Considering being a nurse instructor

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN · May 7, 2008

Hi and welcome to AllNurses :welcome:

The degree requirements for a clinical instructor will vary from state to state, and from program type to program type (i.e., ADN versus BSN) but the very minimum educational requirement is a BSN (for some ADN programs in some states). For classroom instruction, again, it depends on the state. In most states, a minimum of a Master's degree is required. However, in some states (such as NC), one can teach nursing in a classroom (in ADN programs) with a BSN. You really need to check with your state BON as to educational requirements.

And, no, you don't have to be a "drill sargeant" to be an effective clinical instructor. Research has shown that the most effective instructors are the ones who have high standards, yet connect with their students in a caring way. The drill sargeant model is "old school" and fading away for more student-friendly approaches to teaching nursing.

meme2 · May 24, 2008

I would like to concur with Vicki, I was a first year teacher this last quarter but let my personality guide me and was very successful. Setting your standards and verbalizing your expectations are the first thing. You may not know what those are right away, but just keepit open. Give respect and you will get respect, and treat each of them fairly, but firmly. It was a great term and I am looking for many more.

Lynn

bearyspecial · May 4, 2009

i too like the idea of being a caring instructor, however it seems when you relax, the students relax as well. they do just enough to get by with.

lately i have students who can not get the basic nursing skills right. then when i say something it's my fault for being to hard on them. these are pn students, 2 semester med/surg clinical. for example not catching on that a o2 sat of 77% is a problem or a temp of 95 oral or a bp of 90/40. yet they are so ready to give injections and delegate personal care to na’s.

how do you do both? be caring and make sure the student does not kill a patient?

Goodoldnurse · May 7, 2009

Bearyspecial:

Being fair AND turning out safe nursing students is not easy! I remind the students that the board of nursing is not there to protect them, it is there to protect the clients! Sounds like they may have to repeat a few skill stations and do some remediation! And, NO, it is not your fault! They need to be more careful with the lives they hold in their hands!!

AOx1 · May 20, 2009

My attitude towards student success is somewhat similar to my attitude towards patients in the hospital. My job is to be caring, provide the best climate conducive to education, and to try to serve as a role model. What students choose to do with the information is their decision. The majority choose to work hard and succeed, but there are some who choose not to, or face other obstacles. I am happy to direct them to resources.

There is a line that you have to draw between being caring and being overly involved, and it can take some time to determine how to do that. But there is never a need to treat someone poorly. I expect very high standards, as you would of your own children, because you want them to be their best.

EvelynRN-BSN · May 20, 2009

I have been instructing Nursing Students for three semesters, this last one being the most challenging. I am very caring and considerate with my students and never a drill sergant. They know my expectations from the beginning and that my number 1 priority is Patient Safety. My students know that they are my priority as well, but first and foremost is patient safety. I had a great reponse from my students from my previous two semesters with excellent evaluations from them and same for the third, except for 2 students, which were very challenging. One student wanted to take charge and when she did things wrong she would not accept responsibility or accountability. (I teach First year Second Semester) and this particular student could not prioritize nurisng plan of care by the end of the semester, she assumed a 02 Sat of 88 % was normal for a patient with no resp issues, who's sats were normally 99-100%, and questioning PT in regards to a client she was assigned to why they were not walking the patient (DVT Femoral and popliteal, leg was red, swollen, hot and 3 times the size of the left leg) and when I told her to think about it....clueless. Then I explained it to her and her response was, OH! The other student same kind of issues and prioritizing. They tried to blame others for their problems and then tried to put it back on me at the end of the semester. I had tons of documentation, so always keep documentation on all students, and especially thoughs students that are not doing very well, and end up failing the clinical. They failed, fought it, took it to the director and the VP, I had the documentation and excellent evals from other students. Mind you this student yelled at me one night, followed me to the car the next night to try to discuss the issues (we were to meet with another faculty member), then made verbal threats as well and it got back to me from students that she was telling. So it can be a challenge and I have never experienced anything like this before. Nor have other instructors that I have worked with, except for students yelling at them (they have had students do this several times).

These two students did their best to not accept responsibility for their own actions and learning process.

