What gives??!!

Specialties Educators

Published

  • Specializes in education, Peds ICU, cardiac, LNC, psych.

I graduated this past February with my MSN/Ed. I have applied to many faculty positions in colleges/universities and diploma schools. So far, i have received no calls for interviews and 3 positions have already been filled that i applied for. I have done 6 guest lectures already - 5 during my practicum and 1 after i had graduated. I live in Pittsburgh PA, si it is a big city, so why cant i get a position??

Do they want you to already have a doctorate? (I plan to obtain after i work for about 6 months to get used to faculty work). I cannot do clinical faculty due to the fact that i have had 4 major back surgeries and cannot do clinical work anymore. So what gives???

I really need some advice!

Editorial Team / Admin

Rose_Queen, BSN, MSN, RN

6 Articles; 11,663 Posts

Specializes in OR, Nursing Professional Development.

It very well could be that you are unable to participate in clinical teaching. At the local nursing school as well as the nursing school I attended (that would be the only 2 I have personal experience with) all faculty were expected to cover a minimum of 1 clinical course.

llg, PhD, RN

13,469 Posts

Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

I also suspect that your inability to teach clinical courses is causing a problem for you. The classroom courses are often the most desired by the senior faculty and the new faculty members are usually expected to teach the clinical ones (or most often, a combination of clinical and classroom). Schools often have plenty of people (often with PhD's and/or previous teaching experience) to teach in the classroom. So if you are limiting your availability to only the popular classes to teach, you may have trouble getting your foot in the door. That would be true even if you had your PhD.

That's sort of what happened to my career. I expected to teach at a university after getting my PhD. But I found that new faculty members are not hired to teach classes like Research, Theory, etc. Those courses go to the senior faculty. New faculty is expected to teach clinical -- and my clinical experience (and only clinical experience) was in neonatal ICU, a field not taught at the undergrad level. That left me unable to get that first teaching job. So I went back to staff development ... and have remained there, teaching an occasional class as an adjunct.

You might want to look at other types of jobs for which your credentials and/or experience would be appropropriate.

Whispera, MSN, RN

3,458 Posts

Specializes in psych, addictions, hospice, education.

I also think that you could be running into situations where there are few positions and lots of applicants. Full time instructors tend to keep their jobs until they can't anymore. Around here, someone has to do clinicals to get her foot in the door, often for quite awhile....

nurse2033, MSN, RN

3 Articles; 2,133 Posts

Specializes in ER, ICU.

I think it has more to do with your experience. It seems like you have little teaching experience. You also don't give us your length of nursing experience. I would visit a resume doctor for a review of your presentation. Do you have any certifications? If not, get some, they are a bid resume booster. Keep going...

Episteme

1 Article; 182 Posts

Specializes in Education, research, neuro.

Almost for sure it's your inability to supervise clinicals.

elkpark

14,633 Posts

Pittsburgh has lots of nursing schools, but it also has lots of qualified applicants for teaching positions. In my experience, many schools start out new educators teaching clinical and move them into classroom/lecturing positions over time, so your inability to teach clinical is going to put you at a serious disadvantage in that regard. Also, I've not seen a lot of turnover in teaching positions here; as already noted, people who have them tend to stay in them.

You may want to expand your search beyond the Pgh area. Best wishes!

Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

I guess I need to clarify something. Just because you 'cannot do clinical work any more'- does that mean you could not supervise students doing clinical work? You do understand that YOU are not the bedside nurse during clinicals, right?

So, (and if I'm being to personal say so) are you unable to WORK at the bedside- or -are you unable to walk and move around to where you could not supervise studnets at the clinical site?

lecavalier4

82 Posts

Specializes in education, Peds ICU, cardiac, LNC, psych.

My nursing experience is 12 yrs in cardiac (adult), PICU, CICU (peds), dr offices (both peds and adult), psych (peds and adult), case managememt (a little), research (very little). I feel like i am being black balled again like when i was going for light duty positions. Black balled is the only word i feel could fit into how i felt then. I could do clinical instruction if it was in peds, maybe NICU, PICU, etc. I just cannot lift heavy patients. I do not know if that is part of helping the students out or not. I do not know.

lecavalier4

82 Posts

Specializes in education, Peds ICU, cardiac, LNC, psych.

Meanmaryjean,

You are not being too personal. I vannot do bedside nursing anymore. I will be able to supervise as you described. Maybe i am not giving myself enough credit. I get nervous because as soon as i hear clinical, i think bedside nursing. I know i would not be taking care of patients, but i think that i would be required to help a student, if say they needed help lifting a patient.

lecavalier4

82 Posts

Specializes in education, Peds ICU, cardiac, LNC, psych.

Nurse2033,

I graduated with my MSN with the concentration in education. It says that on my degree, but i do not have a certification in it, like a post grad cert.

lecavalier4

82 Posts

Specializes in education, Peds ICU, cardiac, LNC, psych.

I really want to thank you all for replying and giving me advice. I appreciate it.

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