Rani K. Sangha, DNP, MSN (ed.

), MBA, RN
Promotion In Rank: Narrative Summary

The purpose of this paper is to provide the reader a written narrative summary to describe

my rationale for promotion to Associate Professor of Nursing at Bon Secours Memorial College

of Nursing (BSMCON). I have had the great opportunity to serve as a faculty member for five

years. I came to the nursing program as an adjunct faculty member, having worked as an

Assistant Professor at various educational institutions over the past 17 years. I view education as

a mission of service. During my academic journey I have had the opportunity to grow

professionally in the areas of teaching, academic and professional citizenship and engagement, as

well as, in the area of scholarship. I will discuss select courses that I feel best demonstrate my

growth, core values of Bon Secours, and my philosophy of “It takes a village to raise a child” as

child representing nursing students. It is a teamwork and collaboration that our nursing program

ranked among the best BSN program in the nation. This narrative will outline my journey to

become an effective nurse educator at Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing.

Evidence of Teaching as Service

NUR 3111P, Adult Nursing Science 1 Practicum

In January 2015, I began working as an adjunct faculty in NUR 3111P, which is a

medical-surgical practicum course in the junior year. During the 15 weeks of this practicum I

emphasize all of the curriculum threads to ensure that students build a foundation of skills and

concepts before leaving 3111P. The very next semester, I became a full time Assistant Professor

at BSMCON.

At the beginning of each semester, I take time to get to know the students and ask a few

questions. Examples of these questions include, “ What are some of your hobbies and

passions?” or “What is your philosophy of nursing?” and “If you were an animal, which one
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Promotion In Rank: Narrative Summary 2

would you want to be?” These questions help me build a positive relationship with my students

and I learn about their personalities and values.

In the practicum setting, I have created an interprofessional educational experience for

the students. I invite physicians, nursing leaders, physical therapists, registered dieticians,

chaplains, and novice nurses to post conference to promote communication, confidence,

collaboration and team work to prepare them to work effectively with multiple professionals,

across multiple settings. During these sessions, I have invited Dr. Murphy (Medical Doctor) to

my post conference to answer students’ clinical questions. Additionally, students present a

patient case scenario using an SBAR report to him. This allows students to practice

communicating a patient report to the physician with confidence. Students have provided

positive feedback in the course evaluations about their post conference experiences. This

teaching strategy has been featured in our college newsletter (see appendix).

I feel my growth in teaching this course is best demonstrated by the opportunity to

implement “walk- in” rounds in our skills lab SBAR simulation. Previously, during simulations,

students watched simulation scenarios. I felt that students were not engaged during the

simulation because they were either talking to their classmates or working on other course

material. To increase engagement, I implemented walk in rounds, where students walked to each

scenario and reviewed patients’ findings with their classmates using SBAR report form. The

SBAR “walk-in” rounds enhanced students’ communication abilities to receive and give report

on multiple patients. This more active visual learning style, promotes meaningful collaborative

learning.

As an experienced teacher, I provide support to my colleagues and new faculty members

in this course. I mentored a new faculty (Diane Smith) at SFMC when she started at the college.
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Promotion In Rank: Narrative Summary 3

She practiced at the same hospital as me (SFMC) and I reached out to her every morning before

clinical and addressed all of her questions and concerns. In a collaborative effort to show support

and contribute to the successful clinical experience, I also included her clinical group in my post

conferences every week so she could see the process. In my teaching philosophy, I try to

emphasize that we all have to work together to contribute to the success of the program.

I serve as a role model of professional behavior in the hospital and at the college. I

effectively communicate with hospital staff, management, faculty, and students’. The students’

clinical assignments are given to the nurses during morning rounds so they are aware of their

duties. I also coach my students by supporting them to perform skills, document, and give

medication during their clinical days. I encourage students to incorporate their plan of care for

their patients and provide education regarding medications to their patients. I emphasize all of

the curriculum threads to ensure the student have a foundation of these skills and concepts before

leaving 3111P.

NUR 3121: Nursing Informatics

During my time at Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing, I have had the opportunity

to teach in the classroom for pre-licensure and post- licensure program in a variety of courses.

