Applying for a full time teaching job

Published

Specializes in Critical Care/Teaching.

Hey my fellow nurse educators...

I am finishing up my last semester of my master's program in nursing education. I am getting ready to make a "profile" which will include a cover letter, resume, transcripts, references....

Does anybody have any advice or examples for a cover letter and/or resume...? I plan to just start sending them out to the schools in the area.

Brandie

Specializes in Medical-surgical:ortho, cardio, oncology.

Hello nursebrandie,

Congratulations on completing your master's program!

When applying for an academic appointment, you usually present a curriculum vitae (a "CV") as opposed to a resume. It took me awhile to understand the difference, but here is a good description, with some tips on writing a CV:

http://jobsearch.about.com/cs/curriculumvitae/f/cvresume.htm

Best of luck to you in your search for the right place to teach:yeah:

Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

If you are planning an academic career, you might also want to start reading "The Chronical of Higher Education" -- the weekly newspaper for colleges, universities, etc. They have an extensive career section with many regular columns about faculty life, applying for jobs, faculty salaries, etc. I am a subscriber and read it online regularly. If you can't get into it online (either as an individual or through your school's library), you can probably browse old paper copies of issues at your school's library.

Specializes in Perinatal, Education.

Thank you, Nurse Brandie! I am also in this position and am ready to start working on my CV this morning. I checked out a bunch of resume books at our public library and they also have good examples of CVs. It is weird for nursing and education. You need to create a bit of a hybrid. Good thing we have had a lot of writing experience recently. I have also asked many nurse faculty and educators for copies of their CVs for examples. My program includes a year of student teaching and I found this last semester that most faculty are very generous in their time and encouragement.

Specializes in ICU, School Nurse, Med/Surg, Psych.

I would like to find a FT teaching position at a CC. I had taught nursing courses at a local CC for a year but was asked to leave due to student complaints. Any suggestions on how I go about trying again? I feel that I have learned a lot about communication from working in mental health since then but with my only teaching reference a bad one- what can I do to get a second chance?

Specializes in ICU/Cosmetic Sx/Lasers/Education/School/.
I would like to find a FT teaching position at a CC. I had taught nursing courses at a local CC for a year but was asked to leave due to student complaints. Any suggestions on how I go about trying again? I feel that I have learned a lot about communication from working in mental health since then but with my only teaching reference a bad one- what can I do to get a second chance?

Were you made aware of what the students were complaining about??? If so, there's a start for improving on the complaints that were made about you. See where you were "said" to have gone wrong and work on improvement. If your still in good standing with the nursing faculty where you were let go from, speak with the department head. Let them know what you are doing to improve one's self and see if they would reconsider your employment there or at least give you a good recommendation for future employment with another college.

I love being an instructor and would hate to lose my job because of student complaints. Be proactive for yourself and make the changes that you need to make and don't give up on your career as a nursing faculty. It is a wonderful and rewarding career. Best of Luck to you.

Specializes in ICU, School Nurse, Med/Surg, Psych.

Thank you for the advice and encouragement. Even if I didn't leave my teaching position "in good standing." It really will not hurt me to talk with the dean. They can only tell me how terrible I was and that they don't want me back. That will not put me in any worse position than I am now- except for my ego. :)

Specializes in ICU/Cosmetic Sx/Lasers/Education/School/.
Thank you for the advice and encouragement. Even if I didn't leave my teaching position "in good standing." It really will not hurt me to talk with the dean. They can only tell me how terrible I was and that they don't want me back. That will not put me in any worse position than I am now- except for my ego. :)

Definately talk with the Dean. What knocks you down can only make you stronger. I am sure they will not tell you that you were terrible, that would not be very professional of them. They should go over the evaluations and discuss "areas of improvement", which sounds a lot better than saying that you were terrible. I don't think that it would put you in any worse position either. It will show them that you care about how your evals went and it shows them that you want to become better by discussing this with them (at least that is how I would look at it as a manager). Communication is the key to success and self promotion. Don't let it knock your ego either. Everyone has an opinion, but you and only you know truly how you are as a person. And for someone going into nursing for the most part is because they care about people and want to help heal and care for people in need of it. I would definately talk with the Dean! If you decide to do so, best of luck to you. I hope it all goes well and that it will be more of a positive experience, instead of a negative one. Good Luck! And I hope you get back into teaching!

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