[NPTeacher]

Wow! I sure must be teaching at the WRONG place! I am an Assistant Professor and teach both BSN and MSN students. I typically get to my office about 7:30 AM and frequently don't leave until 6 or 6:30 PM. It is not unusual to go to the office on Saturday or Sunday for a few hours. During the fall semester, I have a clinical rotation with BSN students. I get to the unit by 6:15 am to assure that assignments are made. Once we leave the unit at 3 pm, I'm back in my office for meetings with students, test to make or grade, other papers to grade, lectures to plan or update, committee work to do, etc. Even on those days, it's not unusual to be in my office until 5:30 or 6.

Also, in the university where I work, promotions are not automatic. If hired as an instructor, you must be at the university for at least 2 years before you are eligable to go up for promotion. In order to qualify, you must show excellence in teaching, service, and scholarship, with at least 2 published articles and presentations at the local level, be admitted to a PhD program and have completed at least 12 hours of that program. To go from assistant professor to associate professor, you must have completed your PhD, have at least 20 publication points (you get 4 points for each article that you solo authored, or are first author, and 2 points if you are not the first author), have presented at the regional level, and be actively involved in a program of research. Of course this is all in addition to having excellence in teaching, and service. To be promoted to a full professor, your research must be funded, and be ongoing, and themed. Your presentation must be at the national or international level. And your must continue to publish. -- So, none of the promotions are "routine." They are all WELL earned. It takes a long time to accomplish all of the tasks required for each level, then seems to take almost as long to put together your portfolio to apply for promotion. Of course, it is the only way to get $ as raises sure don't come any other way these days. I have been here 7 years, and the only raises that I have gotten in the last 6 of those years has come from promotions.

[VickyRN]

Originally Posted by NPTeacher

Wow! I sure must be teaching at the WRONG place! I am an Assistant Professor and teach both BSN and MSN students. I typically get to my office about 7:30 AM and frequently don't leave until 6 or 6:30 PM. It is not unusual to go to the office on Saturday or Sunday for a few hours. During the fall semester, I have a clinical rotation with BSN students. I get to the unit by 6:15 am to assure that assignments are made. Once we leave the unit at 3 pm, I'm back in my office for meetings with students, test to make or grade, other papers to grade, lectures to plan or update, committee work to do, etc. Even on those days, it's not unusual to be in my office until 5:30 or 6.

Also, in the university where I work, promotions are not automatic. If hired as an instructor, you must be at the university for at least 2 years before you are eligable to go up for promotion. In order to qualify, you must show excellence in teaching, service, and scholarship, with at least 2 published articles and presentations at the local level, be admitted to a PhD program and have completed at least 12 hours of that program. To go from assistant professor to associate professor, you must have completed your PhD, have at least 20 publication points (you get 4 points for each article that you solo authored, or are first author, and 2 points if you are not the first author), have presented at the regional level, and be actively involved in a program of research. Of course this is all in addition to having excellence in teaching, and service. To be promoted to a full professor, your research must be funded, and be ongoing, and themed. Your presentation must be at the national or international level. And your must continue to publish. -- So, none of the promotions are "routine." They are all WELL earned. It takes a long time to accomplish all of the tasks required for each level, then seems to take almost as long to put together your portfolio to apply for promotion. Of course, it is the only way to get $ as raises sure don't come any other way these days. I have been here 7 years, and the only raises that I have gotten in the last 6 of those years has come from promotions.

Your schedule looks a lot like mine (except for the publishing part ). I have never seen a nurse educator position that was a "pie job." There is an element of flexibility, that is true. But most positions require blood, sweat, and tears! You are required to be the best of both worlds--the best teacher, and also the best nurse (requires keeping up clinical skills and keeping practice current). And, ironically, the higher up the nurse educator ladder one climbs, the less the pay there is for the amount of work and education. Doesn't make sense and not too attractive to young candidates. Is it any wonder we are facing such a severe shortage of nurse educators?

[joules300]

Hello everyone, I am so glad I found this forum on allnurses.com. This fall I will begin my new career venture as a LPN instructor for the local vocational school. I am excited, nervous, and even a little scared!! I will be leaving (staying on per diem) the acute care facility where I have worked for sixteen years. I will be bringing with me my experiences of nursing school. I started out as a nursing assistant/emt, went to school for my ADN and recieved my BSN in 2002. I also have a variety of clinical experience from med-surg, pedi, renal, cardiac, emergency, and rehab. I know I have a lot to offer and even more to learn and I am glad that this forum will be available for moral and professional support. And I will be sure to check out the new thread Tips for New Educatiors!! Thanks, Sue

[missmercy]

HI! Graduated in Dec w/ my MSN in nursing Ed and administration. Am currently THE staff development departmetn for our nursing department ii which is for some reason separated from our education department. Am considering getting some sort of certification in addition to my MSN -- any suggestions?