My first teaching experiences at the College were NUR 3121: Nursing Informatics course. This

course focused on the fundamental use of information and technology within the healthcare

system. I received pre-developed lecture material including PowerPoint slide sets and articles. As

I taught this first semester, I made changes to the material to fit the current literature and

practice. Throughout the first semester of teaching this course, I learned that students were not

engaged in the classroom lecture. The students’ attendance was low, and they were on their
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Promotion In Rank: Narrative Summary 4

phones or electronic devices. The course did not have many group activities. Multiple exams

were given in the course and student performance was poor in the course.

In order to improve engagement and implement best practices into my teaching, I

innovated group activity games such as basketball. I wanted to ensure that I am meeting the

learning needs of every student. I am committed to creating an environment that is conducive for

students’ success. Basketball games were played in a group activity to promote collaborative

learning content and reinforce lecture material to support the kinesthetic learning style. The

students had to select a team leader as a point guard, who will carry the team of three to four

through the case study and keep passing the ball and make a score shot once everyone agreed

with the decision. The students enjoyed the activity and engagement and attendance were

improved.

Changes were presented to the curriculum committee to implement more active learning

exercises/activity instead of multiple choice exams. Active learning activities were implemented

to meet the need for different learning styles. Videos and power point slides were utilized to

support visual learners. In class case studies were used to provide students with connection with

more real life situations. Students were given an underserved population and asked to search

various websites and address best healthcare insurance coverage. The activity helped students

understand concepts of vulnerable populations, patient needs, and how to identify potential

community resources. Students expressed increased satisfaction in the course evaluation after the

changes.

In 2015, I taught in the post licensure RN-BSN program. I was asked to teach two

courses, NUR 4215P: Vulnerable Populations and Global Health Practicum and NUR 3205

(currently 3208) : Advancing Nursing Practice. In order to prepare myself for these courses, I
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completed the Quality Matter course “Teaching Online- An Introduction to Online Delivery”. In

order to enhance my online teaching skills and gain better understanding of technology and

online delivery method I completed a Quality Matters Faculty Fellowship program this year. The

program consists of nine courses that included a peer review course. I received a certification in

online teaching from Quality Matters. It was important for me to receive the certification in the

online delivery system because I wanted to create a culture of continuous improvement and

keeping learners engaged, which is different from face to face classes. The Quality Matter

fellowship gave me a deeper understanding, appreciation, and experience of online delivery

process.

NUR 4215P: Vulnerable Populations and Global Health Practicum

The Vulnerable Populations and Global Health Practicum (NUR4215P) course allowed

me to expand my leadership skills and coordinate 40 clinical hours with various community

sites. The RN-BSN level coordinator helped me locate and setup sites to fulfill students’

requested sites. I also located new sites for the students that are outside the Richmond area, such

as Moss Free Clinic in Fredericksburg. In order to have deeper understanding of this course, I

served in a Remote Area Medical (RAM) event in Grundy, VA. It was an honor to be part of this

experience. My passion for teaching was re-ignited by teaching this course to the nursing

students who were near and dear to me. Now, I serve as a mentor to the students who complete

their clinical hours in RAM sites. The sites includes: Grundy, Wise, and Harrisonburg , VA.

In addition to teaching, I developed and implemented a midpoint log in the 4215 P course

for the students (See supplemental documents). Midpoint logs provided students, mentors, and

faculty a common understanding of how many hours were completed by the mid-semester. This

document provided clear communication and visually enabled students, faculty and mentors to
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see how the student was progressing toward completion of required hours. Use of this form

enabled faculty to reach out to the site if students were falling behind in hours at midpoint. This

process gave assurance that students would be successful by the end of the course with required

hours.

NUR 3205: Advancing Nursing Practice (Currently 3208)

I also co-taught in the NUR 3205: Advancing Nursing Practice for RN-BSN program.

The course uses Virtual Simulation (vSim) software to simulate real nursing scenarios that

allows students to interact with patients in a safe, realistic online environment. I adapted to

online teaching very quickly and became comfortable with technology and the online teaching

environment. This opportunity was very exciting due to my experience as a classroom and

clinical faculty and allowed opportunities to incorporate a variety of teaching strategies into the

online environment. The teaching strategies include discussion boards, Wiki group assignments,

weekly videos, recorded lectures, head to toes assessments videos, and multiple case studies with

written papers.

