Nurse Educator without nursing experience.. (?)

RN In FL · May 10, 2012

Your young nurses?
I graduated with an older, second-career lady who was adamant on going straight from BSN to MSN in order to pursue a career either in education or management. Her excuse was that she was older, had already "had one career" and "didn't have the time" to put in the obligatory bedside hours. Her first career had been in accounting, so it's not even like she could claim some ambiguous "experience."

...those kind too!!! ESPECIALLY. :banghead: sorry to only make reference to the "young"....my bad!

allnurses Guide · May 10, 2012

I have been a floor nurse now for three months, independent for one of those. I am just now starting to touch the tip of the iceberg in realizing how much I did NOT learn in nursing school. Every shift I have at least three to four deer-in-headlights moments in which I seek out more experienced nurses to guide me. I had incredibly experienced instructors who loved their time at the bedside and some of whom still do stints in PRN bedside/patient care positions during the summer or on their off hours. I tend to believe the best teachers are those who are teaching what they love. You can't love an ideal without teaching an ideal and you can't teach a reality if an ideal is your only experience. I cannot think of another career in which teaching from a place of ideals would hold a greater disservice than nursing. You'd be programming graduates to be disillusioned and ultimately to fail. The students get to bring the ideals to the table. The instructors get to hone those ideals into a baby nurse at least somewhat prepared for the moment the honeymoon is over.

Altra, BSN, RN · May 10, 2012

OP, if what you are after is an academic career, why not pursue a degree in a "pure" science such as biology or chemistry and teach that?

Any *applied* science, such as nursing, inherently requires an understanding of the application ... something you cannot grasp without having worked in the field.

sherdk · May 10, 2012

Experience is a must-- not fair to students even if you are very BOOK smart----knowing how and actually doing are not always the same so to be fair to yourself and your students-- try to get in some clinical experience as you work towards your Masters.

Stephalump · May 10, 2012

This seems like something an advisor should've talked about when you decided to enter the program. I can't imagine it would be easy to teach without experience and I can't imagine I'd be thrilled to find out I had a nursing instructor who'd never actually been in the field. But I'm sure it's possible.

I honestly can't believe there are schools that don't require ANY experience. I know of some masters programs that may not require it when you apply, but you have to work for at least a year during the program.

Would it be possible to get a part-time job while you're in school?

RN In FL · May 10, 2012

All these schools nowadays care about are 4.8 gpa's and 100% on TEA's test. ANY of them....from BSN programs to MSN programs :eek:

bsnwnab · May 10, 2012

You need 'street cred' if you expect your students to respect you. Even if you are only lecturing.
Put in a foley? Male? Female? Obese person? How about an elderly woman on her side in the bed?!! And what about a suprapubic?? Do you even know what I am talking about??? I've done all of these and would feel comfortable instructing on any of them. If you haven't realized that if you are right-handed you should be standing with your left shoulder toward the head of the bed then you shouldn't be teaching.
Why would you even WANT to teach about something you have never done???

I've done all that you mentioned. I know everything u're talking about. I have a different backround that most nurses. I have inserted iv on a baby when the others couldn't get it right and poked the baby 3 times before i stepped in., have gotten arterial blood for ABGs, monitored cvp in the icu, etc. And i have taught all that you're talking about.

I've been misunderstood, it's not that i don't like being on the floor, i love hands on stuff on the floor, but since i was small whether i was gonna be an accountant nurse engineer etc i was gonna teach it. Lastly i'm not allowed to work in the USA till i have at least a masters degree, hence i have no choice but to go straight to msn program without work experience.

MyMystudentRN · May 10, 2012

please get some experience under your belt before you go and try and teach others skills you did not actually do because believe me you will look real incompetent under students' eyes if you cant even perform a skill you are trying to teach them. I had an instructor who only talked about home health and her love for home health when she started teaching she was excited to teach us what she has learned and dealt with in that line of work however, we weren't in that level yet we were dealing with sub-acute care and she had no idea what she was doing never experienced such thing she wasnt there for a whole clinical day she couldnt handle it. the next day we had another clinical instructor come to find out she quit because it wasnt her cup of tea. so please do yourself a favor and get the experience you dont want to land a job and see yourself quitting because you couldnt handle it. Goodluck with everything

RN In FL · May 10, 2012

I've done all that you mentioned. I know everything u're talking about. I have a different backround that most nurses. I have inserted iv on a baby when the others couldn't get it right and poked the baby 3 times before i stepped in., have gotten arterial blood for ABGs, monitored cvp in the icu, etc. And i have taught all that you're talking about.
I've been misunderstood, it's not that i don't like being on the floor, i love hands on stuff on the floor, but since i was small whether i was gonna be an accountant nurse engineer etc i was gonna teach it. Lastly i'm not allowed to work in the USA till i have at least a masters degree, hence i have no choice but to go straight to msn program without work experience.

So exactly what are you saying? You can't work in the states? What country are you in? Why aren't you allowed to work in the US until you have a master's? why are u different? c'mon now....

AprilSage · May 10, 2012

There is a local 4-yr university in my city that hired some of their new grads as clinical instructors. I thought that was the craziest thing ever. Needless to say it didn't last very long, thank goodness for the students who pay tuition for a good education. Also, I know of a new nurse who was hired as a Staff Developer Coordinator for a large nursing home. Personally, I feel like it's a bad idea to pursue an education position, especially when there is a lack of experience. It does a great disservice to those who depend on you for their education.

Stephalump · May 10, 2012

RNinFL, it may be true that schools are mostly just concerned with academics, but that especially scares me when it comes to educators. Much like physicians, RT, PAs, and the goes on, NPs and the like coming out of school with little previous experience will just have to learn a good deal on the job. But an educator isn't going to become an excellent health care provider by NOT doing the job! Ever! And Im not sure you can become a good educator if you aren't good at what you're trying to teach. I'm slightly horrified at the prospect.

Op, what about a master's in public health? Then you could work as an RN and teach later. Or Advance Practice? And you could work and then teach later. Or Education, but work for a while and then teach? There has to be a better option than putting an entire classroom of eager students at a disadvantage from the get-go.

RN In FL · May 10, 2012

RNinFL, it may be true that schools are mostly just concerned with academics, but that especially scares me when it comes to educators. Much like physicians, RT, PAs, and the goes on, NPs and the like coming out of school with little previous experience will just have to learn a good deal on the job. But an educator isn't going to become an excellent health care provider by NOT doing the job! Ever! And Im not sure you can become a good educator if you aren't good at what you're trying to teach. I'm slightly horrified at the prospect.
Op, what about a master's in public health? Then you could work as an RN and teach later. Or Advance Practice? And you could work and then teach later. Or Education, but work for a while and then teach? There has to be a better option than putting an entire classroom of eager students at a disadvantage from the get-go.

I guess for me, its the "Nurse" part of it, when it hasn't been earned, so to speak. For me, that has to be earned, not just sitting and passing the NCLEX, BOOM, you are "a nurse". When people hear you are a nurse first thing come to mind is the hard worked hours at getting there, and you knowing more than the doctor, due to much clinical experience....just saying!

signed

old skool RN