[Dorito]

Originally Posted by bevll

As an educator in a small rural hospital, i am stretched to the limit trying to do annual mandatory inservices and departmental specific inservices. Has anyone used self study modules? Are they effective? I need some feedback. Educators, Please help me. bevll

We've done self learning modules for our mandatory education for the last 3 years. We were going to do a fair this year but that is $$ and time consuming. We get input from several different areas for the modules...ie: infection control nurse provides all of her own info and makes her own test; safe place for newborns provided by social services etc. The staff seem to enjoy the self learning modules/packets. This year we are hoping to get our mandatory education on-line. I also work in a small hospital but am only responsible for mandatory educ and general orientation. I also set up clinical inservices and have put several other classes together for Preceptor, Charge nurse, Nurse transition etc. Some of the drug reps have assissted in getting speakers for inservices.

[19Claire59]

Thanks, guys, for all this info. I often leave my own lectures thinking, "I need to improve that." Now I know I'm not the only one! So next year's will be better, as the one after that, and the one after that...
It would have been lovely to step into this position and have pre-written lectures. I've been putting in 10-18 hrs/day, 6-7 days/week trying to get together lectures, tests, clinical paperwork, etc., etc., etc. If I ever leave, I plan to leave copies for whoever follows in my footsteps. Even if that person hates my work, at least there will be some kind of starting place for that person!
My favorite part of this job is the students. I thoroughly enjoy taking them into the clinical settings and watch their confidence grow. After all, they're the reason we have a job at all!
Claire

[Beth's granddaughter]

I recently joined the faculty of a private college's ADN program. I have a BSN, and I am working on my master's degree. In my state, only Master's prepared nurses may teach RN students. So I am teaching in other programs to get my feet wet, and running the nursing laboratory with our simulated manikins (we have 6). I also arrange all the clinicals for our students. We have 40 new students every April and October. The program is 21 months long.
My question is - What do other states allow in the clinical setting in regards to the presence of a faculty MSN or faculty BSN or just the facility's staff nurse? There is a big shortage of MSNs willing to teach, and it is really difficult to get enough to cover the clinicals. My state says BSN faculty can be in clinicals only if an MSN is present. An additional problem is that many MSN's do not have recent experience in the clinical setting. They have been in administration and advanced practice. (I had to show my boss how to flush a PICC before she took the students to clinical.)
Also - how do you do clinicals for community health nursing? We have a day cohort and a night cohort, and I can't find anything open where we can send our students at night for community nursing. Does your program require clinicals in community nursing? How many hours? Does the MSN have to be there at every clinical? Does the student just follow the staff nurse without an educator present? Does your community nursing course just have a project such as a windshield survey of the community and a paper?
Our program is new - not yet a year old, and other local schools are a bit territorial about sharing their curricula.
I love teaching, and this is where I always wanted to be. I am glad to find somewhere to share.

[nurse educate]

Originally Posted by Beth's granddaughter

My question is - What do other states allow in the clinical setting in regards to the presence of a faculty MSN or faculty BSN or just the facility's staff nurse? There is a big shortage of MSNs willing to teach, and it is really difficult to get enough to cover the clinicals. My state says BSN faculty can be in clinicals only if an MSN is present.

I've been rather fortunate, and have been able to take advantage of the faculty shortage. I am 9 credits away from my MSN (taking 6 of them right now). I am teaching at 2 different schools. One is not NLN accredited, but are attempting to get accreditation. I was told I may need to prove that I am in the process. The other school is a CC (both are ADN programs). They were not thrilled about my lack of a MSN, but were very desperate (they hired me a week before clinicals began). And I do not need to be under a MSN prepared nurse.

This is a state regulation? What state? I am in NY.

You will find others on this bb who are teaching w/o the MSN.

[Beth's granddaughter]

Originally Posted by nurse educate

This is a state regulation? What state? I am in NY.

Thanks for the reply!

I am in Utah. From what I understand, this is an interpretation of the Nurse Practice Act Rules. I don't see it written anywhere. My boss has personally chatted with a member of the state board of nurses, and that is what she was told - a BSN can only be in clinicals if an MSN is there. We are also struggling with the ratio of 10 students to 1 instructor, which is the recommended ration, but also not written. Since we are seeking accreditation, my boss is unwilling to go against what she has been told.

Maybe I will attack that subject for my thesis - the value of a BSN instructor with recent clinical experience versus an MSN instructor who hasn't done hands-on nursing care in 10 plus years...

I am able to teach nursing students occasionally as a "guest lecturer" if the MSN is in the room. So she can sit in the back and grade papers while I lead the class discussion. Funny how that "interpretation" thing works. It is pretty tough to find an MSN who is willing to teach for tupence when he/she can be making the big bucks in another arena.