NUR 3241: Quality and Safety

After only teaching for one year in the online environment, I was asked to develop a new

course NUR3241: Quality and Safety for RN-BSN program. This course provided a unique

opportunity to combine two previous courses NUR 3206 (Quality and Safety in Nursing Practice

1) and NUR 3207(Quality and Safety in Nursing Practice 11). This was an exhilarating, creative

experience. During this time each course module and assignment was created with current

evidence based practice and literature. This course focuses on the development of core Quality

and Safety in Nursing Education (QSEN) competencies. Each module was developed according

to six QSEN competencies. These were; Patient-Centered Care, Teamwork & Collaboration,
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Evidence Based Practice, Quality Improvement, Safety, and Informatics. All the assignments are

aligned with the competencies. I also consulted with other colleagues, who teach any of the

content from the competencies in their courses. During this time, I not only developed this

course, but also provided support to other faculties. For example, Dr. Turner teaches the research

course (NUR 4222) in the RN-BSN program and elaborates on evidence based practice. She

shared that students were not prepared in the previous courses on how to conduct literature

searches for reliable articles. In order to prepare students in this research support for the course

(NUR 4222), I developed a summary of evidence assignment (See supplemental documents) in

NUR 3241. In addition, Wendi Liverman also shared a concern that in the synthesis course

(NUR 4242), students were not prepared for the Quality Improvement project. Therefore, I also

created a Quality Improvement Proposal assignment for NUR 3241 so students are prepared for

their future classes.

NUR 4140: Synthesis for Nursing Practice

In 2019, I was asked to co-teach the senior level course NUR 4140 (Synthesis for

Nursing Practice) both didactic and practicum with Dr. Turner and Dr. Daniels. In order to be an

effective educator in this course, I attend this class each week. I actively participate in the group

or class activities, and interact with students to help me better understand the course content and

flow.

Values of Innovation, Justice and Stewardship

I feel I exhibit several Bon Secours core values while teaching in a variety of courses. I

display professionalism, respect students, faculty, staff and offer high quality interactions in my

clinical and didactic courses. I exhibit the values of Innovation, Justice and Stewardship. I select

the value of innovation, because of the new technology and the importance of being aware of the
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students’ needs in the online delivery method. Justice is important because when working in

distance education, feedback needs to be delivered on time in a mutually respectful manner using

in words without the benefit of nonverbal language. Stewardship is essential because online RN

students work full time, have families, and have time constraints while in school. I try to be

consistent, clear, and concise with my directions and videos to respect their time.

Academic and Professional Citizenship and Engagement as Service

In the area of academic and professional citizenship, I provide engaged service at the

program level and college level in the Bon Secours system, as well as the community at large.

During my tenure at the college I have served as a member of many committees including

Program Level:

 Curriculum committee

 Faculty Development committee (Current)

 Promotion In Rank Committee

 Daisy Award Committee

 Faculty Retention Committee

 The Master Entry’s to Nursing Practice (Current)

The College level:

 Global Outreach Committee

 Policy Committee (2018-present).(Chair-elect)

BSHSI level:

 Human Trafficking Task Force (Current)

 Magnet/ Research Committee (SMH)

Promotion In Rank: Narrative Summary 9

 Employee Resource Group Committee (Current)

 Trauma Informed Committee

Within the Bon Secours system I have opportunities to serve and provide leadership through

various leadership committees in the BSHSI system (BSHSI committee). These opportunities

have provided a mechanism to network with other nursing professionals and broaden my area of

expertise. The Human Trafficking Task Force is where I provide the largest area of service to

the organization. I have served as a content expert in the committee and developed and supported

the learning modules for the BSHSI organization. In addition, I have had the opportunity to lead

Human Trafficking education for the nurses in the general orientation. I met with Dr. Francine

Barr, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of St. Mary’s hospital to share my research on human

trafficking and how important it is to educate nurses on this epidemic. Due to my Doctorate and

Nursing Practice capstone project in Human Trafficking, I was able to implement a mandatory

education for new hired nurses at the BSHSI level.

In the community, I have a variety of opportunities to serve vulnerable populations such as

the homeless and low income household. I also served as a mission leader to the International

Mission Team and facilitated a trip to India, Nepal, and Bangladesh to serve the people who live

in these countries. In this role, I serve with the medical team of physicians to provide healthcare

needs. The team provides free medications, health screening, food, clothing and education to

diverse groups. I also arrange free food and clothing drive’s with the Sikh Gurdwara in

Chesterfield, VA.

