everlongRN

I'm definitely getting soft in my old age, and at the same time, more and more discouraged at what I see and here from my fellow 'colleagues'. I wasn't born yesterday, and have been teaching nursing for half my adult life/ nursing career. I've heard many a 'story' from students, some are completely bogus, and some are heart wrenching. I don't believe everything I hear, or every story I read on allnurses, but if this person is truthful in his/her story here, I'm sadly disappointed in many of the responses. If you look at this person's profile, you see that he/she is an LPN and an EMT. I think there is a safe assumption that he is physically able to handle the tasks of a nurse, with some limitations. There are many nurses practicing with limitations, and there are many areas in the nursing field that are suitable for persons with physical limitations. Having said that, to the OP: I trust that your limitations are documented. If they are not, this is a lesson to all that may choose to conceal their disabilities (whether physical or learning) until it comes up in a negative way (like this). I get why people do it; they don't want to deal with the stigma and the attention, which is a shame. If it is all documented, then there should be no issue with the school. The institution does reserve the right to complain and dismiss students, but the school does not have to abide by their regulations (sure, you may not be allowed to continue clinical there, but the school ultimately gets to decide how to handle this with you. I hope this gets straightened out for you. Thank you for your service.

Doesn't sound like you have that much respect. While I don't know this person or his specific military experiences and subsequent injuries, I think it's quite a stretch to compare military service to nursing, from a physical perspective (again, mileage varies in both professions). Without knowing specific details (which are really none of our business), I don't believe any of use should judge, nor accuse this person of playing a 'card'.

I have to agree with you to an extent, that the profession doesn't exactly respect the mental health of it's own. Part of me agrees that the workplace is not meant to be a group therapy environment. But when you work (or go to school) for so many hours with a group of people, you just expect a little compassion and empathy from them. As far as school goes, there is a good chance that nursing is not for you. If you're losing sleep, can't think, and are so panicked (even in lectures, not just clinical), then that is no way to live. It is incredibly stressful, and there is an expectation that you will be 'on your game' at all times. You sound like you would make a very empathetic nurse, because you understand people on a different level. But if right now, you're struggling so much, maybe it wasn't meant to be. You could always take a break- to regroup, and take care of yourself. See if you can either withdraw (it might be too late) or take a leave for the next semester. Take some general education courses (if you need to continue in college, because your parents expect that of you), and see if your school has any counseling services where you can talk to someone about your anxiety and your future. Parents only want their kids to succeed. But, It pains me to hear that people are so fearful of letting them down by telling them that they are changing their career path.

I don't think I realized how depressed I was getting either. My husband sees it, and doesn't like what it's doing to me. I hate the fall, and have for years. I believe it is related to work. I can't even think about enjoying the Holidays because the week before is the most stressful time of the year at work (finals, failures, dealing with registration for the spring). Then I get into the swing of things for the spring, and I tell myself "it's not so bad". Lather, rinse, repeat next fall. It's interesting to see your perspective, as the spouse who feels somewhat neglected.

I am an educator in an academic setting. Therefore, I am constantly surrounded by the 'don't give up' mentality. For those who are not familiar with what goes on behind the scenes in academia, there are certain expectations to keep your job and to be promoted. Each year, you are reappointed (or not) based on your contributions to the department, the college and the world of nursing. It's not just about lecturing and clinicals. Serving on commitees, student advisement, college service (with students), and then the nerve to ask me what service I do in the community. Then there's publishing and presentations. I know there is the perception by some that educators live 'the good life'. Weekends, holidays and summers off. No nights, no overtime. I feel like I never stop working. My life is in a perpetual holding pattern. Then, I spend most of my summers preparing for the following academic year (I am the coordinator of the course I teach). It flies by and nothing else gets done. Then there's the expectation of obtaining a doctorate degree. So of course,I went for it. I am currently enrolled in the program, and am drowning. Long story short: I don't want to do it anymore. Could I keep going this way? Sure I could, I see the people around me doing it. That was my attitude all along... if they can do it, so can I. But I am coming to the realization that I don't want to. I'm tire of ignoring my family, my home and being generally stressed or irritated because I am thinking about how much work I have to do. I am (relatively) a newlywed (remarried) and have a teen-aged child, who, in no ti will be off to college. I'm tired of living my lie in front of the laptop instead of enjoying life. And for what? Look up educators' salaries (if you're one of my new grads, you're making more money than I am). My point is this: I have decided to not continue in the program. I have mentioned to a few people that I was considering quitting. Maybe it's the word 'quit' that rubs people the wrong way. Or 'giving up'. It suggests that you're a failure. I've already heard "don't give up, you can do it', or 'don't let them get the best of you' (just like I here my students telling each other, when they are overwhelmed and failing). Is there never anyone in nursing school (at any level) that decided this is not what they want? I know there are students I teach that are there because someone (their parents, spouses, employers) thought it was a good idea So I'm torn: I want to just say to those who will ask (like my boss, the director of my doctoral program, and colleagues who are incredibly goal oriented and judgmental) that I don't want to do it. But it sounds like I am lazy and don't care as much about my future as I should. The truth is, right now I don't. I care more about my own health and well being, and my family's happiness, and actually making more money (my job and education choices have put a damper on our finances, and I do not have the time to work per diem or adjunct). But that won't go over very well, will it?