Even after all of this, I still love teaching. Always make sure your students know what your expectations are and how it will increase throughout the semester: the bar gets raised higher. Make sure they know to respect you, the staff, and fellow students. Don't let the students get the best of you (which these two students were bound and determined they were going to get me to quit). Never will I let any student get to me in that way. I love my job and majority of the students really like having me. I was just told in the same semester as these issues at hand a group of students went to the director and wanted to nominate me for the Nursing Faculty Award and wanted me to pin them and the pinning ceremony.

It is a great job and go for it. But never be a drill sargent. Work with the students, make them feel comfortable. Number 1 help build their self-esteem and believe in them and make them believe in themselves.

organichombre, ADN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN · May 27, 2009

I applaud your decision. I made the same decision 20 years into my career and wish I had made it years earlier! Bottom line...the BSN is going to be the entry level degree one of these days so my advice would be to start a MSN in Nursing Ed that has a pathway directly to the Doctorate. Students love to hear about things you've seen or done in nursing. That is my "rabbit outa the hat" to keep them focused! Good luck!

nokiamanda · Dec 5, 2009

thankx evelyn;

i like to hear more from you (how the clinical instructor can be implemented in the hospital setting?)

(bedside teaching)

thank you

Lifes-a-Beach · Dec 8, 2010

I am a BSN RN teaching LPNs for the past two years. I LOVE it! A student today said to me, as this student is on the verge of not passing one of my courses, that he respects me. He said his classmates say I'm tough, but very fair and an excellent instructor. I haven't had any negative evaluations to date. The key is holding a bar of professionalism high, but also being empathetic and always fair. I give my expectations in written form along with consequences of violating those. It makes the job easier as they know and respect my expectations. They know that if they've received an "A" in my class, that they've worked incredibly hard for it and can proudly expect to do well on state board exams.

I am enrolled in an on-line MSN program with a post masters certificate in nursing education. I'd like to keep options open for the future.

Good luck with your decision. I don't think you'll regret teaching either clinical or classroom. They are both incredibly rewarding.

organichombre, ADN, BSN, MSN, LPN, RN · Dec 8, 2010

I have been doing part-time clinical instruction now for 4 years in a BSN program with both traditional and accelerated students. These students have two different personalities and needs. I'm nervous each time I start a new clinical group and I have to sorta feel out the group and see what their dynamics are before I really get started. As an instructor you may or may not be an expert, but hopefully you are an expert in your area of expertise or this will not work out. Students appreciate knowing that the instructor will be honest with them in all situations and this honesty will prove to be your best asset. Students do crappy work sometimes and they need to know that, however they also do exemplary work and need that recognition as well. Be flexible during the clinical day, observe for strengths and weaknesses among the students and use all this information accordingly. And above all, prepare yourself for each day and do not take yourself too serious!

megan_EMT · Feb 2, 2011

While I'm not a Nursing Educator (yet), I am an EMT-instructor, so I thought I would throw my 2 cents in. The idea of the drill sargent instructor being the best instructor is still rampant in EMS - however, I don't find that that approach works. I am 23 y/o but I have solid experience and good background knowledge (I'm a bio major, graduating in may and I have 100s of continuing education hours). Because I'm younger than most of my class (some of my students are old enough to by my parents), I have to be strict and put up with no non-sense. In lecture, they have unannounced reading quizzes usually once a week, and other day they are given a worksheet on the reading to take home and fill out. Not doing their reading in unacceptable and I will know if they do it or not. I start class at exactly 8:00, not 8:02 or 8:05. We have a coffee machine in the back of class, if they want to use it they can get there at 7:55, because I don't want the extra noise distracting my class. Questions are encouraged, both during lecture, breaks, and after class (class is 4 hours so I give them a break in the middle). I never belittle a student for anything! In class I incorporate relevant clinical experience to make the material more interesting. During labs, if they kill a patient, I tell them so - in a dead pan serious tone. And then ask "why is your patient dead?" followed by what could you have done differently, and how are WE going to fix this in the future. I want to know what they need from me to improve. Extra help? More practice? Them writing an assessment plan that I check? I never tell them they're stupid or lazy (even when I'm thinking it) - which makes me different. All my students love me (literally, every eval read "excellent"), because they know that even if they fail, we've worked together to make them as successful as possible.