I served as a leader for the Global Outreach trip for the Grundy, VA in 2017. I served with

my faculty colleagues to promote the work of the student group and raise monies for travel

expenses. I was able to raise $2500, which was the highest donation for the Grundy, VA trip. By
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providing service and leadership to a variety of committees I have had the opportunity to explore

and gain a fuller understanding of the nursing program and the college.

I also served as an expert faculty mentor in the role of Faculty Navigator to the new

faculty member Michelle Hence (2018-2019). I was able to provide support and guidance to her

by scheduling weekly checkup meetings. I provided recourses such as classroom observation

and blackboard support for Michelle to be an effective educator. My philosophy for “it takes a

village to raise a child” was also utilized in the navigator role. I coordinated observation session

at various courses in the nursing program with different faculty to learn different teaching styles

in the didactic and clinical settings for Michele.

I also shared my expertise in the clinical area with Dr. Diane Smith and Ms. Jessie Swan

as an content expert as they started their NUR 3111P clinical as a novice faculty. I served as an

content expert to the newly developed course NUR 3116 (Population and Global Health) in the

BSN program.

I have also received an nomination for the Daisy faculty award from past three years. It

has been an honor to receive the nomination for straight three years. This is a reflection of my

mission to provide my best to the students, faculty colleagues, and organization.

Scholarship/Contributions to Knowledge Base as Service

In the area of scholarship, I have been able to contribute to the body of knowledge in

nursing. I attended the Certified Nurse Educator course within the first year of teaching at Bon

Secours. This course provided innumerable opportunities for networking with fellow educators

and learning about the role of a nurse educator. I gained ideas and strategies to enhance learning

in all nursing courses. I also attended The Certified Medical-Surgical Registered Nurse
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(CMSRN®) course at Bon Secours. The CMSRN provided me the opportunity to refresh my

skills and knowledge for NUR 3111P Medical Surgical clinical.

In 2019, I completed my Doctorate of Nursing (DNP) in Executive Leadership. I

conducted a research study for the BSHSI nurses for the purposes of my dissertation titled

“Nurses Ability to Identify Human Trafficking Victims”. The purpose of this research study was

to enhance nurses’ knowledge of human trafficking victims. Based on my research, I presented

my study at local, national, and international conferences (See supplemental material). In

January 2019, I presented a poster about my research at the state level at Virginia Council of

Nurse Practitioners (VCNP). My poster was awarded first place in the evidence based research

category at the conference (See supplemental material). In April 2019, I provided a podium

presentation at the National Conference of Evidence Based Practice in Iowa (See supplemental

material). I will also present my research at the International Conference of Sigma Theta Tau

International Honor Society of Nursing (Sigma) in November, 2019. My research was awarded

with an Advocacy Award at the Old Dominion University. All of my podium and poster

presentations were well received and I greatly appreciate the opportunity to raise awareness of

this important issue at the state, national, and international level.

I have also presented my scholarly journey at the Professional Development session

sponsored by the Faculty Development Committee at the college. I prepared a presentation for

faculty entitled, “My Journey” and offered to share my experience with research and scholarship.

The presentation was well received by the faculty many of whom arecompleting their doctorate

or thinking of getting started with the doctorate degree in the future. Last year, I presented a

session on Blackboard Retention Center for faculty. I presented several strategies for the faculty
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Promotion In Rank: Narrative Summary 12

to use the Retention Center as a resource for their courses. These strategies were shared to

promote student success in the nursing program.

I have also partnered with Dr. Karen Mellott to develop a “Community of Scholars”

journal club. As a graduate from the Doctorate program, I see the urge to grow together as a

college or village in the scholarship field. The Faculty Development Committee established a

team for a faculty to provide a dedicated time for faculty to convene, get assistance as needed,

share ideas, learn about topics of interest, discuss the literature, and work on scholarly projects

and outcomes. This has been a great opportunity to learn about scholarship.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this paper provides an overview of the work that I have contributed during

my tenure at Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing. I am honored to be a part of the nursing

program at the College. It is my sincere hope that I have given the reader sufficient

documentation to show my ongoing dedication to the students and nursing program. I appreciate

the time taken by the reader to review my portfolio and consider rendering a decision for

professional advancement to Associate Professor of Nursing.