Teaching Nursing as a Career

lsyorke, RN · Dec 7, 2003

"WHY do we not consider our bedside RNs able to teach? Bedside RNs teach ALL the time. "

I couldn't agree more!! Maybe if more beside nurses were teaching, students would come out of school with a more realistic view of nursing which would lower the "quit" rate!!!

SteelTownRN · Dec 8, 2003

I've been teaching for over 10 years now at the university level. Started with a "fresh" masters and the love of teaching led me to obtain a doctorate. My pay is certainly competitive with hospital positions, and when you consider that I basically work days, no nights or evening, no weekends, summers or holidays (unless I choose to grade papers at home, which can be done in the office if desired). then I think my schedule is pretty good.

As for the comment about teaching having little stress (or something close to that, I can't see the presious post for an exact wording), well.... let me assure you that is certainly not the case. Every job has unique stressors and teaching nursing is no exception. Assigning grades fairly and equitably can make you pull your hair out. Counseling students who are borderline or who have failed will make you feel as though you failed them , even though they did it to themselves. Writing a fair test is nothing short of a major feat. Then add in the red tape and bureaucracy that lives on university campuses, and the fun begins! :eek:

As with any nursing position, you need to find one that makes maximal use of your strengths and less use of your weaknesses and that you truly love to do. Teaching is that for me, but others may want to pursue other career options.

kimtab · Dec 8, 2003

I saw an ad in the classifieds for full-time instructors at my school (Public 2-year college, ADN, requires a Masters) and the salary was $36,000 and change.

grouchy · Dec 8, 2003

Originally posted by pieWACKet
I think it is a greatly misguided reality of nursing academia that teaching nurses to prospective nurses is confined to those with a masters degree. I also believe that it harkens back to poor nursing image, and that nurse academia reinforces our poor image in so doing. I know that my instructors [in the 80s] were all masters trained, most PHD track, and ALL far removed from the bedside.
So who DOES teach prospective lawyers law? and who teaches prospective MDs Medicine? Practicing Lawyers, and practicing MDs, that's who. Without teaching degrees, without credential beyond their license and their clear knowledge based on current practice. And so, lawyers and doctors are taught by those with implied skills based on degree, and known skills based on employment history.
WHY do we not consider our bedside RNs able to teach? Bedside RNs teach ALL the time. We teach patients, family members, and the orientees to our units. We teach the graduate nurses when they seek to work beside us. We teach the nursing students who need exposure to our work. Yet we are not deemed, by our own academia, as relevant to the instruction of our own profession in the pretigious environment of academia.
To go back to one of my first statements, I believe that this is because nurse academia does not esteem us. We are not recognized, with our 5-10 years full time employment in one clinical area as critical thinkers with excellent analytical skills.
No, instead, we must distance ourselves from the bedside in order to lead others to it.
Nursing needs to take the heads up from other, more prestigious professions, who would never dismiss the practitioner as the enlightener.

Very interesting points, and very well written. This post gets an "A" from me!

grouchy · Dec 10, 2003

To the teachers out there:

Can you comment on the stress level of supervising clinicals? What are the legal/losing your license if a student makes a mistake issues?