daisy78

I think that ideally we integrate different methods of teaching (lecture, case studies, hands on in clinical and lab, discussions, simulations). I think you may have to realize that you are fairly unique in your expectations. My experience (as a student and instructor) is completely opposite of what you are stating. I do not like that I always have to go in with a Power Point and when I hand out a case study everyone rolls their eyes. I also think if you do have the opportunity to teach in the future, it will give you an entirely different perspective. I do have to prepare students for entry-level, safe practice. I do have to prepare them to take NCLEX. It is not always going to be exciting, unfortunately.

I think the number of patients is dependent on how your clinical is set up with the hospital. I can never give students that many patients. (8 students x 4 patients = 32 patients) I cannot manage that many patients safely and the hospital I am in, the staff nurses do not "precept" or "mentor" the students. It is all on me to get meds done with my students. So that would not be safe. I would love if by the end of the semester, I could have students mentoring with a nurse and a full-assignment. But only if the nurse was truly mentoring. Sadly, I have yet to encounter a clinical situation where staff nurses were willing to do that. I think you have unfortunately encountered a "perfect storm" of an intense nursing instructor, too many patients, and not enough support from the primary nurse (and I understand, they are very busy). Without knowing you and seeing you in action, it is hard to fully advise. It also sounds as though you do not get time to research your patients. We come in 45 minutes early so that students can access the computer and get their information. Are you able to pull meds early and hold on to them (does your instructor give meds with you or the staff nurse?)?

I also agree that it is a tool and I never just get up there and read off my PowerPoint!

I am a clinical instructor. Where are you struggling specifically? What are you not getting done? How many patients do you have? Very basic, but our flow tends to be: -Report (you should be getting an idea from the RN about what the patient's needs are and plans for the day) -Introduce yourself to patient and explain your role -Assessment and vitals -Helping patients with breakfast if needed -Bathing/Hygiene -Medications (bathing and medications are often switched with one another depending on the flow of the day) -After medications we can focus on other tasks that may need to be done (dressing changes, trach care, etc.) I strongly encourage students to get in the patient's room ASAP. I find many "don't want to wake the patient" or find other reasons to delay getting in the room. This will get you behind. They must have vitals and assessments done before medications. I encourage this to be charted ASAP as well. I round early to find out the plan for each student and patient. After medications, I round again and can help students with other tasks. However, I am very approachable and not the type of instructor you are describing. I have had disorganized students. I find it is a combination of delaying the start of work, saving all charting until the end, and talking too much (and often the patients LOVE this, but you have to strike a balance). If you are taking a semester off, have you considered working as a CNA or tech?

I am a new educator and have mostly taught clinical and just recently started doing some didactic instruction. I love to teach, but for so many reasons, I just do not know if I have didactic in me long-term. Just wanted to throw out a few points. I find students DEMAND Power Points. If you have ever tried to lecture without a PowerPoint, they freak out. So what happens is faculty feels they have to make Power Points, even if they are not comfortable with it, or really even enjoy it as a teaching method. There were no Power Points when I went to school 15 years ago. You took a furious amount of notes and read the book! We have to teach subjects that we are not experts on. This is difficult. We can't be experts at everything. For example: I have a strong critical care background in trauma and ICU. I am not strong in heme-onc, but if that is a requirement of the semester, I have to teach it. Schools are not able to find experts in every subject. That makes material flow less smoothly than it should. People learn differently. Some people want traditional lectures. Some want more interactive methods. Some despise group work, while others love it. You simply cannot please everyone! The majority of my students are only focused on what will be on the test. That is the reality of it. When I try different techniques in class, I seem to get a lot of grumbling and complaining. I blame much of the PowerPoint, spoon-feeding culture on secondary education. Unfortunately, many students are used to being taught-to-the-test and that is what they are expecting in college as well. I am already questioning my career decisions, because students might be harder to please than patients and families! I wish every nurse could try teaching at some point. I spend so many hours preparing lectures. There is so much to do, with not enough time and certainly not enough appreciation. Hmmm, sounds familiar?

Thanks for your response. That is what I thought. So it is really just a matter of getting lucky in a way! I am just going to start applying and hope for the best. It seems whether it is education or case management, getting that first job is going to be tough.

I have been an RN for 13 years. I am completing my MSN (Nursing Ed) next month. Most of my experience is in adult critical care, with the last several years being in ICU float pool in a large hospital system. I have also taught clinical PT for a couple of years. I am starting to apply and interview for positions away from the bedside. It is beyond time! I went into my MSN Program not really knowing what I wanted to do. I do enjoy teaching, but I don't know if this is the right time in my life to make a FT career out of it. I see many ads for case management nurses, both in the hospital and for insurance companies. How can I make myself a good candidate for these jobs without experience in case management? Is there a particular area that is better to start in (hospital vs. insurance company)? Is it better to start in utilization review?

Thanks. I have (briefly) spoken with the Dean and I am to have a phone interview next week and go from there. I am curious to hear more about the position. Not sure where to go from here, really. I do not think I can afford to live on a 9-month contract salary. But the Dean said there were lots of opportunities to take summer contracts. The idea of teaching FT is overwhelming. Can anyone give me insight into what a full-time faculty position looks like? The university I am adjunct with right now does things very differently than anything I have experienced before, so I do not think it is a good example. How many credit hours and clinical hours do you teach?

I am interviewing for a FT faculty position at a community college ASN Program. I have a couple of years experience as adjunct and clinical faculty. I graduate in May with an MSN in Nursing Education. Is it reasonable to work supplemental while employed as FT faculty? I know the pay is sadly low for educators and I would need at least a job in the summer. But it is very difficult (obviously) to find a new job every summer, so it would be best for me to find a supplemental position somewhere. My current employer is NOT supplemental-friendly. I am in a terrible position now in an ICU float pool. Two positions I am considering: 1. working for an agency 2. supplemental (minimum 12 hours/week) at a cardiac hospital Do you work supplemental and teach FT? How many hours do you work at your supplemental job during the semester?