I used to frequent this website back about a year ago when I was totally sure nursing was my path. then teaching became my path--b/c I started to think (thanks to allnurses!) that nursing was not all the recruitment efforts have been making it out to be. I started to worry about burnout and couldn't help but fast-forward 10 or 15 years (or less!) and see myself once again wondering what the hell to do with my life.
I have a BA in English and have completed all the prereqs I need to start clinicals. I could start in the fall. I could also start a master's in special education this summer, a one-year program I have also been accepted into. I am currently working in an elementary school as an aid and I love the kids (and all the time off!) but am wondering if teaching is my niche. I love the idea of what the school nurse does but I know i need to pay my dues for quite some time before I would land a job like that. anyhow, to get to my point, are there any teachers who used to be nurses, or nurses who became teachers who could share their stories? I am drawn to both but teaching does seem much more cushy and maybe I am getting too used to that!
It depends on a lot of things... where you are located, what area you teach etc. For instance in Middle/High School social studies, art and business tech teachers are not in demand BUT math, science and some English teachers are. In elementary, it just depends on the area... though I will say that male elementary teachers are very likely to be hired first.
I never worked as a teacher, I had been planning to go on to medical school, and then changed my mind to nursing. I am not sure that contracts are universal, but I have definately heard complaints about them, and they are worth checking into in the area that you would be teaching. I, of course, am 100% in support of nursing now :). Good luck with your decision!
it's interesting reading everyone's replies. I would be very interested in hearing from a nurse who switched over from a teaching career and STILL feels it was a good move. for me, I have invested the same amount of time in pursuing a master's in special ed as I have in pursuing an ADN or Accelerated BSN in nursing. I can go either way. the thing I am afraid of is that if I decide to go through with nursing, I might get stressed and burned out to such a degree that I start to think, gee I really should have stuck with that teaching gig--what was I thinking?? it's hard to imagine after teaching awhile that you might seriously pine for the hard hard hard work of nursing. I mean, sure, teaching has it's very stressful moments from what I've witnessed (I work as an aide at a public elementary school) but nothing compared to what I saw working as an aide in the hospital.
Samanthalu I feel the same way... I am going into nursing but still a little apprehensive about "what if I find I liked teaching better" - but I guess as my husband says you cant win unless you take a risk. hes so smart And I figure there is a reason that I am thinking about it - I want to give something more than I feel like I am now.
if you do hear from a teacher who has made the switch and likes it let me know and ill do the same. I think one person I have talked to said he did.
I haven't been a teacher, but right now look at my nursing career as "a good business decision". If faced with waiting lists and a saturated market (as in the Portland, OR metro area), I'd not choose nursing again. My ADN program, at the time, didn't have a waiting list. I'm a good student, had a job waiting for me, and have been blessed with opportunities to get great experience since. All that said, I've been looking to continue my education and either get out of nursing or change my role.
I may be cold and too-pragmatic in saying this, but if you're wanting to enter nursing "to help people" and because of all of the warm fuzzies that you associate with the profession, I'd stop right where you are. With the politics, the never having enough time to really spend time with your patients, the poop-and-vomit factor, etc, etc, you really need more motivating factors. At the end of a long, frustrating day, the warm fuzzies will usually not be there with you. Then (working in a non-union place) as administration starts messing with your differential pay, and your vacation policies, you really will start to wonder, "OK. Why, again, did I do this?"
Is nursing that bad? I was looking at teaching salaries and they dont make what they deserve. WHere I live that avg starting pay for a teacher with a bachelors is about 30-31K...
So teaching salary is based on years of service?
Well what about nursing is bad? I hear people saying that mandatory OT is a reason people have negative feelings as a nurse
My husband is now leaving teaching. In the last 8 yrs things have changed so much it is now an UNBEARABLE! and UNHEALTHY profession. In his bldg/teachers lounge there are about 10 teachers, 8-9 of them are on mental health drugs due to the job. He says they've sucked all the fun out of teaching.
