judymai

Hey berylmac! I am also teaching in Oregon. I must admit to curiosity about where you are. I share your frustration about salaries and workload. I have to laugh when people assume we have weekends, holidays, and summers off -- I am just returning to the fall schedule and found I spent nearly as many hours over the summer as I do during the "school year". I also spend many evenings and weekends preparing content to teach and grading papers.At times my family suffers because I am so exhausted! It's also true that within a year our graduates make more than I do. So..... why do I keep doing this (going on 15 years)? I love the challenge of shaping nursing for the future. I can only hope that the impact I have now will improve the respect of nursing (and particularly nurse educators).

I have the previledge (and headache) of teaching the Nursing Process to first term ADN students. Although we teach nursing diagnosis, most of what I focus on is that the process is more in your head than on paper. Critical thinking and problem solving are so essential to nursinf practice and that is the TRUE nursing process. As far as the background, before nursing process (and yes, nursing diagnosis) nurses from different parts of the country had difficulty working in new areas. Prior to 1955, a nurse educated in New York learned a "language" much different from those in the Northwest or South. Nursing process gave us a method of communication that could be understood by all. That being said, the practice has been convoluted and nearly distroyed by NANDA and the powers that be. I do believe that requiring written care plans in nursing school provides a framework for student development. Not only do they develop problem solving skills, but it encourages them to increase critical thinking.

I have been teaching in a variety of roles for ADN programs for 13 years (with a BSN and additional education courses). They have needed me because many advanced degree nurses (MSN) are not available or unwilling to accept the salary (I take a major cut in pay to teach). I finally took a permanent position at the CC and must get my MSN within 3 years. I started in a self-directed, distance learning program but found I could not finish as quickly as I wanted - so transfered to University of Phoenix. I am in my 5th course and plan to finish next August. I can say without reservation that I am working harder and learning more than I ever did in a classroom. Anyone who dares to suggest that these type of programs are "buying your degree" is so mistaken! For each 3-credit class I spend at least 16-30 hours a week researching and responding online. In addition, I spend nearly every Saturday writing formal papers and creating presentations. I know that by the time I graduate I will have experienced a full and valuable nursing education.

WOW! This takes me back to the "I can train a chimp to do a nurse's work" mentality. Nursing is much more than giving meds and taking vital signs. It's no wonder we aren't viewed as a profession when even our own see education as a waste of time. I agree that nursing schools should look at how best to prepare nurses for reality, but much of the content is intended to teach critical thinking and problem solving. It takes a lot of foundation to "grow" those skills.

While this is true, it is only one change in the long history of nursing. The founders of the nursing profession did not specify nursing as a University level profession - and before you respond..I absolutely see ADN nurses as professionals.- Just because ADN degree programs began after WWII, I fail to see how that make them the unwanted step-child of nursing? I also take exception to the implication that a provision for competent patient care was a "shortsighted solution". In relation to comparing "hours" between ADN and BSN graduates, 120 hours of what? This is no more than an indication of how educational intitutions calulate class loads. The BSN programs I'm familiar with provide fewer hours in actual patient care. While you may not value the clinical experience ADN graduates have, I'll take an ADN on my team any day. With the exception of management positions (which most don't want anyway) they function at a level we are lucky to have. Their problem solving skills and ability to provide patent care far outweighs the new BSN graduate. HOWEVER, by 6-month evaluations, both degrees function quite well in providing care in the Med/Surg setting.

but, i have to wonder.....in some of my classes already, there are people that just want to know enough to pass the test. even in cpr! they don't care if they know it or not, they just want to pass. these people scare me if they actually make it through. as a nursing instructor, this is my greatest concern also. you might be amazed how many nursing strudents try to get by with as little as possible...and want their instructors to "just tell us what's on the test". personally, this is not the kind of nurse i want taking care of me or my loved ones! do we fail these students? no! if they are able to provide safe patient care and pass their tests with a 75% or better, they graduate. however, those who learn only what they have to to pass the test may not havwe the foundation they need to complete the whole program since it builds term-on-term. also, memorizing for a test isn't the same as applying it to caring for patients and they may not be able to function well in the clinical setting.

