Online Faculty with MSN?

Specialties Educators

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Specializes in OB.

I am very interested in becoming an online nursing instructor, but have the following questions:

Background first... I have 21 years of experience as a RN (mostly in OB, but also in Med Surg, ER, Rehab). Obtained my MSN and CNM (Certified Nurse Midwife) in 2011. Only worked for a short time as a CNM, before realizing it was not right for me. Working in Nurse Management ever since. I did get a brief position at a nursing school, but was still orienting as a didactic teacher when the management position opened up, so I took it. (I really thought I was going to enjoy teaching students, but knew that this for-profit school I was employed by was NOT going to be a good fit.) I really think moving toward an educator position would be a good direction to go, but am already in a lot of debt for my MSN, so can't even consider returning for my doctorate right now.

All that to get to my point, which is how is the pay for an online nursing instructor/faculty? Are there options for this with a MSN? Due to my school debt, I can't afford to make less than I'm making in management, which is in the $80,000-$90,000 range right now. I'm not sure what the best path forward is...

I should also mention that my ASN - MSN bridge program was done mostly online, so I am familiar with the concept and love it.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

I doubt there is any school that is paying $80,000 - $90,000 per year for online faculty members. Your best bet would be to seek a full time position somewhere with really high faculty pay.

I teach online for a mid-sized public university with a pay scale that is close to the national averages I see published. I am just an adjunct and get $3500 per course with no benefits paid by the university (though I have access to insurance if at the group rate if I pay for it myself). If I were a full time employee with responsibilities for committees, student advising, etc., it would not approach your salary desires. Fortunately, I only teach part time and have another job in Professional Development that pays much better and provides benefits.

I'll be interested to see what other people have to say about this.

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Specializes in Trauma, Teaching.

Education pay, to put it mildly, ah, doesn't. Pay that is.

I have an MSN in nursing ed, and have been adjunct faculty as a 2nd job from my hospital one. I really enjoyed classroom, lab was pretty good, clinicals were fun but very stressful trying to keep up with 8 students and give them adequate supervision and teaching.

My classes were absorbed into one overall fundamental course, and I became redundent. My school offered an online course, which took a semester to get used to, it isn't my favorite but I don't want to quit teaching.

As adjunct, I get instructor pay, calculated by the credit hour. I make at least half again more at the bedside than I do teaching. I make less than the above poster per course, but I'm at a community college. I've been offered a full time spot on the faculty but honestly, I would be working more hours than I do with my 2 jobs (I'm part time at hosp) and taking home less money. Couldn't afford it.

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

I make $3400 per course per 8-week session teaching online for a university. No benefits. You won't make anything close to your current salary, which is why I do the teaching part-time and maintain full-time employment as a hospital-based clinical educator. I am the only one working in my house, so I need to keep a job that pays the bills and provides benefits.

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Specializes in Flight Nursing/Critical Care/Education.

As the others have said the pay will probably not be comparable and most online fulltime educational opportunities usually require teaching experience and a terminal degree. The teaching experience in a ground setting allows the employer to see that you can manage all that teaching entails, and trust me it's a lot! That being said I am sure it can be done somewhere, but I am not sure where. Could you secure a position as a Clinical adjunct to get experience while you pay down your debt? That would give you some time to decide if it's really for you and maybe allow you to consider a lower salary.

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Specializes in Urgent Care, Oncology.

I am so glad I stumbled across this post. I finish my BSN in two months and want to continue on to the MSN Ed. program. Once finished, I wanted to keep my current job but drop down to 30 hours (which would be ok with them and I still get benefits) and then work as you all are in the online programs. I'm happy to see that several of you are making it work this way.

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

Unfortunately, my "day job" is 40+ hours/week. I would love to drop down to part time, but that is not available for me in my current role. My future fantasy job is only teaching online after my husband finishes med school and residency somewhere! So just 5.5 more years of these 60-hour weeks, haha. And I have to fit a terminal degree in there somewhere!

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