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I actually said this ... mother brings kid into examination room; kid is eating cheezies and drinking Coke ... when I asked what the problem was, mother said "She's sick" ... my reply: If you're eating junk food, I don't think so. (Small rural hospital, me as only RN, two LPNs, no break --not even to pee -- for entire 12 hour shift that included having to staff emerg (which most people treat like a walk-in clinic) as well as our acute inpatients). Even worse was having to call the on-call doc (as we had to do for all patients) for this one.

I forgot to mention that the criteria may vary depending on the "kind" of nurse educator you'd like to be: CNE, nurse educator in an academic institution, or a nurse educator who specializes in a particular area, such as diabetes teaching. I'm afraid that my advice in my previous thread is pertinent to academe only, but I imagine that a few years of work experience in a particular area will give you a solid foundation of knowledge for you to move into a teaching role. Again, good luck! :)

Hello there, As long as you graduate with either a BN or a BScN, you may be able to get a start as a lab instructor at a community college or university. That's how I got my foot in the door. I adore working with nursing students and am currently completing an MScN so that I can begin teaching theory courses as well. One other important recommendation that I will make (and I believe others who posted in this thread made the same or similar comment), is that you should get some work experience after you graduate. By "working the floor" for a couple of years (at least) you'll have had a chance to become more confident and competent in your practice, and you'll be able to relate the skills you teach to the experiences that you've had as a staff nurse. That's exactly what I did (I began teaching labs after three years of experience as a staff nurse) and my "method" serves me very well. Good luck to you and all the best!

What a great thread! I just passed my ACLS and wow, I felt s. uper-confident about code situations afterwards. I only wish I had done the course earlier on in my career. After having read your postings about the TNCC, I'm definitely going to enrol. I work in general surgery, but hey, it all helps. :)

lkwashington's answer is great, too ... consider teaching in LPN programs as well as RN programs. :)

Hi edRNbailey ... want to come to Canada? I got my start as a lab instructor ... which I still am and loving it. I have the option of working full-time as a nurse educator, but I'm working on my MScN and am still working part-time as a staff nurse, so I'm quite happy with where I am right now. My goal is to teach theory courses once the MScN is done. But starting off as a lab instructor is an excellent way to get started, and the pay is wonderful (in Canada). Best of luck to you!!!

SDtoKY -- way to go! Best of luck!

DinaMarie -- hooray!!! All the best to you in your new nursing career!!!

Absolutely. I had a "situation" with an attending MD when I was a new grad and he chewed me out in front of patients, colleagues, everyone right at the nurses' station. I admitted my wrongdoing, but he continued to yell and be abusive. I went to my unit mgr (crying, upset) and was discouraged from reporting him. I should have just said ***** it, I'm reporting him. My mgr later told me that he would apologize to me, but the jerk never did. If it ever happens again, damn right I'm reporting him or her. We work too hard and deserve a heck of a lot more respect than MDs and the public give us. I love being a nurse, but if it ever happened again, heck yeah, I'm reporting him or her. Enough is enough.

Hi Car2514 ... I'm thinking that the best tip I can give you is to get your charting done whenever you have a free moment so that you don't fall behind. I see that you're working permanent nights (I'm a night owl myself), and this is actually a good thing for a new nurse because the pace tends to be a little slower, although often your patient load will be higher than days. Also, don't be afraid to ask for help or delegate ... remember to pee and take your breaks! Also, you'll find that with a bit of time and experience you'll develop a "groove" and things will begin falling into place for you. All the best to you!

Day surgery on a gynecology unit. Most of the procedures are simple (except for "TVT day") and your patients for the most part are healthy. It could be incredibly fast-paced at times, but I became very good at starting IVs and at the end of the day, your patients go home and you get a new batch in the morning. I loved this job.

Hey Newboy, My first job out of nursing school was in LTC, too. I was the only RN in charge of 30 residents, so I hear you re: workload issues. My advice: you've put in your time, you now have something on your resume, so start a job search. I put in six months of LTC and then went to the US for a year to get some good med-surg experience (I acted on the advice of two of my former nursing instructors -- and it really was good advice). Then, once you have some med-surg experience, you can "springboard" to more specialized areas of nursing, unless you have decided that med-surg is your niche (I've been doing med-surg ever since). You're new and the profession needs you!!! We don't want you to burn out. And don't be afraid of having to move/travel (if this is possible for you) to seek out new opportunities. All the best, and good luck! :)

Hi BurntOutRN, I hear you and sympathize as well as empathize. If you have a nursing degree, why not consider becoming a lab (not clinical) instructor at a community college or university? It's VERY low stress, and the pay is excellent (well, I'm in Canada -- I can only speak about my own experience). I find teaching students very rewarding, and I really enjoy the mentoring aspect of it as well. Think of all the years of experience you have and how you can put this experience into practice by imparting your knowledge to student nurses. Best of luck to you!

Many thanks, Caroladybelle ... one of my classmates and I were discussing applying to teach in Qatar once we finish our Master's degrees. I appreciate the info!

Hey everyone, I'm looking for some feedback from Jewish nurses who might have gone abroad to work as staff nurses and/or educators in countries such as Qatar and the UAE. If so, would you be willing to share what your experiences were like ... did you experience any anti-Semitism, did you feel unsafe in any way ... or was it all good? I understand that there are no synagogues in these countries, but I'm ok with that ... I'm not religious, just culturally Jewish, non-practicing. Many thanks!