Oregon and Idaho also have a hard time filling faculty possitions. Both state boards of nursing require a MSN to teach (must be in Nursing), but have had to give exceptions for BSN in some situations. Before I could be offered a permananent position I had to be enrolled in a MSN program. However, I taught for 12 years on a year-by-year basis. For the position I have now, my director had to sent the state board a copy of my overall plan for completion of a MSN and twice a year she sends an actual schedule of my classes. Going to graduate school and teaching full-time is a huge challenge. In addition, salaries make it impossible to pay the bills and my tuition so am having to take loans. I could certainly make more working at the local hospital, but I love working with students!

actually i did note at the bottom of the post that i have taught in both idaho and oregon. in both of these adn programs it has been difficult finding qualified msns to fill faculty roles. each year the colleges needed to prove that they had advertised and interviewed possible candidates. until i began my msn program (i will finish next summer), i could only be given a year-to-year contract. just in case anyone doubts that we have a faculty shortage. - i worked that way for 12 years.

As with the previous post, I am a nursing instructor. I have been watching this thread with curiousity and sadness. I am disappointed in the negative tone it has taken overall. I can't help but wonder what value many see in their nursing edcuation and preparation to be nurses if their nursing programs were so terrible. I've been waiting to see if the original poster (hotcoffee) would answer the question about what type of program he/she (I can't tell gender by the posts) was enrolled in. For sake of discussion, let me propose that it was an ADN program. "I was 5 days from finishing my first year nursing and got bounced"--- I have taught in two different ADN programs, and for both the successful completion of the first year requires the ability to provide complete care for at least two stable patients (often three). Items like emptying foleys and drains, confirming that the correct IV solution is hanging (whether you hung it or not), and understanding isolation precautions are early responsibilities in the first year. In addition, I know of no college that would allow students to care for a post-op patient without a preparing (on paper) for what to expect for the type of surgery they had. HC admits "we were required to fill out the paperwork described in the syllabus as well as additional forms introduced by DD" I can only assume these were to help prepare for the needs of the patient and plan for providing care. This student reports "i was late emptying drains, and did not adhere to the schedule of care. i was told this was MY patient and I screwed up the timeframe for emptying foley and a hemovac. (i had never done either skill up to this day). The most EMBARASSING error I made (yes dear reader, i will tell you) was not telling the nurse in charge of the patient, that the wrong IV fluid was hanging (we had IV and foley training post these incidents). We had the postoperative lecture describing the tasks necessary for post op care after four patient care days. i didnt hang the fluid, which was not ordered and also incorrectly documented on the patient's flowsheet). DD found the error and told me to tell the nurse................and god, i forgot (i told the nurse 1.5 hrs later). As a clinical instructor on a surgical floor, I would be quite concerned by this scenario. I would certainly not address it in post-conference in the presence of other students (I'm not sure if other students were present), but it would certainly be discussed with attempts at problem solving. "I never made an error in med admin. no problem there. i just couldnt draw up the med. without air bubbles (sigh)" Sorry, this is an error in our program. Let me clarify that a student would not be removed from the program for this ifthey are able to recognize it as a problem and correct it. This involves probelm solving on the part of the student - as does providing care within timeframes, understanding responsibility for everthing "connected" to your patient (drains, catheters, IV fluids, etc.). We are hearing only one side of the story. The student admits to being on probation and it would be interesting to know just how many issues arose after the probation was initiated. I know that both programs I've taught for are excellent and very cautious to respect student rights. The NLN and State Boards of Nursing monitor probation and suspension requirements and assure that students are aware of course and clinical expectations up front. If this students program has not followed these written guidelines, he/she has every reason to appeal.

In California you have to have a BSN to become a public nurse or a WOCN, also have to have a BSN to be a Director of Nurses in a college that teaches LVN's and RN's. I find it hard to believe that the NLN or the California state board of nursing would accept a BSN for the director of a nursing program. Although I have taught in both LPN and ADN programs with a BSN, it has been because of the faculty shortage and a qualified MSN applicant had not accepted the job. The directors of all three programs have had a Masters or PhD. and most faculty have a MSN (or are working on one - as I am now). Just to teach in a program (even in LPN programs) you have to have at least a BSN and clinical experience. I have taught in both Idaho and Oregon. :)

you say tomayto - I say tomahto The best question might be......does it matter what we "call" those we provide care for. As a nurse educator, the issue of client vs patient is frequently revisited in our faculty. Our decisions affect a large number of students (140 in both "years" of the program). I'm a great advocate for maintaining the terminology of "patient" since the majority of our clinical proctice is in the hospital setting. Our current decision is to use "patient" in written and most spoken communication with students while allowing faculty in the Community and Psych areas to use "client" in their teaching and clinical experiences. It is less important to me what we call individuals than how we assist them in reaching their optimal health.