[Terri W]

Originally Posted by Kokomo

Thank you for the replys. This is my first teaching position, should I choose to except it. It is a ADN program. I will do clinical instructing with 1st and 2nd year students. Even though I have had alot of experience with hospital nursing I must confess, I am a bit nervous. Always wondering when the question will come that I do not know the answer to. Being the honest smuck that I am, I will tell them that I will have a complete answer in detail the next time we meet. I do not know if this is the right response or not. It is just me. My goal is to encourage and inspire the nurses that pass through. We need so badly to have good nurses that truly enjoy and are proud of their profession and the contribution they make to society. I hope and pray that I will be able to fulfill this goal.

I have taught in ADN programs for the last 13 years. The opportunity has been great and I have benefited from the faculty shortage (since I don't have my MSN yet). I am currently completing an MSN program online so I can continue to teach full-time. I believe students will give you much more respect when you let them know you don't "know everything". Even now it's not uncommon for me tell them "I'm not sure. You see what you can find about it and I will too. Let's compare notes tomorrow." Your attitude is exactly what we need more of in nursing education. It can be a very high stress job, but I bet you'll thrive!

[missmercy]

New rules at our facility all of a sudden -- there is a merger in process and the two hospitals have extremely differant views on staff development, education etc....... should get interesting!! The other hospital has a school of nursing and does little beyond that for continued staff education/development -- this facility has students for clinical rotations -- but is more interested in the continuing ed of their staff -- to improve skill/knowledge base and enchance retention -- Hopefully they will both retain their ideals and we will become a well-rounded educating facility where growth and change are encouraged and fostered!

[VickyRN]

Originally Posted by joules300

Hello everyone, I am so glad I found this forum on allnurses.com. This fall I will begin my new career venture as a LPN instructor for the local vocational school. I am excited, nervous, and even a little scared!! I will be leaving (staying on per diem) the acute care facility where I have worked for sixteen years. I will be bringing with me my experiences of nursing school. I started out as a nursing assistant/emt, went to school for my ADN and recieved my BSN in 2002. I also have a variety of clinical experience from med-surg, pedi, renal, cardiac, emergency, and rehab. I know I have a lot to offer and even more to learn and I am glad that this forum will be available for moral and professional support. And I will be sure to check out the new thread Tips for New Educatiors!! Thanks, Sue

Welcome to the Forum, Sue! So glad you are here. Sounds like you have a GREAT background for teaching LPN's. If we can be of any assistance to you, please let us know.

[VickyRN]

Originally Posted by missmercy

HI! Graduated in Dec w/ my MSN in nursing Ed and administration. Am currently THE staff development departmetn for our nursing department ii which is for some reason separated from our education department. Am considering getting some sort of certification in addition to my MSN -- any suggestions?

Popping in to say hello and welcome As far as certification or credentialing, you may want to check out this site:
http://www.nursingworld.org/ancc/

[VickyRN]

Originally Posted by Terri W

I have taught in ADN programs for the last 13 years. The opportunity has been great and I have benefited from the faculty shortage (since I don't have my MSN yet). I am currently completing an MSN program online so I can continue to teach full-time. I believe students will give you much more respect when you let them know you don't "know everything". Even now it's not uncommon for me tell them "I'm not sure. You see what you can find about it and I will too. Let's compare notes tomorrow." Your attitude is exactly what we need more of in nursing education. It can be a very high stress job, but I bet you'll thrive!

Welcome to our Forum, Terri! Very much appreciate your input. 13 years... WOW!!! I am now just starting on my 3rd year of teaching ADN's. Seems like 100 years ago when I began, I have grown, had so many varied experiences, and learned so much. I, like you, am also working on my MSN in a fully online program. The nursing faculty shortage has hit NC suddenly and hard over the past 3 years and BSN's are now the staple in many of the ADN cc programs across the state.
Agree with your advice. I follow the same. Honesty is always the best policy. As a new instructor, I am often learning right alongside my students.

[lisajy]

Hi to all nurse educators. I have been teaching for one year in a state college in WNY. I graduated from this program so it is special to me. I have my MSN and am a Gerontological Nurse Practitioner. It was a difficult year as I had little teaching experience and was kind of thrown in there. I had a lot of support from my coworkers though and I survived. I graduated in 2001 and have mostly worked in Long Term Care and that is my true love, working with the elderly. I have just decided to stay for another year despite having financial difficulties in repaying my substantial eduation debt. We are experiencing a shortage of nurse educators and I would love to hear from others with the same concerns. There are many programs now to help new nurses who decide to go on a education track but I have found nothing to help someone who worked for a few years then decided to teach. I just turned down another position to practice as a NP for a much larger salary. I hope to hear from other educators about my concerns.