I teach in what most consider to be the hardest class in out curriculum: Med Surg 1 (the first class after fundamentals). Our program does not have a separate Pharm class (it is integrated throughout, and introduced with each of the topics), and it really begins in this class. So it's like Med Surg 1 plus the first third of Pharm rolled into one.

I think the term 'friend' may be used loosely here. Being on the other side of this dynamic (a professor), I see students who form bonds, then I see students who are just classmates. Just like my colleagues; some are friends, but many are just co-workers. It's hard not to get close to people when you work/study in such close quarters, but it doesn't mean we are 'friends' in the true sense. Now, I have seen actual friends (who were friends before they entered the program), where one student did well and the other did not. The one who was doing well tried her best to help her friend (I can't say for sure if the other was not putting in the work, but as her professor, I saw some red flags that made me think she was more of a 'blamer' and not owning her failure). From what I observe in passing, her friend continues to support her, despite them being on different levels now. If this were the case with the OP, then yes, I could understand people feeling like she is out of line. As much as I do enjoy seeing the support and camaraderie among my students, the bottom line is, you have to look out for number one. You would think that the OP's habits should rub off on her 'friend', but it doesn't seem to be the case yet. Sometimes it takes a dip to Rock Bottom for someone to change their habits.

Many of these ARE red flags. -Weekend clinicals are usually picked up by adjuncts; If they can't get adjuncts to do them (who usually do weekends if they are M-F in their full time job) that seems problematic. Are you actually working 7 days a week (please tell me you have two weekdays off to compensate)? -Changing of DONs so frequently: why? It seems to be the case with for-profits. I worked for one that turned for-profit (very briefly, and got out- but still heard all the stories from my colleagues). They are run in a very cookie-cutter way; no such thing as academic freedom, they have to answer to the big-wigs. Often they recruit from the outside, because no one who is in the system already wants to be promoted to that position (because they know better). -faculty shortages are everywhere, it seems. A for-profit school will continue to admit the same number of students, and will not even consider who will teach them once they are in. They will also likely lower their standards to keep their numbers. This becomes a tremendous burden on the faculty (which could likely lead to the rapid turnover of faculty). -The med-pass restriction is an issue too. We have current clinical affiliations that restrict our med-pass (a certain number, or temporarily on-hold because of system changes), but it is for all schools, not just ours. If you really want to teach, I'd say give it the semester or the year (whatever you feel is appropriate for you to make a clean break), and start looking for something in a private (not for profit), state or city school. It's not going to be 'less' work, per se, but the conditions will likely be more suitable.

All in all, nurse educators' salaries in academia are pretty pathetic. As others have said, for the work that is involved (hours upon hours of work at home, meetings, grading paperwork, test prep, college and nursing committees, the pressure to publish) I'd really cry if I calculated what I make per hour. There is a misconception that we work less hours: sure we are not on-campus (or in clinical) 40 hours a week, we have weekends and holidays off, etc. I have summers off too. But trust me when I tell you, I am not sitting on the beach all summer. It could be the culture at my school (many of my colleagues seem to put their jobs above everything else in their lives). I actually came here to vent about my current position (and the God-awful compensation I receive for it), so this thread is perfect for me! I am considering making a transition out of academia as a full-timer. I would definitely continue on as an adjunct; where I live it is more cost-effective to adjunct while working full time in a hospital environment. Many of the adjuncts in my area teach clinical or lab, rather than lecture. A lot less work at home (but still work, of course). At this point, the demand of my full time job is so much that I couldn't consider an adjunct professor (or even a per-diem hospital) position (coupled with family responsibilities). I know others seem to manage it, but I cannot. I'll leave you with this: The new grads that I taught a year ago make more money than me

And this is why the profession will NEVER be taken seriously. Since all we do is give bed baths and hand out pills, your point is well taken. Why even bother with an associate's degree? These skills can be taught in a week, by anyone.

