Teaching as a new grad?

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Telemetry, Med-Surg.

A girl I graduated with (in December '11) is teaching a clinical on the tele unit I work on. She has less than 6 months of RN experience and she's already teaching a med-surg clinical. That doesn't seem right to me. I'm sure she's a good nurse and all, but she doesn't have the experience to pull from. I know I wouldn't feel comfortable teaching a group of nursing students this early in the game. I still have SO much to learn! So, what are your thoughts? Is it okay for a new grad to teach?

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Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

Wow. Is it for a private school?

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Telemetry, Med-Surg.
Wow. Is it for a private school?

It's a Catholic university.

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Specializes in Critical Care, ED, Cath lab, CTPAC,Trauma.

I can only shake my head......sigh

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

Minimum qualifications to precept a clinical in Ohio per the Ohio Nurse Practice Act are a MINIMUM of 2 years bedside experience as a RN in the area where the preceptor will be precepting students, and generally a BSN. Not sure what the law is in your state.

http://codes.ohio.gov/oac/4723-5-10

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If I were a student and found out that my clinical instructor had that little experience/expertise, I would feel really ripped off by the school. None of the schools I've had contact with over the years, as a student or as an instructor, would consider such a thing. Wow ...

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

That's atrocious! Either the school is terrible ... or your friend's story is different from what you think it is.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Telemetry, Med-Surg.
Minimum qualifications to precept a clinical in Ohio per the Ohio Nurse Practice Act are a MINIMUM of 2 years bedside experience as a RN in the area where the preceptor will be precepting students, and generally a BSN. Not sure what the law is in your state.

Lawriter - OAC - 4723-5-10 Qualifications of administrators, faculty, teaching assistants and preceptors for a registered nursing education program.

Well, she does have a BSN. I don't know what the laws are in Indiana, but it would be interesting to find out. I think - and don't quote me on this - a BSN is acceptable, as long as they're pursuing a MSN. But still, the lack of experience is what gets me.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Telemetry, Med-Surg.
That's atrocious! Either the school is terrible ... or your friend's story is different from what you think it is.

She's not my friend. We've never even socialized. I just know that we graduated the same semester. And actually, the school is supposed to be one of the best in Northwest Indiana. That's why this surprises me.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.
Well, she does have a BSN. I don't know what the laws are in Indiana, but it would be interesting to find out. I think - and don't quote me on this - a BSN is acceptable, as long as they're pursuing a MSN. But still, the lack of experience is what gets me.

Per Indiana Code 25-23-1-20

(b) An institution that conducts a nursing education program may employ a person who:

(1) is a registered nurse with a bachelor's degree in nursing; and

(2) has at least three (3) years of experience in nursing in the previous six (6) years;

to instruct nursing students on a part-time basis for the purpose of clinical instruction.

Indiana Code 25-23-1

Based on my limited legal knowledge and what I read on the Indiana Code it would seem to me that nursing program is in violation of the Indiana Nurse Practice Act. It might warrant an anonymous call or letter to the Indiana Board of Nursing.

Patient safety would be in jeopardy, and also the students would likely receive a substandard education. You basically have a situation where the partially blind (the relatively new grad) are leading the completely blind (the nursing students). There is a reason why most if not all state boards of nursing have MINIMUM standards for what qualifications people in different positions in a nursing education program need to have.

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I went to a Catholic university for my MSN (entry program) in California and we had some instructors who did not have much practical experience either. When you're paying top dollar ($1,000/unit) you should get top notch instructors.

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Specializes in Geriatrics, Telemetry, Med-Surg.
Per Indiana Code 25-23-1-20

(b) An institution that conducts a nursing education program may employ a person who:

(1) is a registered nurse with a bachelor's degree in nursing; and

(2) has at least three (3) years of experience in nursing in the previous six (6) years;

to instruct nursing students on a part-time basis for the purpose of clinical instruction.

Indiana Code 25-23-1

Based on my limited legal knowledge and what I read on the Indiana Code it would seem to me that nursing program is in violation of the Indiana Nurse Practice Act. It might warrant an anonymous call or letter to the Indiana Board of Nursing.

Patient safety would be in jeopardy, and also the students would likely receive a substandard education. You basically have a situation where the partially blind (the relatively new grad) are leading the completely blind (the nursing students). There is a reason why most if not all state boards of nursing have MINIMUM standards for what qualifications people in different positions in a nursing education program need to have.

Thank you for sharing that!

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