[jrzbrd]

Originally Posted by Beth's granddaughter

I recently joined the faculty of a private college's ADN program. I have a BSN, and I am working on my master's degree. In my state, only Master's prepared nurses may teach RN students. So I am teaching in other programs to get my feet wet, and running the nursing laboratory with our simulated manikins (we have 6). I also arrange all the clinicals for our students. We have 40 new students every April and October. The program is 21 months long.
My question is - What do other states allow in the clinical setting in regards to the presence of a faculty MSN or faculty BSN or just the facility's staff nurse? There is a big shortage of MSNs willing to teach, and it is really difficult to get enough to cover the clinicals. My state says BSN faculty can be in clinicals only if an MSN is present. An additional problem is that many MSN's do not have recent experience in the clinical setting. They have been in administration and advanced practice. (I had to show my boss how to flush a PICC before she took the students to clinical.)
Also - how do you do clinicals for community health nursing? We have a day cohort and a night cohort, and I can't find anything open where we can send our students at night for community nursing. Does your program require clinicals in community nursing? How many hours? Does the MSN have to be there at every clinical? Does the student just follow the staff nurse without an educator present? Does your community nursing course just have a project such as a windshield survey of the community and a paper?
Our program is new - not yet a year old, and other local schools are a bit territorial about sharing their curricula.
I love teaching, and this is where I always wanted to be. I am glad to find somewhere to share.

I teach in a LPN program in Illinois. We have a community nursing course that requires 41 hours of course work which is a mix of clinical, seminars, group work, and independent work. We allow students to go into community settings if there is an RN in the building but it is only observation. The only time students can do tasks or procedures is with designated faculty. We are always looking for new experiences but here are a few examples: we have assigned groups that developed a disaster preparedness kit for a particular type of family (2 adults with a newborn, or teen that is blind and with physical disabilities, pets, Alzheimer's parent, etc.) They put together the kits and turned in a typed paper of the contents and why items were added to accommodate the special needs. Kits will be displayed for the college to view. We are also doing group community assessments with presentations to be done later in the semester. We work alot of the local schools and do physicals including VS height, weight. We assist with dissections in grade schools that prepare students for working with kids of different ages and patient education strategies. We have a discussion board with a new question posted each month that the students must respond to regarding some community issues. We do BP clinics at the college or in the community. Last year the students planned a health fair for girl scouts in our region in conjuction with the girl scout groups. The students had small groups about topics of interest, nutrition, our nursing program, exercise, and worked with other programs such as cosmotology and cardiac ultrasound, and dental. Some is observation such as spending several hours with a nurse in a nursing home pass meds, do treatments, observe paperwork, etc. As you can see alot of variety. It's alot of work putting the course together and I team teach with another faculty. We have 70 students every year to schedule and monitor. Any other questions I'd be glad to help.

[nurse educate]

Originally Posted by Beth's granddaughter

We are also struggling with the ratio of 10 students to 1 instructor, which is the recommended ration, but also not written. Since we are seeking accreditation, my boss is unwilling to go against what she has been told.

What type of accreditation? NLN? My school is seeking it too, and I was told as long as I am enrolled, that is good enough. It is an ADN program, tho.

We have a 10 to 1 max ratio. I believe is a rule/law. Not sure if it state mandated or what. One school I teach at is always maxed out at 10. The other school tries to make the groups smaller (right now, total of 9, with 2 or three leaving the group each day to go to Ob and OR).

[Beth's granddaughter]

Yes, we are seeking NLNAC accreditation, and we are an ADN program.

[Lyssi]

Thank you VickieRN for all the good info and helpful tips. I am a new nurse educator and wish I would have found your site before I started last Sept. I still find myself learning new ways to teach and strategize. I agree with you on limiting handouts. I have found that if you give them too much they expect to have all their answers to their questions adressed in the handouts and do not research to their fullest potential. I also understand that a nurse educator can get burned out if they dont learn to limit themselves. When I first began, I encouraged students to visit me on breaks and call me at home with questions and since I teach all day and have no scheduled office hours I found that I was getting exhausted and had little time for my family or grading papers. I am learning how to juggle things now.
Thank you for the great advice!

[CseMgr1]

I interviewed earlier this week for a Practical Nursing Instructor position at a
local technical college. Even though I know I won't be hired (I am a Diploma
graduate), the thought of being able to teach still excites me. Who knows? Maybe the President of the college (who will have the final say-so
as to who will be hired) will consider my years of experience vs. a college
degree.

Anyway, I am looking forward to the prospect of being able to post in this thread as a new nurse eduator. Wish me luck!