaureate prepared nurse.
(10:17):
Um, so the course focuses, um, in part ondeveloping your career, putting your best
foot forward, and we have starting studentlearning outcomes that pertain to that.
So it started with a resume andthen I decided to take it a step
further with our RN to BS students.
Now these are students that have theirtwo year RN degree and they're pursuing
(10:39):
their four year baccalaureate degree.
So in the course, not only do theydevelop their resume, but they
also develop this e portfolio.
As part of the course andpart of their course grade.
Nice.
Nice.
So as they're coming in, you know, atthese different kinds of levels in their,
(11:00):
um, kind of education and professionalpursuits, how, how are you introducing
them to this type of technology and maybehow it may differ from other kinds of.
tools that they're using either atschool or when they're in the field.
(11:20):
So, um, I ha...
We have them get into the educationprogram sooner than later, even though
the, uh, assignment is due at the end.
And we provide them a lot of guidance,um, and we have, uh, a very prescriptive,
prescriptive rubric that details what theyshould be including in this ePortfolio
(11:42):
so that they can start collecting theirmaterials and, um, they, part of their,
the points earned are also visual appeal.
Because you can have just astraightforward, um, ePortfolio,
which is fine, but to have a littlebit more visual appear and flair
to it, I think is very helpful.
(12:03):
So that's, you know, they want to earnthe top-tier points for each category
that includes some sort of visual appeal.
It doesn't have to be anything crazy, but,um, you know, something just to make it
a bit more appealing as you look at it.
Um, so they also get, um, resourceson how to access, uh, you know, Bring
(12:26):
them to the tutorials that you provide.
Um, I also have some screenshotsof my own and then of course I can
reach out to Digication or myselffor any, um, you know, it takes a
little, this definitely a learningcurve with any platform that you use.
So, um, once they get the hangof it, then, then they're fine.
(12:48):
Oh, good.
Glad to hear that.
And I know.
As we've been developing Digicationover time, we really have had a focus
on making it something that can bepersonalized and, um, you know, giving
students the opportunity to presentwho they are, not just, um, you know,
(13:12):
um, using it as a file repository andI know in especially sometimes in more
healthcare oriented disciplines or anykind of professional practice programs
they're often required to share youknow their experience and certifications
professional development opportunitiesbut very often other platforms are very
(13:38):
kind of form-oriented and very strictin how that information is presented.
So do you feel like the students enjoyedthe opportunity to do something that
wasn't so form-oriented, even if therewas a little bit of a learning curve.
Did they find that thatwas valuable to them?
(13:58):
Yeah, I think so because it,Digication, uh, definitely is flexible
and gives you that levity to developsomething that can represent you.
Um, so I have seen some really,I've graded some very amazing,
beautiful, it's almost like artwork.
(14:20):
You know, some of these, uh,students really just go that
extra mile to create these, uh, Iwould say ePortfolio art, I guess.
And you really can really, um,understand and get to know the student
just by taking a journey throughtheir ePortfolio and, you know,
career development is so important.
(14:41):
Uh, in this course, they gothrough a mock interview, um,
with someone that they don't know.
And, um, Actually, our mock interviewersare a master of leadership and
education students, so they needexperience in interviewing, and, um,
the students as well, to get really,uh, immersed and get some practice
(15:06):
in nursing profession-orientedinterviewing questions.
So the master's students interviewthe RN students, the undergraduate
students, uh, for a fictitious joband they can choose either a med surg.
position, uh, a leadership positionor applying to graduate school.
(15:27):
So the interview can haveone of those three foci.
I okay And then the students then go offand meet with the Career Center one on
one and they get their resume tweaked bythem because they're, you know, really
the experts in resume development.
And, um, you know, the finalpart of it is to put all of this
(15:50):
together into an ePortfolio.
They need something that will setthem apart from the, you know,
fellow candidates for a job thatthey're pursuing or graduate school.
So I think, um, It's more ofa holistic type of approach.
Excellent.
Yeah.
And as they're building this out, um,you know, you mentioned that the process
(16:12):
started with, with the resume and thenit sounds like it's evolved to include.
Other kinds of content that they'vecreated, maybe as part of your class, but
also other classes that they've taken.
Could you describe a little bit about whatkinds of things that they're including
(16:33):
within those ePortfolio pages now?
Um, maybe in addition to the, the resume?
So definitely the resume.
They have a welcome page wherethey introduce themselves.
