Peoria, IL, June 12, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Sylvia Link, PhD, RN, Assistant Professor for Methodist College of Nursing, has been recognized by Cambridge Who's Who for showing dedication, leadership and excellence in all aspects of higher education.

Dr. Link has over 10 years of professional experience in Nursing Education. She has tutored, mentored and taught courses such as Fundamentals of Nursing, Perspectives in Nursing, Leadership and Management, Maternal Child, and Mental Health, among others. Dr. Link is also a Certified Evaluator of CNAs in the State of Illinois. In 2001, Dr. Link received her PhD from Indiana State University. She received her Master's in Nursing Education from Governors State University in 1996 where she was awarded monetary grants for academic excellence. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Lakeview College of Nursing in 1992 where she graduated with honors. At this college, she was nominated by faculty to the US Achievement Academy. She received the Swalls Award for Leadership in Research and is a member of Women in Higher Education, the National League of Nursing and the Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society.

Dr. Link attributes her success to her commitment and dedication to her profession. To this end, she has endorsed a Teaching Philosophy:

As a Nurse Educator, my purpose in teaching is to facilitate student learning through a collaborative effort between teacher and learner. In order to accomplish this important goal, it is imperative that I offer a variety of learning experiences, assist the learners to critically think, and reflect on their own personal learning experiences.

To this end, I ascribe to using two learning theories in nursing education: the Adult Learning Theory and the Cognitive Development Theory. The Adult Learning Theory helps learners to make active use of their own personal learning experiences within the learning process. The Cognitive Development Theory emphasizes critical thinking and instructional strategies that include case studies, essays, journals, role play and many other forms of organized experiences with other students.

Just as it is the responsibility of the teacher to provide an environment conducive to learning, I hold the students to a high standard and accountable for their own active learning. The assessment, development of learning styles, cognitive abilities, problem ¬solving skills, and clinical competencies, can help faculty and students develop collaborative partnerships. This will, in turn, foster the acquisition of knowledge and skills necessary to practice professional nursing.

I believe in the participatory type of teaching where the learners are actively engaged, interact and motivate them and inspire them to learn. I have an open-door policy where students are encouraged to communicate with me and with each other. For example, I meet with groups of students in my office where we can dialogue and critique nursing care plans. It is essential to create and maintain relationships that are essential to successful teaching. I strive to create positive student-teacher relationships in any situation, whether in the classroom, in a clinical setting, or out in the community. The student-teacher relationships can be continuously improved by showing an interest in, concern for, and respect for others. This includes positive working relationships with students and other faculty members. The curricular experience can be broadened by pursuing active links with the community such as clinical experiences and service learning opportunities.

Teaching can be value-laden as the professor delineates expectations, usually communicated in the syllabus. The reflection is placed on content knowledge, performance skills, and behavior. At the beginning of each course, I review expectations with students. This is also a good time to go over issues of professionalism and the code of conduct.

My commitment to life-long learning is evidenced by a pursuit of continuing education both personally and professionally. I am open-minded to honing pedagogical methods and new teaching strategies so that I can be a role model to my students in teaching as well as in learning.

About Cambridge Who's Who
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