Possible career? Seeking Insight

[EricJRN, MSN, RN]

To clarify, are you thinking about becoming a hospital unit-based educator? Or something more along the lines of a clinical instructor for a nursing program?

A clinical instructor job can be a good way to try out teaching because it's usually once a week. Most people do it as a side job, and a lot of programs let you skip a semester if you have other things going on in life. To me, it's fulfilling to hear from past students who have become nurses. A lot of schools require a master's degree though. 

Unit-based educators (the educators that track unit competencies and plan the orientation schedules for new hires) are often salaried based on 40 hours per week. If you work on a unit where the educators are very involved in QI or you have a lot of nurses on orientation, it can be hard to get everything done in 40 hours. It's also worth thinking about the fact that you would likely be going from three days a week to five days a week.

Good luck to you! I hope you're able to find a good fit.

[feelix, RN]

Teaching as an adjunct clinical instructor at a school is less stressfull than being a unit based educator. On the other hand, the latter get paid much more with benefits, adjuncts mostly don't get benefits and can't survive on the salary. I have seen unit based educators get abuse at the hands of unit managers. They are also the first to get laid off because they are non-essential.

If you have a BSN you can teach at an LVN program, then get your masters.