It's Academic Sharecropper Time

Published

Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

Okay...perhaps the title was overly dramatic, but I recently accepted an adjunct clinical instructor position at an investor-owned school. This will be my first position as an instructor, so any pointers will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

Congratulations, TheCommuter.

Knowing you as I do, you have a wealth of knowledge to impart and your students will definitely excel with you leading them in their Clinicals.

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

You?? At an evil investor-owned school??? *swoon/faint* lol

Just kidding!! Best of luck, I am sure you will do a wonderful job. :)

Specializes in Critical Care, Education.

Hey, can you provide us some insight on successful techniques to overcome the focus on collecting tuition as a priority? If anyone can do it, you can! Based on my own experience - this is the primary negative issue with commercial schools. Their very clear message that faculty are evaluated on their ability to make students happy & keep them from dropping out rather than educational outcomes.

Specializes in EMS, ED, Trauma, CEN, CPEN, TCRN.
Their very clear message that faculty are evaluated on their ability to make students happy & keep them from dropping out rather than educational outcomes.

Geez, it's Press-Ganey for students! :sarcastic:

Geez, it's Press-Ganey for students! :sarcastic:

These schools are about making money, not providing good quality nursing education, and the way they money is by keeping students in the program and paying outrageous tuition, regardless.

Specializes in ER, ICU.

Well, you have been hired for your expertise, and you are cashing a check for it, that's America! Just because they are out to make a buck doesn't mean they won't provide a good education. That said, I worked for such a school but in the end I didn't like it. They made excellence among the staff difficult. I was a lead faculty, but it was almost impossible to contact the instructors I was supposed to be supporting. I also was privy to a number of student/school problems that I felt were not handled in the most ethical manner. I believe that was related to the staff not the school. I left for other reasons as well, but that contributed. Get your experience, give the students your best shot, and stay or quit whenever works for you. Good luck.

Specializes in Corrections, Cardiac, Hospice.

I recommend getting the syllabus from the course instructor and reading over the material they are learning. That way, you can point out things they have on the unit and correlate it with the theory. I am not an old school nursing instructor and feel that my students can teach me as much as I teach them, so LISTEN when your students are talking. That being said, I also have high expectations. More then once, my student evaluations have stated that while I am very nice, I expect them to know their patients and what they are doing on the unit. If that is true, I feel I am doing my job well. I would never "yell" at a student, especially in front of others, nor would I say ever intentionally say anything to berate or make them feel stupid. I do let them know when they make a mistake and we discuss how we can do things differently next time.

+ Join the Discussion