Question of the Month: Nursing Faculty Working Part-time in Clinical Settings?

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  1. Should Nursing Faculty Work Part-time in a Clinical Setting?

    • 25
      Yes, it should be required.
    • 30
      Yes, but only if paid time off is provided from the regular schedule.
    • 4
      No, this is unnecessay.
    • 17
      No, nursing instructors have enough to do without this added requirement.

76 members have participated

Specializes in Gerontological, cardiac, med-surg, peds.

Should nursing faculty be required to work part-time in a clinical setting? Without a question, nursing education is a specialty in and of itself. The work can be exhausting, but both the demands and rewards are plenteous. Many instructors do not have the time or energy to work part-time. Nursing instructors come from an ever-increasing variety of backgrounds, and some have never practiced in the "typical" acute care setting. One can also argue that since nursing is a practice discipline, nursing educators should remain current in clinical practices and skills by working at least a few shifts a month in a hospital setting. What is your opinion on this subject?

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.
Should nursing faculty be required to work part-time in a clinical setting? Without a question, nursing education is a specialty in and of itself. The work can be exhausting, but both the demands and rewards are plenteous. Many instructors do not have the time or energy to work part-time. Nursing instructors come from an ever-increasing variety of backgrounds, and some have never practiced in the "typical" acute care setting. One can also argue that since nursing is a practice discipline, nursing educators should remain current in clinical practices and skills by working at least a few shifts a month in a hospital setting. What is your opinion on this subject?

No, I do not believe they (we) should be required to work part-time in the clinical setting. I would have ZERO time for that requirement. Besides teaching at the university, I run my own business, participate in mentoring, preceptorships, and teach almost every weekend. I don't believe there are enough hours in the day for part time in clinical should it be required.

I do relief work for NPs across my state. Not required, however. By choice.

Good topic, Vicky. Thank you!

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There is such a dire shortage of nursing faculty right now that if clinical practice was required, the shortage would be staggering. I teach at a major university and we accept only a fraction of our qualified candidates due to insufficient faculty.

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.
There is such a dire shortage of nursing faculty right now that if clinical practice was required, the shortage would be staggering. I teach at a major university and we accept only a fraction of our qualified candidates due to insufficient faculty.

I totally agree.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

I believe that teachers should have "some type of connection" with the practice of the subject matter that they teach -- but that connection could come in many different forms. So, while I would hate to see a strict requirement for a specific type of practice, I believe schools should require their faculty to maintain "an appropriate" connection with the practice of what they teach.

If faculty members are required to teach, and counsel, and serve on committees, and do research, and do community service, and practice -- the job becomes too big for any one person. The whole package that is the job needs to be looked at and decisions made that are appropriate for the person, the school, and the situation.

llg

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I certainly stay "connected" to practice when I suprevise senior leadersip students caring for 3 to 4 patients a piece. I have 10 students in each clinical group. I work very closely with these students giving IV meds through many different types of access devices, starting IVs, doing treatments, performing assessments, and giving personal care. If I had to also have a practice I would quit.

I make half of what a staff nurse makes. With the faculty shortage we are take on more and more responsibilities, teaching more classes, doing more clinicals, advising more students. In addition to my clinical group, I also teach a large professional issues class of 180 students. If they added mandatory practice, the stress level would not make the job worth it! I would have to quit for my sanity and health.

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Specializes in ICU, Hospice.

I am a senior nursing student (graduating Nov, 2005) and appreciate all that our teachers have done for us. The support they offer as well as the training/education is invaluable. That being said, I have noticed that the instructors who work at least one weekend a month are better at helping students (and frankly are more respected by students) than the instructors who do not currently practice. These instructors know the current working climate and teach much more pertainent information than the instructors who last practice 10, 20, or 30 years ago...things were much different then.

BTW, I am a 51 year old adult who has managed entire departments for a university before entering nursing school two years ago and understand what is asked of instructors...I did not say the above lightly. Just thought you should know what some students tend to feel.

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Specializes in Nephrology, Cardiology, ER, ICU.

I think clinical instructors should remain clinically competent and current. However, instructors that don't teach clinical courses wouldn't have to be clinically current.

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I certainly stay "connected" to practice when I suprevise senior leadersip students caring for 3 to 4 patients a piece. I have 10 students in each clinical group. I work very closely with these students giving IV meds through many different types of access devices, starting IVs, doing treatments, performing assessments, and giving personal care. If I had to also have a practice I would quit.

I make half of what a staff nurse makes. With the faculty shortage we are take on more and more responsibilities, teaching more classes, doing more clinicals, advising more students. In addition to my clinical group, I also teach a large professional issues class of 180 students. If they added mandatory practice, the stress level would not make the job worth it! I would have to quit for my sanity and health.

I agree wholeheartedly!!

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Specializes in CCU (Coronary Care); Clinical Research.

I agree that there should be some sort of connection with current nursing practice. When I was in school we had a clinical instructor that had been out of the field for so long that she didn't know some of the newer basics- it was frustrating for her and the students. I realize that most instructors are not this way- but I think that something should be required (and the instructor should be compensated with paid time off ). I don't think that part time is really necessary but something to keep current with new literature and practice is important, IMHO (of course, this is coming from someone who is not an instructor- but I would be interested in a position at a later time).

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Specializes in Pediatrics.
i think clinical instructors should remain clinically competent and current. however, instructors that don't teach clinical courses wouldn't have to be clinically current.

i'm not sure i agree with that. it depends on the teacher, the situation and what they are teaching.

i have just begun teaching at the very school i graduated from, and some of the professors who taught me are still there. i taught my first skills lab last week (what fun ) and sat in on the preparation for the lab (the students watched a video and then asked questions about the video). the instructor that was fielding the questions was a little clueless, imho, on some of the 'real' questions the students asked. not to toot my own horn, but when she deffered to me, i think i was more able to give a real-life application response to the students.

although i'm very new at this, i just couldn't imagine teaching and being out of the loop, so to speak. at least to some extent. i think you have to know what's out there, and experience it first hand, not through your students. i can already see that many look to us for guidance, and some feel dumb asking too many questions. i love to share my experiences with them. it's how they learn. heck, it's how i learned.

i do agree, however that there is definately not enough hours in a week to do all that needs to be done. there should be some allowance or compensation for that time. i for one, am still in school, and need to keep working in the field. i took on a part time faculty position, which certainly does not pay the bills. so i think one of the choices on the survey should be "yes you have to work in the field, if you want to put food on the table" :chuckle

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Specializes in Med-Surg.
I certainly stay "connected" to practice when I suprevise senior leadersip students caring for 3 to 4 patients a piece. I have 10 students in each clinical group. I work very closely with these students giving IV meds through many different types of access devices, starting IVs, doing treatments, performing assessments, and giving personal care.

I'm not a teacher myself (perhaps may be one day). But as you indicate, with your supervising of participating with students hands on training, plus keeping up with the most recent knowledge because you teach it in the classroom, to me that should be enough. I voted no.

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