How satisfied are you with nurse educator or APRN career?

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Specializes in ICU.

If you are an APRN or nurse educator/ faculty. How satisfied are you with your job? Would you do it all over again? If not what would you do? What is your advice to future nurses?

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

I love my job as an educator in academia. It's perfect for me after 38 years of bedside practice.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.

I love my job as an academic educator. It's really the first job I have ever had that feels like I "where I belong."

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Specializes in CVICU, MICU, Burn ICU.
I love my job as an educator in academia. It's perfect for me after 38 years of bedside practice.

MMJ,

How would you counsel someone who was interested in staying at the bedside in some capacity, but also wanting to get into academia?

One of the challenges is the pay in academia... especially if one is enjoying the pay of an experienced bedside nurse. Does the pay increase with a DNP?

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Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.

I find that being a hospital unit educator is a great way to have the best of both worlds. I do a lot of education and I also get to do some patient care. :)

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.
MMJ,

How would you counsel someone who was interested in staying at the bedside in some capacity, but also wanting to get into academia?

One of the challenges is the pay in academia... especially if one is enjoying the pay of an experienced bedside nurse. Does the pay increase with a DNP?

No kidding about the pay. I am contractually not allowed to have outside employment- but if not, the stable schedule makes having a per diem position VERY doable. Esp. if you are on a traditional academic calendar- ample opportunity to make additional $$$ during breaks and weekends.

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

I am in professional development in a hospital. I do a lot of teaching and still get a lot of exposure to the every day world of hospital life. For me, it is a good fit and the pay is very satisfactory.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

I work full time in a hospital doing nursing professional development ... and teach 1 class per semester at a local university as an adjunct. So, I get hospital-level pay plus a little academic work to satisfy that part of me.

There are lots of combinations possible to do both types of work.

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I am both and I love both (f/t academic, p/t APRN). It can be stressful at times when the workload is high in one or both roles. But students love having a practicing NP for a teacher. I always feel like being a teacher makes me a better NP, and being an NP makes me a better teacher. Win-win.

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99 days out of 100 i am happy with my job as a nurse educator rather than working as an NP. Not EVERY college pays poorly. My starting pay was par with a starting NP salary.

I can also say that the depth of my knowledge has increased leaps and bounds being an educator.

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