Nursing education has always been a passion for Elaine Tagliareni, RN, EdD, a professor of nursing at Community College of Philadelphia (CCP).

She studied the role of the nurse educator in community colleges for her doctorate from Teachers College at Columbia University. And for more than 25 years, she has been a faculty member at CCP.

"I would never want to give up direct contact with students," says Tagliareni, who is also the Independence Foundation Chair in Community Health Nursing. "It keeps me current and helps me understand their needs."

This article appeared in the January 28, 2008 edition of the Nurse.com.