I can agree with that. As a teacher, you have to find the "good" schools. (In my experience, those are in the rural areas) -- just too much pressure in the cities on the teachers. I am sure that both jobs have their ups and downs and I have heard that they are both very political. The starting salary for a 1st year teacher in the Midwest ranges from 28 - 32K.
Many people think that teachers have it "easy" because we get summers off. I agree that summers are nice, but as a newer teacher I have to work in the summer just to keep my finances alive. Teachers spend a lot of their own money for school (each year I end up spending almost 1k, b/c the schools don't provide much at all.)
Yes salary is based on years of experience, it goes up 500 - 1000 dollars a year depending on your area. It is a good job, but most of us that are "making a difference" work at least 12 hours each day, not the 8 that they would like you to see. (grading, preparing lessons, phone calls home, madatory tutoring, loss of lunch breaks for ISTEP remediation etc) So the summers off kinda makes up for the amout of work during the year. I hope this helps -- if anyone has any specific questions you can PM me too.
Do not go into teaching (high school anyway)...I have been there 7 years now and it only gets worse by the year. If the kids aren't getting their way then they go home and complain to parents. Parents complain to adminstration and my job is then at risk-I changed schools so i'm not tenured yet. It's ridiculous. It's my fault if the kid doesn't get homework turned in and they fail. (Nevermind they were gone for weeks at a time, and didn't get assignments from me-I refuse to spoon-feed a 16 or 17-year-old!) I have cracked down on the students and hold them accountable, I expect them to read, comprehend, make decisions...they whine about it, tell me i'm not teaching them... am totally burned out and thinking of nursing myself! But I can't just switch overnight due to finances.
I've been nursing 12+years and it was never a career I would have thought of for me. I had always wanted to teach since the age of 10 and was working on my degree as a history major when I discussed with my friend who is a nurse my concern about obtaining a job once I had graduated. She suggested nursing and after I had stopped laughing she repeated that nursing "is" teaching. We teach ourself, our co-workers, our patients, and their families. I have to admit I love this part of the job. We get to teach our patients self care, self awareness, educate them re their disease processes, teach them skills to prevent reoccurance, and when needed guide them through the steps needed when life is measured in moments and days. Nursing is all about teaching is it not?
I used to frequent this website back about a year ago when I was totally sure nursing was my path. then teaching became my path--b/c I started to think (thanks to allnurses!) that nursing was not all the recruitment efforts have been making it out to be. I started to worry about burnout and couldn't help but fast-forward 10 or 15 years (or less!) and see myself once again wondering what the hell to do with my life.
I have a BA in English and have completed all the prereqs I need to start clinicals. I could start in the fall. I could also start a master's in special education this summer, a one-year program I have also been accepted into. I am currently working in an elementary school as an aid and I love the kids (and all the time off!) but am wondering if teaching is my niche. I love the idea of what the school nurse does but I know i need to pay my dues for quite some time before I would land a job like that. anyhow, to get to my point, are there any teachers who used to be nurses, or nurses who became teachers who could share their stories? I am drawn to both but teaching does seem much more cushy and maybe I am getting too used to that!
thanks!
Patient education is a growing field in nursing. Health literacy is strongly correlated with health outcomes, and effective teaching is essential. Here are a few references to get you started:
Doak, C. C., Doak, L. G., & Root, J. H. (1996). Teaching patients with low literacy skills (2nd ed.). Philadelphia: J. B. Lippincott Company.
Berkman, N. D., DeWalt, D. A., Pignone, M. P., Sheridan, S. L., Lohr, K. N., Lux, L., et al. (2004). Literacy and health outcomes. Evidence report/technology assessment no. 87 (No. AHRQ Publication No. 04-E007-2). Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
alsolwish
20 Posts
It depends on a lot of things... where you are located, what area you teach etc. For instance in Middle/High School social studies, art and business tech teachers are not in demand BUT math, science and some English teachers are. In elementary, it just depends on the area... though I will say that male elementary teachers are very likely to be hired first.
hope it helps