She doesn't have a clue!

Nurses General Nursing

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I was talking to my next door neighbor last night, who happens to be a religion teacher at a parochial school (grades 1-6). School starts today, so I casually asked her if she was ready to go back to school. She said to me, "NO! A ten-week break is just not long enough to recover from the previous school year!" I replied, "Hey, you're talking to someone who only gets 2 weeks vacation a year." Her response: "You just don't understand how stress can wear a body down. We need at least 3 months to recover." My response: "I don't understand stress? People recover from open heart surgery in less than 9 weeks. Get over it."

Now I don't want to hear from everyone how stressful teaching can be, for I would not be a teacher today for any amount of money in the world. BUT don't be telling me I don't understand stress! I AM A NURSE, FOR GOD'S SAKE!!!

Thanks for letting me vent some stress!

Your pal,

Sherri

Peace!

Hi Jen Marie here again. MollyJ. Thanx for the kind words. I do hope that the prep work will get easier for the teaching as time goes by.

Phantom, you ask about the pay. When I was saying that I will get more as a novice teacher than I would get as a nurse with 4 years post grad experience, I was referring to my overall salary. I live in New Zealand, so the figures will not means so much to most of you, but as a first year teaher I will make about $35 000 a year (around $60 000 USD a year). As a nurse with 4 years experience I would make only $30 000 per year with differentials. These salaries do not include any benefits or the like that I commonly hear mentioned on this bb as it is not commonplace to get any benefits in NZ. On the other hand we have a publicly funded health system, so that is probably why things such as medical insurance it are not included.

As for the fact of getting more money as a teacher, yes I believe I will be working more hours. But I think that the fact that I get more breaks off per year and no shift work will make it worth it. I hope that answer your question, Phantom.

Jen

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Jen Marie again.

MollyJ, I forgot to answer your query about what I will be teaching. As I am not qualified yet as a teacher (only 3 months left though), in the course we take cirriculum courses in the range of subjects that we have previously studied, and then we can apply for jobs in those subject areas. As well as my B Health Science degree (Nursing), I also have an unfinished science degree. In the future I hope to finish this degree part time one day.

So this year my cirriculum courses are Health, science and maths. I enjoy teaching maths as I find it really easy to make it applicable to students' lives. I am also currently teaching (while on placement in a school) a course at year 11 (students aged 15-16 years) in Human Bio. This is basically an intro A & P class, and I really enjoy teaching that class.

What do you teach? There is a chronic shortage of teachers in NZ and the government has started offering scholarships to those who choose to teach math and science. They have just introduced these, so unfortunately I missed out on them.

I believe that nursing and teaching have many common qualities and I do believe that becomming a nurse has increased my confidence a lot. I could not have become a teacher straight from school. Interestingly I find I really have to work at developing a loud and authorative voice in the classroom. I think that because I am used to being a "gentle" person as a nurse and only talking to one person at a time that talking to a class of students is different.

All the best in your quest to become a nurse. I am sure that you will be great.

Jen

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Teachers don't just work 6h a day, they do have to take their work home with them. Nurses don't as far as paperwork.

Also, are you all forgeting that Nurses are also teachers! And I mean that in the sense of teaching our patients----

However, I do have to agree that it isn't fair that teachers get the summer off with the same pay rate they get during the school year.

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Originally posted by nurse s

Whoever told somebody that teachers make 75-100k is off their rocker. The superientendent of a district makes about 115K! There is no way they would pay a teacher that.:eek:

I said that and I am seated bery firmly in my rocker. Sorry but thats what teachers make in this area. Did i menton they just got a %13 raise! Thats in the city of Buffalo, the teachers in the burbs make more.

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Allright....If I don't get into nursing school, I'm moving to Buffalo.;)

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You said that starting pay for teachers in KC is $25, 800????

Wow. 1st year out of school and they're paying me, as well as other new grads, $37,000/yr. That's BASE pay w/no diffs or OT. If that's what they're paying teachers here, you're better off with your original plans = becoming a nurse. (Or, I guess, you could move to Buffalo. :D )

Also, as far as hours go, I'm in the OR working Mon-Fri 0645-1515. Bankers hours - can't beat 'em. Although, I have heard some say that they prefer 12's and would never go back to 8's. Personal preference I guess.

Good luck.

(PS: I'm a northlander at Liberty Hospital.)

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Thank you! That's reassuring that you're making good money right out of nursing school. Yes, first year pay is 25,000, and that is in Olathe, one of the best paying places around. I do think I'll stick to my plan, now that I've heard from someone around here that pay is optimistic. I just hope I get in to school!:o

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Specializes in Pediatric Rehabilitation.

I was torn between teaching and nursing. Parents pushed for nursing because it "pays more and is a frendlier enviroment". I'm still not sure where they got their info. I do not regret nursing, nor have any desire to teach. I have great respect for teachers. I can't imagine being cooped in a room with twenty WELL kids for 7 hours a day. I know as our patients become well, we often say "it's time for him/her to go home". This is with parental supervision. I can't imagine being the only adult with twenty of them.

As for the better benefits of teaching, they ARE unionized and government affiliated. This is why their retirement is so good. I don't believe our quarrel is with teachers. I feel they, like us are underappreciated. As long as we point and say "they have it better than us", we move the focus from nursing problems to teaching benefits. Beauticians make more than either of us, are female dominated, far less educated and at most, their liability is ruining someone's hair. Think maybe it's not so much a female issue as it is the sad state of society? Society places more emphasis on vanity than on health and education. Sad, eh?

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Take it from a licensed cosmetologist.....I definately make more now than I did as a beautician. You also could not guarantee your income week by week. If it snowed, or your clients were busy that week, too bad....you just didn't make any money. And benefits, HAH!!! Usually the only way to get those was to work for a corporate owned salon.

Although, I still keep up my license to shop at the beauty supply store.... I think what I make now, as a nurse, overshadows wholesale priced shampoo. :rolleyes:

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Originally posted by nurse s

Allright....If I don't get into nursing school, I'm moving to Buffalo.;)

Buffalo is a Sh&* Hole, the bowels of hell, i wouldn't recomend moving here for any amount of money

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To h*** with 10 weeks off! I think any type of work done by women or men for that fact needs at least a year off! What do ya say?

On a more serious note, I am thankful for the teachers who provide my children's education. I'm sure as with any profession, if we only looked for money and benefits in what we do, we would have all become investment bankers or computer software company owners, or talk show hosts, or oil tycoons! As for nursing, well I am one and proud of it. I have been through the stress of several different job situations and agree that any job can be stressful. It's not how stressful the job is but how we cope with the stress.

Good luck to all nurses and maybe we should unite together and fight for better pay, benefits and hours. Although, the pay isn't so bad when you think of not having any at all!

Remember this: "I used to complain about having no shoes, until I met a man with no feet!"

Tell that to your neighbor.

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