Jump from clinical nursing to education??

MSNRN2B · Jan 12, 2012

I have recently gone from bedside nursing (almost 15 years) to Advanced Practice Nursing, which I'm finding may not be the right fit for me.
So, now I have an offer as full time faculty in a college for nursing students. This college has LPN and RN students. This particular offer is for LPN students. I would be teaching 4 different classes per week.
Since I have never formally taught before, but am very drawn to it, I was wondering...
What are the pros and cons of making this leap??
What things do you like best about teaching vs bedside nursing? What do you miss most about bedside nursing?
Thank you!!

The hours and time off is a definite pro, nowhere else in nursing to you get 2 weeks off at Christmas, week for pring break, etc...

I miss the higher paycheck for sure and I miss the OR tremendously, but my body does not miss all the wear and tear.

mommy2boysaz · Jan 13, 2012

Thank you for your insight. The job that I'm considering comes with a fairly good salary, so that's not concerning me.

Do you find teaching nursing students to be rewarding?

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN · Jan 22, 2012

I would advise teaching part-time as a an adjunct in this program - perhaps one clinical group of nursing students for one semester - and keeping your fulltime NP position, before making the leap to fulltime educator. Just because you are finding the NP role difficult and unfulfilling is NOT a good enough reason to suddenly want to become a fulltime nurse educator.

In other words, look carefully before you leap... You may find yourself jumping out of the proverbial frying pan into the fire.

Four different classes per week is extremely challenging for even the most seasoned educator and the LPN curriculum is intense and rigorous. You may find yourself working tirelessly 70-90 hours per week, every single week, and barely keeping your head above water. You may find yourself exhausted to the bone and burned out before your first year of teaching is even finished.

Are they offering you any orientation and faculty mentorship? Are there materials from former instructors that you can use or do you have to create all your lectures from scratch?

In addition to the lectures, how many clinical groups will you be responsible for? On which units?

What is the atmosphere within this nursing program? Is it professional and collegial or incivil and cold/ uncaring? Will the other faculty be supportive to you or throw you under the bus?

Just a few things to consider before taking that leap....

Best wishes to you in whatever you decide and please keep us posted. We care :)

mommy2boysaz · Jan 23, 2012

Thank you so much for the responses.

To answer a few of your questions, Vicky:

They have offered to allow me to shadow the current instructor of the classes I will be taking over next term. I should be able to do this for a full 8 weeks or so before I will be in the "hot seat". That greatly eased my worries about starting this new endeavor.

Only one of the 4 classes has a clinical component. It is a first clinical for the LPN students, so the first 8 weeks are done in the simulation lab, with the last 4 weeks taking place in a long term care facility. The other 3 classes are classroom only.

They have said that I will have full access to the notes and lesson plans from the former instructor for these courses. She is actually still employed there, just teaching a different section of students. They also have the powerpoints and tests from the text book companies that I will be able to use or tweak, as I need.

I went and spent one day at the school. Sat in on two different classes and had the chance to briefly speak with a couple of instructors. They were mostly positive. One of them has been there 3 years in a part time capacity, while she was working in a hospital. As of this term, she has dropped down to per diem at the hospital and has gone to full time at the school. She said the work is just so much less stressful and the hours so much better than the hospital.

The general "vibe"' at the school was good. Although it was quite hectic, since I was there on the first day of a new term! But all the people I was introuduced to were kind and encouraging...

I will definitely give some more thought to possibly dipping my toes in with an adjunct position before diving in to a full time position. And I will let you all know what I decide and how it goes!

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN · Jan 28, 2012

Thank you so much for the responses.
To answer a few of your questions, Vicky:
They have offered to allow me to shadow the current instructor of the classes I will be taking over next term. I should be able to do this for a full 8 weeks or so before I will be in the "hot seat". That greatly eased my worries about starting this new endeavor.
Only one of the 4 classes has a clinical component. It is a first clinical for the LPN students, so the first 8 weeks are done in the simulation lab, with the last 4 weeks taking place in a long term care facility. The other 3 classes are classroom only.
They have said that I will have full access to the notes and lesson plans from the former instructor for these courses. She is actually still employed there, just teaching a different section of students. They also have the powerpoints and tests from the text book companies that I will be able to use or tweak, as I need.
I went and spent one day at the school. Sat in on two different classes and had the chance to briefly speak with a couple of instructors. They were mostly positive. One of them has been there 3 years in a part time capacity, while she was working in a hospital. As of this term, she has dropped down to per diem at the hospital and has gone to full time at the school. She said the work is just so much less stressful and the hours so much better than the hospital.
The general "vibe"' at the school was good. Although it was quite hectic, since I was there on the first day of a new term! But all the people I was introuduced to were kind and encouraging...
I will definitely give some more thought to possibly dipping my toes in with an adjunct position before diving in to a full time position. And I will let you all know what I decide and how it goes!

Glad to hear about these positive indicators :)

allnurses Guide · Feb 3, 2012

Have you precepted or helped orient new hires or new grads? Did you like having students on the floor? Were you able to explain what you were doing and why so that newbies could understand?

I like teaching, but am still adjunct because of the pay (glad to hear your place pays well! CCs are chronically short of funds). My bedside job pays the bills. I always enjoy(ed) students and travelers, also volunteered many years with Boy & Girl Scouts, so I knew that teaching is something I like and can do well (in my own humble self assessment of course, :) )

Those are things that you may want to consider as well.