I'm in tears--to accept or decline?

[esrun77]

First off, I'm posting this under the general nursing discussion because I need advice from nurses, preferably ones familiar with the hiring process--not other students. If it's considered incorrect, feel free to move it.

I reached out to a professor to see about internships. What I got in return was far more than I expected--she wants me not only to assist her with teaching a nursing skills class (I'm in a BSN program in the Midwest, for reference), but she wants me to be the leader of a group of other student mentors. This is an unpaid position and I will be teaching about 8 hours a week in addition to my full time classes--not including grading or prepping for class. She also wants me to put together a panel discussion of top nursing students from my school and she wants me to be the host.

My tears are (mostly) not ones of joy; I am a 22-year-old single mom to a 3-year-old little boy and I'm just so afraid of spending time away from him. I feel scared and overwhelmed. My question:

Will this help me get a better job? I want to work in public health or clinics. Possibly long-term care.

My first priority is my son. Period. More than experience or pay, I want good hours. Don't lecture me on that.

I'm incredibly honored by my professor's decision to put me in charge of other people when it's only going to be my third semester in the five-semester program. She basically made it sound like she thinks I'm meant--MADE--to teach other people. Maybe she's right? Maybe this is a door that is supposed to be opening right now...? I don't know, but I want other people's opinions on whether this is something I should invest so much time in based on my goal to find a day job, be it a clinic, school, or otherwise.

Thanks!!

[roser13, ASN, RN]

I can't answer to the "will this benefit me in the hiring process" question. I'm sure others will.

But I can certainly identify with the single mother of a three year old scenario, and the desire to put him first, always. He will only be 3 once. And 4 and 5. Since this is unpaid and time-consuming, I would likely turn it down. It sounds like a lot of work, and your professor is asking quite a lot of you. Even if the position was paid, I would only consider it if I were in desperate need of the income.

Congratulations! Once you get past the anxiety of the decision-making, you must feel quite honored! And, by the way, I don't think that you should consider your professor's words to be prophetic. You have a goal that works for you and your little family right now. You've obviously got your head on straight.

[Sour Lemon]

I would say no without a second thought. Even if it gave me a slight edge in job-seeking, it wouldn't be worth it.

[sallyrnrrt, ADN, RN]

I sense using you, without you benifitting

[Mhsrnbsn]

Seems like too much work to do for the cheap price of free. Honestly school is hard, and you have responsibilities at home. I wouldn't take this on... I was a tutor for the nursing program where I went to school and I had NO competitive edge in the job market, with new grads in ANY field they know you have a severe lack of skill/experience so some jobs will be harder than others to get into. Long term care/ nursing homes I never had an issue getting job offers from when I was fresh, hospitals you either need tiny community hospitals with a diar need for staff or you need large teaching hospitals that are gear toward education. The typical medical centers tend to be more picky/choosy with their staff and pass over new grads any chance they get. Good luck though! And it really is special and an honor to be offered something like that but I don't believe it will help you much

[SC_RNDude]

There is a small possibility it could

help you get the job you want.

In my opinion, I think you would be better off spending your time preparing for clinicals and doing well in school. Make connections with your preceptors. They know how to get jobs where they work, and they know people who work in other places.

If you want to dress up your resume, look for other opportunities that require less commitment then 8 hours + a week, such as a volunteer in some sort of community service organization.

Best of luck to you!

[Ladyscrubs]

Sounds like she is handing off some of her responsibilities on you. Look out for number one and don't harbor any regrets; you're young, you have a lot on your plate, and you have a little guy that is depending on you. Your time is just as valuable as hers, if not more so.Thanks but no thanks.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Hopefully she meant it as a genuine honor but as you stated (and I think you are perfectly correct) your first responsibility is to your son.

I too would turn it down

[Extra Pickles]

A student internship is about your learning experience and the person you would be working under, for free, is getting a small benefit from your assistance but the point of the internship is to give you some experience and hopefully be able to apply it later on --- even to help the person who first gave you that opportunity.

what you've been offered is a part-time job with significant responsibility and no pay. It's not about your learning experience at all, it's about free labor. It's one thing to be that free labor in exchange for you benefitting from the experience, and the understanding is that the person offering that experience may get you as an employee, a better employee, later on.

You are expected to not learn, but instead to teach. You aren't joining in a panel discussion, you're creating it and working in the running of it.

Turn it down. This isn't an internship, it's abuse of position.

[AssociateDegree]

I would decline for all of the reasons the previous posters have given you, but also for an additional one: it may put your school's accreditation at risk. If you are teaching in any way, shape, or form, you would be considered as "faculty" by the accrediting body and do not have the credential to teach (given that you are a student) nursing students at this time. It would be one thing if you were just casually helping another student in lab, but if this involves preparation and grading assignments, it puts you in the role of faculty.

[Barnstormin' PMHNP]

You should be paid for being in a "teaching/assisting" position, it only benefits her as it stands now. YOU are losing valuable time with your son and studies. As far as being a Leader to other student mentors, I imagine there is additional time that is going down the drain that you do not reap any benfits from either. And then the time spent in putting together a panel. What the heck is this? You are going to spending even MORE time doing this as well, again with no clear benefit.

I was offered a few things like this in nursing school and declined them all, I am a mom and was an older non traditional student. You really have to do a cost/benefit analysis of this situation, as I see it, all the perks are hers and NONE are yours. Resumes are made more attractive by actual hands on experience and unless you are all fired up and determined to be an instructor, I'd say forget it. She is using flattery to persuade you and it is an unfair tactic considering she is your instructor. I would say she does not have your best interests at heart.

This experience is not really going to help you find a day job in a clinic, and will in all likleyhood impact your studies in a negative manner. There are community health certifications available online as well as other opportunities to make you more attractive to employers in the areas you desire. Search those out and forget about the flattery, you will end up feeling like a matyr and resenting every minute.

Sorry if this seems like a rant but it drives me nuts to see instructors using students like this, I've seen it at the ASN, BSN, and MSN level. Nursing school is challenging and you should use every free moment away from studying to love up your little one.

Off my soapbox.

[DeeAngel]

You've been offered a part time job at no pay to assist with helping this person look good to everyone while paying you nothing. No, this will not significantly benefit you in the real world, not when you have a child that must be the priority. You're being set up to be used; you concentrate on you and let the teacher concentrate on her (paid) job herself.