We encourage them to include a photoand just give a brief description about
themselves and their, um, work history.
They can record it, get audio or theycan, you know, Do both narratives and
(16:58):
audio if they, they wish, um, theyput in their nursing philosophy, which
is constructed in a previous course.
So they take their nursing philosophyand they present it as one of
their first tabs in the ePortfolio.
They also put in, um, their goals.
(17:18):
Where do they see themselves?
That's such a typicalinterview question, right?
Where do you see yourself in five years?
So, that's housed in the ePortfolio and,um, any certifications, professional
development, things like that.
And the last thing that they, um,include is they do a poster presentation
(17:40):
in, um, the sibling course that wehave for leadership and management.
So, they put their professionalposter in there as well, where
they do like a hypothetical.
Um, EPP project that'sleadership oriented.
So they have, you know, a nicedisplay, a professional display
of one of their um, projects.
(18:01):
It's so much better thanuploading a paper, you know.
So this is just uh, a reallygreat thing to include in there.
So that's what they um,have in their ePortfolio.
Nice.
So are they doing any kind of um, I know,you know, as part of your roles, you're
coordinating the, um, the internshipprogram with the nursing students.
(18:23):
Are they pulling in any kindof reflections or, um, maybe
materials about that kind ofinternship experience as well?
I know they're not sharing, you know,specifics about the, the patients and
things, but are they able to share?
Elements of what that kind of experiencewas like for them in their ePortfolio.
(18:46):
Not at this point, but that isdefinitely something to consider.
So right now I have thisassignment with our RN.
These are post licensure students.
This spring I'm bringing in, Iwill be bringing in ePortfolios
to the pre licensure students.
Nice.
So, and in the internship Ihave pre licensure students.
(19:08):
So they, these pre licensure students,take transition into professional practice
as part of their last semester, justlike the RN students, um, and what I
see with that is, um, on their resume,putting a QR code to their ePortfolio,
just like I recommend to the RN students.
(19:30):
Yeah, um, and they can, you know,link out so that when they're
uploading their resumes and things,um, for their job applications,
that QR code will be right there.
Yeah.
So, um, adding reflections, Ithink, is a, is a great idea.
to have a tab like reflectreflections of student nursing
(19:51):
or something to that effect.
Yeah, we've had some other programs thathave had a lot of success in using that
as a plate because so often when they goYou know, before they've had these kind of
field experiences or even, you know, maybehaving an experience with even a group
of other nurses, you know, there's thingsthat are being learned every day, right?
(20:15):
Yeah.
And having that space for them to, uh,Um, you know, not just, you know, kind
of document the day to day, but youknow, there's these incredible kind of
light bulb moments that happen in thosekinds of experiences and it can be a
beautiful place for that to be recorded.
And I know sometimes theykeep that area private.
(20:38):
And may, um, you know, make decisionsabout how they might like to craft
that to be shared with externalaudiences later as part of that
more career oriented portfolio.
And, um, so if that's somethingyou're interested in pursuing, I'd
love to show you other examples.
So that you might get some ideasabout how to do that with your,
(21:01):
um, nursing students as well.
I think they'd really love that.
They'd enjoy it.
And you'll probably love reading them.
I love hearing those types of, um,stories from students and it really
connects them to the profession even more.
Yes.
Yeah, yeah.
Um, and in terms of the kind of, uh,interviewing process, if they've gone
(21:26):
through kind of crafting that narrative,even if they're not showing that exact
page to the person interviewing, it'llbe kind of at the top of their resume.
mind and describing, you know, experiencesthat they've had in the field too.
So we, we can chat more about that after.
(21:50):
That sounds good.
I love to see them used in any kindof field experience, internships.
Um, I just think they'resuch a great asset.
Um, but I was curious, so when youstarted, you know, using this with the
students, and maybe it's something thatyou kind of communicate to them now,
(22:10):
um, you know, from your perspective,what kind of value do you feel like
The e portfolios give the students andthen what kind of value maybe does it
provide to the School of Nursing atmaybe, you know, during the time that
you're actually working with the studentsand maybe even beyond that because
(22:32):
they do have access as alumni as well.
Yeah, which is very important.
So That they continue having thisaccess beyond their graduation date.
Right.
Well, like I said, career developmentis so important for so many reasons,
but at the core, for me personally,how I feel about career development is
(22:55):
I want them to land their dream job.
I want them to be offered theirdream job and their backup jobs.
