Low GPA , Wish to be a Nurse Instructor

z's playa · Apr 22, 2005

No offense but maybe you should work on getting your grades up? I don't know how it is there but here the instructors need to excell in nursing school before being considered for an instructor position. According to my instructor

Z

llg, PhD, RN · Apr 22, 2005

I'm not a believer that only those people with terrific grades should teach ... particularly if you only have a couple of poor grades in your background. In fact, I strongly believe that people who never had to struggle at least a little in school usually make lousy teachers. They sometimes can't relate to the very students who need them most.

but ...

I think it's important for you (and everyone else doing any kind of career planning) to think seriously about your interests and talents -- and to be brutally honest with yourself. Why are you really interested in being a teacher of nursing? How do you envision your career taking shape? How do you feel about providing direct patient care for at least a few years? Since you have never even been a nurse before, what makes you think you would be good enough at it to teach it? What makes you think that you would be a good teacher of nursing? (as opposed to being a good teacher of something else)

Is part of your reason for wanting to be a teacher of nursing that you are not happy with your own school experiences and you think you could do it better? A lot of nursing students feel that way. Are you interested in a teaching career in part because it is the advanced-practice role you have been most exposed to? That's also true of a lot of undergraduates. Until you have had a lot of exposure to people in a variety of roles and actually been in the nursing world for a while, it's hard to know the best fit for you.

Before becoming a teacher, it would also be important for you to understand why you aren't getting better grades. Is it because you have trouble understanding the material? Is it because you have trouble applying the facts you memorize to actual situations and scenarios? Is it because you don't enjoy studying and therefore don't do it very much? etc. etc. etc. If you are going to have a career in teaching, you are going to have to be able to analyze and understand how people learn and help them learn better. If you can't do that with yourself, how can you help others do that?

I hope you have a long and happy career as a nurse. And if you decide someday to be a teacher of nursing, I hope you are a great teacher of nursing. I don't mean to take away that dream. But I do think you need to do some serious thinking about some serious issues before you jump into a career plan for which you might not be well-suited.

llg

earthlovers123 · Apr 22, 2005

I'm not a believer that only those people with terrific grades should teach ... particularly if you only have a couple of poor grades in your background. In fact, I strongly believe that people who never had to struggle at least a little in school usually make lousy teachers. They sometimes can't relate to the very students who need them most.
but ...
I think it's important for you (and everyone else doing any kind of career planning) to think seriously about your interests and talents -- and to be brutally honest with yourself. Why are you really interested in being a teacher of nursing? How do you envision your career taking shape? How do you feel about providing direct patient care for at least a few years? Since you have never even been a nurse before, what makes you think you would be good enough at it to teach it? What makes you think that you would be a good teacher of nursing? (as opposed to being a good teacher of something else)
Is part of your reason for wanting to be a teacher of nursing that you are not happy with your own school experiences and you think you could do it better? A lot of nursing students feel that way. Are you interested in a teaching career in part because it is the advanced-practice role you have been most exposed to? That's also true of a lot of undergraduates. Until you have had a lot of exposure to people in a variety of roles and actually been in the nursing world for a while, it's hard to know the best fit for you.
Before becoming a teacher, it would also be important for you to understand why you aren't getting better grades. Is it because you have trouble understanding the material? Is it because you have trouble applying the facts you memorize to actual situations and scenarios? Is it because you don't enjoy studying and therefore don't do it very much? etc. etc. etc. If you are going to have a career in teaching, you are going to have to be able to analyze and understand how people learn and help them learn better. If you can't do that with yourself, how can you help others do that?
I hope you have a long and happy career as a nurse. And if you decide someday to be a teacher of nursing, I hope you are a great teacher of nursing. I don't mean to take away that dream. But I do think you need to do some serious thinking about some serious issues before you jump into a career plan for which you might not be well-suited.
llg

Thank you very much for your wishdom . I learned lots of things from you reply . I need deep reflection on my self . I appreciate your help

lady_jezebel · Apr 22, 2005

I would really appreciate your feedback
I have low GPA and getting B- in my nursing class .my science prereq are not great either ...
My dream is to become a Teacher in Nursing school ..i think it will fit my personality
I need feedback that is it possible to achieve my dream with low grade
and also what areas and skills ...I have to prepare myself for being a nursing instructor

Sorry, but maybe you're being a little unrealistic right now??

BeenThereDoneThat74, MSN, RN · Apr 24, 2005

Your profile does not specify this, but are you still in school? If so, you have to learn to crawl before you can walk (and then you can try running). Judging by your age, I can safely say you have your whole career ahead of you. Learn to be a nurse first, then a competent and confident nurse. It's great that you want to teach in your future. I was not the best student, and just started teaching myself. And I think it does make me more sympathetic to the students. And nobody has asked to see my transcripts in many years. If and when the time comes, let your resume and experience speak for itself.

earthlovers123 · Apr 25, 2005

Your profile does not specify this, but are you still in school? If so, you have to learn to crawl before you can walk (and then you can try running). Judging by your age, I can safely say you have your whole career ahead of you. Learn to be a nurse first, then a competent and confident nurse. It's great that you want to teach in your future. I was not the best student, and just started teaching myself. And I think it does make me more sympathetic to the students. And nobody has asked to see my transcripts in many years. If and when the time comes, let your resume and experience speak for itself.

I am second year of nursing now . Thank you .

I have lot learn alot

I appreciate your thought