Teaching during nursing school

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

Hey guys!

My bestfriend recommended I teach during nursing school. I am apply to TWU's nights and weekends program. Thoughts on how realistic this is?

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.

Teach what? Are you a teacher?

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

Not yet but I was preparing to become one. I need to take my certification test for science 4-8. I'm just wondering if it's worth the trouble. I don't want to shout myself in the foot and end u stuck in teaching or struggling in school.

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Specializes in NICU, ICU, PICU, Academia.
Not yet but I was preparing to become one. I need to take my certification test for science 4-8. I'm just wondering if it's worth the trouble. I don't want to shout myself in the foot and end u stuck in teaching or struggling in school.

Substitute teaching might be an option, but frankly, nursing school is a full-time job in and of itself. But more concerning is why you would not at least TRY teaching if that what you are degreed in? Nursing is not going anywhere- seems like you might at least give it a shot. Or am I misunderstanding your situation?

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

I actually have a premed degree. Teaching was never a thing I wanted to do. But I want to use my bachelors degree so she recommended it. If I had to choose just one I'd choose nursing. She most mentioned it be convenient to teach because I'd have nights, weekends, and holidays off to study.

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Specializes in mental health / psychiatic nursing.

One of my classmates was an experienced teacher and had a substitute gig where she'd occasionally pick up shifts for a bit of extra money (on the order of about 1-2/month), which she could do because she'd already established her self with the district and had enough experience that she didn't have any issues with just being thrown into whatever class she was assigned for the day.

I think it might be challenging to be both a new teacher and a new nursing student at the same time, but teaching does pay better than many of the other per-diem type jobs one could get while in school (e.g. CNA). Nor is teaching a terrible idea *if* you have interest in being a nurse educator down the line. If you don't have any interest in teaching it seems silly however to add the stress of job you don't like and from which you will not derive any benefit on top of nursing school. There are other jobs out there if you just need something part-time to make money while in school.

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Specializes in psych.

I'm a former teacher who left for nursing. I would not recommend it. Subbing would be a better option, but teaching no. Subbing, you just walk in and do whatever the teacher's plans for the day are, no prep evolved. Teaching you have so much planning and prep work to do on your off time that you don't really have off time. If you are unfamiliar with the curriculum that means even more time to prep and then trying to go to school for nursing on top of that. I would just focus on one and not both at the same time. I left teaching and solely focused on nursing school. I wish you luck in whatever you choose to do.

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Know a few people who went into teaching, you'd be spending a bunch of time prepping lessons and grading. I think it'd require a lot of time and effort to really learn how to be a good teacher, and that would take away a lot of time from nursing school.

I echo the idea of substitute teaching instead. You might get called a bunch a first depending on your area or you might be called all the time. I know some people in the city I'm near said they could sub every day if they wanted.

You may also be paid more because you have a degree.

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Specializes in Emergency Nursing.

I really appreciate all the feedback. I definitely want to simplify all things I do outside of nursing school during that time. So if teaching is going to require much of me outside of school hours, it may not be a good fit. The last thing I want to do is 1) get to overwhelmed and have to give up nursing school. Which would lead to being stuck in teaching or 2) do poorly in nursing school and really struggle just to stay above water. I have been in that place during my first degree from commuting 20 hours a week for school while taking 16-17 a semester for 3 years. Didn't end well to say the least. Thankfully I earned my degree but I could have done better academically. I'm not trying to repeat that lesson again.

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Specializes in Med-Surg.

I agree with the substitute teaching. Teachers spend a lot of time outside of school planning their lessons and grading. It probably doesn't pay as well but the lessons plans are left for you and there is no after school responsibility. Plus you can plan the days you work around tests and papers.

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I switched careers from teaching to nursing because teaching was so all-encompassing. I was never, ever done. Nights, weekends, holidays - I was either prepping or grading or thinking about prepping and grading. Summers off were great, but I spent the first few weeks recovering from the stress of the year, and the last few weeks gearing up for the new year. And that was when I was an experienced teacher with several years' worth of lesson plans. To be a newbie teacher is, in my experience, even harder than nursing school.

As PP have mentioned, subbing is a whole 'nother ballgame. Subbing is a lot more crowd control, and can be stressful in the moment, but it's done when the bell rings.

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