The ultimate goal of nursing education is to create dynamic, reflective learners who are not afraid to express their curiosity and creativity.  This creativity and reflection allow them to manipulate concepts uniquely in the clinical environment.  Not only treading knowledge roads that are well paved, but confident enough to discover new paths of information currently unknown.  It is the unique honor of nurse educators to be allowed into student’ realm of discovery:  encouraging, challenging, comforting and learning alongside them.  It is the challenge of not only creating exceptional graduate nurses who take care of others, but also teaching them to be insightful enough to take care and nurture themselves.  To plant the seeds of the joy of learning and healthy self-discovery is to open the gateway to the path of lifelong learning for humans. Life-long learning that does not perceive the attainment of a specific degree as an end-point, but rather as a starting point for the next phase of learning. This is the sacred privilege and responsibility of all nursing educators.

Linda Vogel

2006