Should I take this job at a community college?

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Specializes in L&D.

Hello!

I have been a nurse for 5 years. 3 of those years have been in L&D. 2 were in outpatient prior to that.

I have an offer for a full time teaching job at a community college in their ADN program. I would be teaching in their second to last semester, one of which is a med/surg clinical.

Problem is, I have never worked med/sug, so how can I teach it? Is this a red flag?

I also have a job offer for a OB/GYN clinic.

Please help!

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Specializes in ACNP-BC, Adult Critical Care, Cardiology.

It doesn't look good nor does it seem appropriate that a faculty member with no experience in a particular clinical setting is being assigned to teach nursing students there. From a legal perspective, you are supervising students and their actions may fall as your responsibility, would you feel safe with that knowing that your license is on the line? Could you ask to be reassigned to L&D rotations?

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Specializes in Mental Health.

I am a tenured instructor for a community college. I don't know which state you are from. I am from CA and in CA, our Board of Registered Nursing (BRN) regulates all of our nursing schools. One of the requirements to teach is that you must have recent experience in the field that you want to teach prior to getting approved to teach in that field. The BRN will then certify you as eligible to teach that subject matter. I agree that it would be a huge liability to take on a job you are not equipped for. How can you teach something you don't know? (Asked kindly not meanly.)

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

That is the issue that kept me out of an academic career after finishing my PhD. I had plenty of clinical experience, but it was all in NICU -- and few schools need clinical instructors for NICU. I had no experience in peds or OB.

I took a job briefly with one school that promised to give me training and experience in maternity sufficiently to take students there so that I could join their faculty -- but they didn't live up to their promise. So I left and made a career for myself in staff development. I just wasn't a fit for academia given my extensive (but narrow) clinical background.

Ethically, I felt I couldn't "fake it." It wasn't fair to the students or patients.

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Specializes in L&D.

Hello, all!

I greatly appreciate the responses. I did not take the position. I ultimately want to feel like I have enough expertise before I teach and I don’t think I do at this time. I’m going to see where my career takes me! ?

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Specializes in retired LTC.

llg - kudos to you for being a true professional to your potential students and yourself.

Skips - good for you too for listening to your inner voice.

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