Future Nurse Educator!

llg, PhD, RN · Oct 7, 2009

I think it sounds like you are on a good track, having done the "right things, etc." Assuming that you continue to work while you continue your schooling, you'll have sufficient clincical experience by the time you get that MSN or DNP, etc. You may even have the chance to do some part-time teaching before you technically graduate. Good luck with all that!

As far as thoughts, recommendations, etc. ... What is your clinical area? What clinical area do you want to teach in? Adult med-surg offers the most flexibility as an instructor and since it is such a significant portion of the undergraduate curriculum, there are usually more jobs available in that field than any other. However, if that's not the right field for you, it is not a requirement. If you choose some other specialty, you'll just have to be prepared for a more narrow range of faculty opportunities. You might want to think that through before you get so far down your career path that you feel "locked in" to a specific specialty.

Getting "locked in" is what I did and I have mixed feelings about that. When I began my teaching career 27 years ago, things were a little different (but not all that different) than they are now. I had only 2 years of professional experience, but it was in a field (NICU) in which there was almost no one with a Master's Degree. So, as a NICU nurse with an MSN at the age of 26, I was able to get a joint appointment as a Neonatal CNS and neonatal instructor in a graduate program. In essence, I was "thown into the deep end of the pool" in the early development of my specialty. That was rough, but I learned many valuable lessons as I gradually found my way.

On the downside, limiting my clinical expertise has narrowed my opportunities for clinical teaching that I was never able to find a full time faculty job -- even after getting my PhD. Schools simply don't hire full time neonatal faculty (except a few who have NNP programs and I am not an NNP). They hire maternity people and peds people, but not NICU people. So that left me out in the cold. So ... I made my career in Staff Development roles, teaching NICU staff nurses, doing orientation, etc. and sometimes as a neonatal CNS. I have done some ocassional teaching for universities along the way -- and currently teach 2 classes per year (theory and research) for a local university.

Having a very narrow specialty has been a challenge for me and limited my opportunities significantly. However, I have been flexible about moving to different parts of the country and about teaching in a hospital setting rather than a school and things have worked out for me. But it is an issue that anyone thinking about becoming an educator should think about.

SteffersRN87, BSN, RN · Oct 8, 2009

Thank you for your reply! I actually have the advantage of working on a short stay unit. We see EVERYTHING, and I mean EVERYTHING! Our primary specialty is hematology/oncology and every aspect of it. I see lots of outpatient chemotherapy, IV infusions, transfusions, pre and post BMT care, and I even do apheresis. We also take care of invasive cardiology procedure patients (caths, ablations, pacers, EP studies), GI lab procedure patients, inteventional radiology patients, and any other invasive procedure you can name. We do take inpatients, mostly overflow oncology and CP r/o MI (since we monitor) to keep our unit open during the night. Oh yes, we even take some pre and post outpatient surgery patients if their volume is high. And wait, I have seen some OB patients! So I guess I have a good mix! Plus, I worked in ICU for 9 months. That is why I really enjoy where I work - I get a little bit of EVERYTHING!