Question of the day

wearingmanyhats, RN · May 27, 2008

From what I am hearing around here (in PA) the biggest problem right now, is not enough educators.... there are waiting lists because there is not enough folks to teach nursing.

Only wish I had enough money to go back to get my RN and then masters and teach....

pagandeva2000, LPN · May 27, 2008

From what I am hearing around here (in PA) the biggest problem right now, is not enough educators.... there are waiting lists because there is not enough folks to teach nursing.
Only wish I had enough money to go back to get my RN and then masters and teach....

That is the main stream rumor. The salaries for nursing educators are not that competitive, I understand, and it is hard to retain them. So, the less instructors, the less students. I hear that a clinical instructor cannot be responsible for more than about 10 students under their license. In fact, I hear that the less instructors they have, the less seats are open in the nursing programs because of this. It may be one thing to hold many students to sit in a lecture. But, you need a ratio of a certain amount of instructors to students for labs and the clinical experience to practice safely.

Also, I don't think that nursing schools are structured well anymore. In the past, they seemed to really make an emphasis on clinical experiences. I heard that programs of the past would have their students have two weeks straight of clinicals, building them up to have close to the normal nurse:patient ratios. Now, it is more theory, and clinical experiences are shorter, just a day or two a week. No wonder the more seasoned nurses are shocked at how some of us come out (me included...)

lovablelvn · May 28, 2008

I understand what you are saying about the shortage, but nursing is not a field that schools should let just anyone in. We keep people alive, comfortable, well and I don't want any Tom, Dick or Harry to take care of me in the ER just because there was a shortage.

futurelpn09 · May 28, 2008

I understand what you are saying about the shortage, but nursing is not a field that schools should let just anyone in. We keep people alive, comfortable, well and I don't want any Tom, Dick or Harry to take care of me in the ER just because there was a shortage.

well i never look at it like that. thats a great point

Jules A, MSN · May 29, 2008

I understand what you are saying about the shortage, but nursing is not a field that schools should let just anyone in. We keep people alive, comfortable, well and I don't want any Tom, Dick or Harry to take care of me in the ER just because there was a shortage.

I agree also but for example in my LPN class we had over 400 applicants for 40 spots. Now surely not everyone should have been accepted but I'm pretty sure there were way more qualified applicants than the 40 that got in.