Help Nursing vs. Education Path

I had a similar dilemma - making the choice between teaching and nursing. After doing some research into the nursing shortage, one of the factors that continually is raised is the lack of qualified nursing instructors. So now I am going from 10 years in financial services to nursing and becoming a nursing educator.

The future of nursing depends on it - we can't have enough qualified nurses in the care settings (reducing patio-to-staff ratios, burnouts, etc.) unless we have enough educators and facilities to get the nurses thru school.

TopCat

Hi, I am a mother of three (7,8 and 11) I am currently in my first semester of nursing and I LOVE it. One of the reasons I chose nursing is the flexability and job security involved within the field. With 3 kids to put through college I cannot afford a job without decent pay. But my passion is also there for nursing. I dont think you can enter the field without having a true passion or a true calling. Follow your heart and the answer will come. Research pay differentials and job security, plus the job availability for us slightly older professionals just starting out. Good Luck and reach for your dream.

Hi Kristen-

You are doing the right thing by interviewing first. It's hard to decide isn't it? I interviewed RNs and even volunteered on a rehab unit before entering nursing school, and yet somehow the reality of the job wasn't clear to me until I was an actual RN working in the trenches. :) Both careers have their pros and cons. See if you can job shadow some RNs and some teachers. I job shadowed a dialysis RN, a homecare RN, and a Nurse Manager at an Alzheimer's Facility when I was a student nurse. It's nice if you can shadow more than one nurse and more than one teacher. They can be so different in their personalities and roles, it might be hard for you to get a clear picture if you see just one.

I'm earning a teaching credential right now, and am trying to figure out whether a career in teaching will be a better match for me.But I am also still working as an RN in the hospital setting. My first few years as a nurse were pretty exciting, though stressful. Now I have more confidence, but am burned out from the constant fast pace and stress of the job. I sure wish I could find that middle road!

I do love much about nursing- from patient teaching to critical thinking. It offers flexible hours and pays well.But how it looks from the outside, and how it feels when you do it can be quite different. Though, I have to admit I have done nothing but work the floors. I have spent the past 6 years in acute care settings only - which are reputed to wear out event the most eager new nurse. I laugh at how I used to perceive nurses...I always thought the nurses looked like they just handed out pills and wrote in charts and did patient education (when I was a volunteer/before nursing school). Now I know the internal stuff- stressors & critical thinking, and the physical labor & trouble shooting that go with the job. I'm not sure that teaching is any different, however. Teachers are paid substantially less, but have regular work weeks and summers off. They spend many hours after school & on weekend doing prep work and grading.Now that I am in the schools I am seeing firsthand the lack of resources teachers have to work with.

Both teaching & nursing are important and rewarding jobs. You get to make a difference in people's lives. You have the opportunity to learn from your patients or your students, meet all kinds of different personalities. I am sure you will be greatly appreciated in whichever field you are drawn to. Just see if you can check it out by job shadowing and maybe this will give you a better idea which career is for you. Good luck!