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Discussion

Adjunct Professor?

So I'm not sure if this was a great idea or not, but I have agreed (at the repeated requests of my former clinical coordinator) to return to my FNP program to be an adjunct. My husband thinks it sounds AMAZING and like easy money, but I am slightly concerned it is going to take all my time up. I have a 2-year-old son and I work 3.5 days per week in a specialty office.

I know I'm not working a ton at my current job, but I just worry this will be a TON of paperwork and I'll regret it. On another note, I am looking forward to helping new NPs find their footing. I remember how awkward it was at first to move from the RN mind frame to that of a provider, so I want to help others with this transition.

Any tips? thoughts? I will be a site visitor, so I'll be checking up on clinical students and grading case studies, SOAP notes, ect. I don't know anything about students yet (like what level they are, how many, ect). I do know I would need to make at least one site visit to each student during the semester. She wanted me to co-teach a class but I told her no on that- I feel like I need to get my feet wet first and see if its even something I want to do.

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    • Featured Replies

    My husband was an adjunct for a while (not in nursing).

    Adjuncts are work horses of education, and it is not an easy money at all. You will need to meet deadlines with your teaching plans which you actually have to write down, in details. It can be easier if your univercity is public; in religious or private schools it can be very tricky and you can be told what to teach and what not and how to do it. The amount of paperwork is comparable with LTC. Not counting obvious things like being in time for lecture, not making the lecture by copypasting textbook, being in office during your open hours, checking and grading in time and doing it fair (!) and, of course, listening to all that stories about dogs eating homework and evil nurse managers who force your student to stay at work for 72 hours without bathroom privilliges. Most, if not all, adjuncts have little or no benefits and pay is not that substantial, counting that you need to spend about three times more hours than your official time in office/auditorium, most of it going through bureaucratic hoops and tonnels.

    Although, if you just love to teach...

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    • Author

    Thanks! I appreciate the response.

    I know for a fact I would not have any office hours or need to come up with teaching plans. Like I said, I'll be a clinical visitor. So I'm basically given a rubric to follow for grading of case studies and soap notes and have to check on the students at least once during the semester where they are having clinical rotation. Like I said, she asked me to co-teach an actual class and I said no. After reading that over, however, I'm beginning to think that a clinical visitor might not even be considered adjunct? I mean, I won't be actually teaching a class. Does that make sense?

    I'm sure I will have to deal with some students complaining about grading and things like that, which I think I can handle. But I think my husband is underestimating the amount of work load I will have. Depending on where they are in the program I might have 3-4 case studies to grade each week per student, which I'm now realizing is quite a lot.

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    You'll have to have a method for the students to turn in all their work. If they don't submit it online, you'll have to go somewhere, regularly, to pick it up and return it. That takes time.

    If you do most things online, you will spend oodles of time communicating with your students...hours...and hours....

    You might be spending lots of time (and gasoline) going from clinical site to clinical site...

    Being an adjunct, in my opinion (and I did it for lots of years) isn't financially beneficial. It's for those who love to teach but don't mind earning way less than they would earn in practice.

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    • Author

    It's all online. It's turned in through the schools online blackboard system- so yes, I'm thinking quite a bit of time on there, plus emailing and discussing things with students. I hadn't thought about the gas to get from site to site, so that will be something to think about.

    I have no plans to stop working at my current job- I love it too much. So anything I make doing this would be extra, which is nice but I'm not as disillusioned as my husband to think it's going to be some amazing amount of money. Lol

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    One job I worked, the pay only covered the cost of gasoline and parking...

    You'll also need to buy some equipment and supplies, most likely.

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    • Experts

    I adjunct -- in addition to having a full time job. I work full time Mondays-Fridays days as a staff development educator and I teach 1 online course per semester at a local university. I give it "mixed reviews."

    1. It usually takes more time than you think it will, but not always. I find there are busy times during the semester and other times that aren't busy at all. The first time you teach a class is usually the hardest. It gets easier if you teach the same course repeatedly.

    2. Some students are a joy to work with. Others become the bane of my existence.

    3. As an adjunct, sometimes I am treated like a 2nd class citizen by the school and that bothers me. I have expertise and I do necessary work for them and I deserve to be treated better. But then other times, they are nice to me -- but I suspect that is more because I am in a position of importance to them at my hospital job.

    4. The thing that bothers me most is the feeling of "being burdened" at having to check my school e-mail every day and having to deal with whatever questions/complaints come up that day -- on the weekend or after having worked all day at my regular job. Because it is online, class is always "in session" and I can't take a day or two off and ignore my e-mail from students with problems. After doing this for 8 years, that becomes a big sense of burden weighing down on me. I can't just "have the weekend off" and not think about work. I can't go home after a bad day at the hospital and not address what is in my school e-mail.

    5. The pay is not good -- and the benefits minimal. But I do enjoy the extra income. Over the past 8 years, I have earned about $30,000 dollars, which I have used to pay off my mortgage early.

    6. I do it mostly because I believe that most of the people who teach the courses I teach do it badly (theory and research) -- and I think I can do a better job linking the academic topics with actual clinical practice because of my primary practice in a hospital. Also, I look at teaching as a "fall back" job should I ever lose my hospital job and have trouble finding another job. Finally, I look at teaching part time for a couple of years as a good way to ease into retirement, when that time comes. This adjunct gig gets me some experience and helps me get my foot in the door.

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    • Author

    Thanks. That's helpful! I'm relatively young (28) but I don't plan on working this much at my current job in a few years. I'm thinking getting my foot in the door this way would be nice to pull in some side money when my son is older and I'm not working as much (my husband and I plan on me cutting my hours so a parent can always be there for games, school functions, ect). So in the back of mind I'm thinking adjunct would be nice if I ever decided to completely stay home.

    I understand the always being on and available thing- although I'm not sure that particularly bothers me (yet). I guess I'll see how it goes and report back to you guys. Lol

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    • Experts

    Good luck with it. You'll never know if you like it or not until you try it.

    :)

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    I've found that a statement in the syllabus such as, "emails will be answered within 24 hours, but possibly not on weekends, holidays, or during breaks" helps bunches.

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    • Author
    I've found that a statement in the syllabus such as, "emails will be answered within 24 hours, but possibly not on weekends, holidays, or during breaks" helps bunches.

    That sounds like a really good idea. Thanks for this suggestion!!

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