I would take it! I think the pay would be better (as previously noted), and it would actually help you transition into dealing with novice nurses. One of the biggest struggles of new nursing instructors is just that- they expect that nursing students (even in their final semester) are fully able to function. If you do take this position, and you do plan to teach in an academic setting in the future, this will definitely help you to identify the gaps that exist between the student nurse and graduate nurse. And, IMO, this definitely counts as teaching experience.

I can't imagine that a camp would NOT let you bring your own kids! That's basically how they get nurses to come work for them! The big thing is, finding a camp that meets the needs of your kids (age and gender appropriate activities). Example; I work at a Girl Scout camp, and one of the nurses had brought her son for a few years. It got to a point where it became awkward, because he was too old (and not behaved either). He obviously did not bunk with the girls, but even general activities got weird. Since your kids are young, and it is a sleep away camp, I'd ask a lot of questions about who your kids would be with during the day. You'll likely get a good vibe from whomever will be hiring you, of whether or not you'll feel comfortable with what your kids would be doing while you're working. I started working at camp when my daughter was 4. She slept with me, ate with me (but could eat with the kids, we were all in a huge dining hall), and was free to do whichever activities she or I wanted her to do. There were many times where a counselor would return her to me, because she missed me. They were very accommodating. The camp does not have very busy nurse's office, there is a lot of down time, so I wasn't terribly overwhelmed if she felt like staying with me for a while.

I have to agree with seeking some professional help. It sounds like your self esteem is shot (or you never had any to begin with). It's very hard to give you advice on how to get your coworkers to like you, without knowing you. Why do you say some of this is your own fault? Is this you being paranoid, or have people told you flat out what sort of things you do that make you unpopular? As a new grad, no one expects you to be perfect. However, the old saying "I'll never make that mistake again" is really only valid after the first time. The IV thing is not something you necessarily learn in nursing school (unless you had the same exact scenario). It's kind of a common sense/critical thinking type of situation. I honestly wouldn't expect the average student to pick up on that (and lets face it, you were only a student a couple of months ago). I don't know that it's the your performance as a new nurse that's really the problem here. Have you been written up, counseled, or educated on any specific things? are you on probation? Despite her not being warm and fuzzy, has your educator given you any indication that your days are numbered? If not, I would just focus on being somewhat social, or at the very least cordial with your colleagues. During any downtime/breaks, be social. Are you the type who keeps to yourself, and hides behind a book or your phone? I'm not saying you have to be BFFs with these people, just be social. It makes for a better working environment, IMO.

I believe the post said they are in "candidacy status". It's like Magnet; many apply, but only the ones who have their stuff together get status. And, candidacy status (for both NLNAC and Magnet) take a good 2 years to go through. It is a painstaking task. Schools who have had prior status can lise status (by not "passing" reaccreditation, just like Magnet).

This is THE most important part of your post. And I think it has a lot to do with what was said in subsequent posts (like the letter from the student). There is not a school in the world that is easy. Students do fail exams, sometimes a lot of them do. Then they figre out the teacher's style, the style of the questions, and a game plan to get through the rest of the semester. Yes, there are instructors (probably at this school, because there are ones in many other schools) who are not effective. Yet, students do pass, and move on, and take NCLEX. These are the students who are not depending on the teacher's lecture notes alone to pass the exams. If they are no passing students, schools do not survive, and state boards of Nursing get involved. Trust me, they do get involved. How are the NCLEX rates for this school? If they are good (and the # taking the boards are more than 10 a year (lol, I'm exaggerating), then they are doing their job. There are schools in this area that have been 'on notice' from the BON about their pass rates (and I am not talking about this school). Who was this letter written to (asking for the readers' presence at the school)?