Um, but I, if they are interested in.
The ER or another specialty area.
Those areas tend to be verycompetitive and, you know, they're all
graduating roughly at the same time.
(23:16):
So there's competition forthese fellowship programs.
And, um, so I feel that they can landtheir dream job that they have been
working towards for their entire program.
Then they're more likely to stayand that could possibly impact
(23:37):
Turner, you know, turnover.
Retention.
So let's put them in a positionin the best position possible to
nail that job that they reallyhave wanted to pursue from day one.
So that maybe that they'll stay.
Right, right.
Because we do, we see our,our, uh, turnover rate since
the pandemic has increased.
(23:59):
So we need to do some work pre pandemic,but definitely now post pandemic, um,
in trying to curtail that turnover rate.
Because it does cost aninstitution a lot of money to train
individuals and things like that.
So, you know, if they don't get that dreamjob and they have to take their backup
(24:19):
job, there's going to be a turnover there.
You can almost guaranteeit, um, in these days.
So, yeah, yeah.
That's where I really feel careerdevelopment and giving them a
rounded opportunity to presentthemselves is so important.
Yeah.
Yeah.
(24:39):
And I was curious too, if they're everapproached as, um, you know, almost as
advocacy tools for, for nursing and thefield, um, because they do, I think...
provide information about, you know, whatis at the heart of that individual and
(25:04):
why they are pursuing that as a career,you know, as you were mentioning, you
know, it kind of became part of your core.
And your journey, you know, itwasn't a straight path to, to where
you are now, but you wouldn't bewhere you are now without having
had those prior experiences.
(25:25):
So you know, I was curious if thestudents are, are sharing their
ePortfolios, um, with other studentsas they're going through the program,
if they're sharing them with...
other, um, professorsthat they're working with.
Do they get shared with any kind ofsite supervisors that they might have?
(25:48):
What is, what is that process like?
Well, they have the opportunityto share their ePortfolios in
any manner that they choose.
Um, but you know, I.
A resume only tells you the professionalaspect, the e portfolio pads, that
information with the personal aspect,and we have many students that enter
(26:11):
the profession because they had ahistory of some sort of cancer or
some sort of disease process thatput them in the care of nursing.
And that's why.
They became a nurse or a familymember or, you know, these stories
are just incredible to hear.
And, you know, I hear themanecdotally, but to have them, you
(26:35):
know, housed if they're comfortablewith it in an ePortfolio that says,
this is why I'm pursuing nursing.
And I want to advocate forthe psychiatric patient.
I want to advocate for thepediatric oncology patient.
You know, the ePortfoliois the perfect place.
You can't really express that.
On a resume.
(26:55):
So it just takes that resume tothe next level by giving, you
know, the person who's readingit some insight into this person.
Yeah.
So, you know, how they chooseto share it though is, you
know, based on an individual.
We don't have any strictrequirements on that.
Um, they don't do peer review.
I mean, just ePortfolio.
Um, but that is certain, certainlysomething, um, I would consider for
(27:20):
the pre licensure students, right?
Yeah.
And maybe a part of thatinternship experience.
Yes.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Uh, do you know, you know, as part of,um, the process, if they are choosing to
share them out, uh, maybe with potentialemployers, you mentioned that You give
(27:41):
them advice on including the QR code.
Um, have you heard back from any studentsabout, you know, if they heard from a
potential employer that they looked attheir portfolio, or if there was something
about the process of putting the portfoliotogether that may have helped them when
they got into that interview stage?
(28:04):
Not, not specifically ePortfolio oriented.
Um, I do get, um, emails andcorrespondence from students after they
graduated saying I, I got the job that Iwanted, um, you know, and they'll offer
their gratitude for the course and allthe career development that we've done.
(28:27):
And that just, that feels so good, youknow, that I've got the job that they,
they want because you know, when welook at turnover, um, and retention, all
of that trickles down to the patient.
Yeah, so having a facility withlow turnover and I'm not saying
ePortfolios is the cure for tur...
turnover or retention.
(28:49):
Oh, alright, yeah., but you know,it could be part of how we can
keep, um Employees in one place.
Yeah, you know for longer,um It's just a thought.
Yeah.
Yeah and finding that position thatis You know, a good fit for them
(29:10):
where they are at that point, right?
Um, and it may keep expanding from there,but for, yeah, for them to be able to
get their dream job, as you mentioned,uh, right when they graduate is, is huge.
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