Challenges of tranisitioning from staff nurse to Clinical Educator on the same unit.

Specialties Educators

Published

If you were promoted from a staff position to the professional/clinical educator position in your department, did you experience a different relationship with your coworkers, (us verses them) or were you able to maintain the same level of comradery with your coworkers. Any advise on this aspect of the transition would be welcomed.

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I am currently experiencing this. I've been the educator for 5 months now. I'd say it's a delicate balance. You have to have a good rapport while maintaining professionalism and staying positive. That can be challenging as many nurses vent and complain a lot. I definitely feel separate because they are cautious around me because I am considered leadership now. They will say oh well we wont say that in front of you now.

I sometimes feel like they want to avoid me bc I have something else to teach about. For the most part, i feel respected and I get along with almost all of them, but I don't feel they view me as "one of them". Not sure if that's good or bad.

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Yes, that is what I was afraid of. I get along really well with all the staff now.....as the "go to" person...and I am the oldest nurse in the department and have been there 14 years so I am sort of a "mother hen" to all of them as well. I will be starting the educator position within the next couple of months so I am trying to strategize how to strike that delicate balance. I have a couple of nurses in the department that are close personal friends of mine as well. Wish I could find a good book on the subject to offer me some ideas. Thanks for your response. I remain open to any advice you may have for me in the future as well.

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

I have gone to a different employer as an educator but had a coworker advance into an educator position on our floor while I was still there. It really went fine. She didn't change her personality or approach, but then she had always been a champion for patients' right to excellent care and evidence-based practice. It wasn't as if she were a slacker nurse who suddenly thought she was better than everyone - she just continued on, but in a more formal role. She was frequently a preceptor and someone all of us came to for thought-sharing on unique patients, symptoms and the like.

If you have been there 14 years and have good relationships and are one of the "backbones" of the unit it is likely this is going to be a smooth transition for you.

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Thank you so much for the encouraging words. I really hope it goes that smoothly for me too.

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
Thank you so much for the encouraging words. I really hope it goes that smoothly for me too.

It sounds like it will. The times when I have seen it not work is when someone who wasn't well respected (let alone well liked) or particularly experienced or expert was selected for an educator position - that was a difficult transition. Yours sounds like it will be smooth. Just be you!

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Thank you!

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