Dickinson State University’s (DSU) Nursing Students’ Association (NSA) recently selected Teresa Bren as the 2022 Nurse Educator of the Year (NEDY).
This award was developed by the greater Nursing Students’ Association of North Dakota (NSAND), a pre-professional student-run organization comprised of nursing students from institutions across the state, to recognize outstanding nursing educators.
Bren graduated from Dickinson State University in 2004 with an Associate in Applied Science degree in practical nursing (AASPN) and in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. She was nominated by Alexa Delbridge, DSU Nursing Student Association president.
Delbridge shared how she chose Bren as this year’s Nurse Educator of the Year saying, “In NSA, we have certain individuals that are allowed to vote based on the level of commitment to the association. After narrowing our seven nursing faculty down to the top three choices for the 2021-2022 school year, we had to come to a majority vote. We had all three nominees send an autobiography about themselves so that we could get to know them a little better outside the classroom. Every voting individual of our team has had these professors in the classroom, so we know firsthand how they handle stress, how they encourage their students, and how they dedicate themselves to their careers (of both nursing and education). After a long and challenging vote, Teresa Bren came out in first place. The defining characteristics that we thought she capitalizes on are showing a dedication to her education, students, university, and community. She has the ability to develop physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual qualities in nursing students to prepare them for a successful career. Lastly, she exemplifies the principles behind nursing care and is loyal to her profession – a leader at its finest.”
To qualify for nomination, the applicant must be a DSU faculty member and must accept public appearances if needed. Delbridge noted that there are also personal characteristics and principles that help qualify someone for the Nurse Educator of the Year award. “Some personal characteristics that qualify someone to become a NEDY nomination include inspiring nursing students to love the profession, involvement in nursing outside of the university, and having the potential to develop qualities in nursing students to help create a successful career. They must exemplify the principles behind nursing care, must be loyal to the profession, and have leadership abilities. A few of these criteria are noticed in the state NEDY guidelines, but some are also what the Nursing Student Association sees fit to represent a wonderful and deserving NEDY.”
Bren started working at DSU as a registered nurse participating as an adjunct instructor for the AASPN program for postpartum and newborn care in the 2009-2010 academic year. This became a significant step in her career. “The AASPN appointment was important for my path forward since it gave me an opportunity to experience nurse education as a career option. After falling in love with the teaching role, I returned to school (University of Mary) to obtain my master’s in nursing administration and, shortly after, took a full-time position as an AASPN faculty member at DSU in 2013 and have been here since. I teach first-year nursing students (N1) as well as Freshman Seminar and Fundamentals of Nutrition. I have facilitated clinical experiences for the N1 students within acute care, long-term care, and simulation; each of these provides a unique learning experience for the students.”
Bren is honored to receive this award and credits it to the people around her. “We have an outstanding faculty team within the nursing program, both the AASPN and BSN programs. Each faculty member is dedicated to providing learning experiences for our students that are challenging and rich. With that, any one of us is deserving of such an award. I am honored to have been awarded Nurse Educator of the Year but know fully that excelling as an educator is only possible when surrounded by staff, faculty, administration, and students who support you along the way.”
Although classroom learning is important, Bren believes in the unmatched education that comes from hands-on training. “One goal I have for my students is to embrace the uncomfortable. We have high expectations for our students, both in the classroom and during clinical learning experiences,” she said, “but the jewel of learning and understanding quality nursing care occurs in the clinical setting. Students who present to clinical with motivation and are unafraid to engage with the patient, nurse, faculty, and healthcare team draw from the experience learning that impacts their understanding for a lifetime of caregiving. ‘Ah-hah’ moments during clinical give me goosebumps.”
Bren also shared some of her inspirations and future goals as a nurse educator. She said, “I became a nurse educator because I believed I could have a larger impact within the profession and for my community if I could teach aspiring nurses the value of care and the knowledge needed to provide effective care. As a single nurse, I can care for a handful of patients any given day, but as a nurse educator, students impacted by my teaching can reach many more patients in both local communities and far-off lands.”
The need for nurses is the greatest it’s been in a long time. “In recent years, our profession has been hit hard,” said Bren. “The COVID-19 pandemic has placed a burden on nurses who give of themselves in multiple healthcare settings. They are tired and burnt out, and some have left the profession altogether. Nurses are the largest group of healthcare providers within the healthcare system and never work alone. They work alongside other nurses, physicians, therapists, etc., so having limited nurses impacts the entire healthcare system, but most importantly, the patients. My goal as a nurse educator is to help build the nurse forces. Nurse educators in collaboration with other DSU faculty and staff must work to attract and retain students so they can excel in school and join the forces in improving the health of their communities, nation, and the world.”
Bren has fond memories of her time as a DSU nursing student and tries to give her students the same experience. “The campus community was tight, and one could observe the great camaraderie shared among all as students walked through the halls and down the sidewalk,” she said. “As a faculty member today, I look forward to seeing and collaborating with those within my department as well as those across campus. Strong ties with faculty, staff, and students provide opportunities for growth and strengthening. I hope students today feel the support and dedication of our wonderful staff and faculty today as I did when I was a student, so much so, that I chose to dedicate many years as a faculty member here.”
Delbridge shared what she thinks is the significance of this award saying, “This is an important award because it shows not only the nursing students but also the students of DSU that our nursing professors are making a difference in our lives. Our recognizing them shows the faculty that we appreciate what they do for us. Lastly, it shows the award winner—this year being Mrs. Bren—that we are thankful for the impact she has made on us as students and peers in the nursing world. This award symbolizes her dedication to our success as a nurse and our wellbeing versus just giving us the material and expecting us to learn. It also shows that she challenges us and does not let us just breeze through schooling because, trust me, a nursing degree does not come easy.”
Bren leads and teaches by example, and her students recognize this. “Second to all other amazing things about Teresa, I cannot say enough about her commitment to our successes,” said Delbridge. “She has had her fair share of experiences through nursing, and that is, quite honestly, the best thing you can bring to share with your students. We cannot learn everything by reading the text; we need to have experiences or relate to others’ experiences to truly understand what happens. Teresa is caring, honest, and giving. She gives her time to us students inside the classroom and outside the campus. She attends our NSA events or shows she cares about our individual successes by giving us her words of advice and congratulations. Teresa holds true to this title, and I am honored to have been a student of hers. Soon enough we will become her peers as we will have a degree that only happened because of her help.”
