As the clinical educator at Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital, it’s obviously in Joseph’s role to educate staff members. Joseph does not limit his role to just educating the staff on policy, procedures and skills, he takes his role to a much higher level. I have been at Tempe St. Luke’s for the past month as a clinical instructor for Arizona State University. My students know Joseph by name, and they feel comfortable seeking him out to ask questions.

One of the days we were at the hospital, an emergency situation came in. This situation left many students shaken. Even though it was the end of the day, Joseph took the time to debrief with the students, talking through emotions that many of the students were feeling, discussing therapeutic coping strategies, and filling in knowledge gaps that students missed or interpreted incorrectly. Following that day, many of the students’ clinical evaluation tools reflected on the experience and expressed that they felt safe and supported in the environment, and how a stressful situation turned into a positive learning experience.

Here is an excerpt from one student; “It’s important for students to have this kind of safe environment in order to build their confidence in being a nurse. If I didn’t have this kind of environment, I don’t think I would’ve been able to process my emotions in a healthy manner.” This exemplifies how Joseph fosters a compassionate environment where learners flourish. Joseph facilitates a spirit of inquiry and lifelong learning in many ways. Joseph is in school for advanced practice nursing; this is an example to learners that even though he has his career established, he continues to learn and grow.

Another example is during a debrief, a student was not understanding how intraosseous (IO) access works. Joseph excused himself and returned with the facility’s IO training kit, allowing learners to get a hands-on approach to learning that solidified their understanding; their spirit of inquiry was fostered by receiving such a thorough explanation.

Joseph facilitates learner development, socialization, and interpersonal communication in multiple ways. One example is that Joseph wanted to be part of one of the first facilities to participate in the ASU Teams approach to clinical experiences. This model has the students completing the majority of their clinical rotations at Tempe St. Luke’s throughout their program. This allows students to become socialized to nursing and develop relationships with clinical staff, allowing them to feel comfortable working on soft skills such as interpersonal communication and development. As the educator for Tempe St. Luke’s, Joseph doesn’t stop with education; he demonstrates his practice also. When a code is called, Joseph rushes to participate, jumping in as any floor nurse would. If time allows, he ensures that everyone understands their role and feels comfortable. Once the situation has been resolved, he provides valuable feedback that allows individuals to provide safe, timely, effective, efficient, and equitable care to the clients. Working as an equal during a code demonstrates to the staff and learners that Joseph is an expert resource.