Tell Me What Your Typical Week Is Like...

[Ophelia78]

I am feeling out future career options and am wondering what the typical workweek is like for a nursing instructor. How much clinical and classroom time do you have? How much time do you spend in meetings or paperwork?

Does anyone work in their specialty field as well as teach?

[shull]

Ophelia, I teach at an LPN program that is full times days for 11 1/2 months. The weeks vary depending on what we are doing. In the beginning it is more classroom. Then you start to introduce clinicals. My books come with test banks that make it easy for me, I just pick out the questions I like for an upcoming test. I share the teaching with my boss so I have a day or two off a week until the last month then it's everyday. It is great!!!!!! Sally

[JaneyW]

Thanks for starting this thread--I am also interested in responses. Thanks, Shull. I am also interested in ADN and BSN instructors--anyone?

[wndyrn84]

Dependent on your faculty position, location, population, and program, you will find wide variation in responsibility and time committment. However as a former manager, wouldn't change a thing! Paperwork is an evil whether you are didactic based or a clinical educator. Numbers of students in the program also is a factor (I am employed as faculty in a diploma program which admits 100-120 biannually with a current student census of over 420 total throughout the program. The program is 48/52 weeks annually.) Students have clinicals and classroom theory every week throughout the course of the program. Our faculty are all MSN prepared and some beyond, with a student mix of high school and adult learners.

Having been a clinical as well as didactic instructor, the preparatory work required is more involved in the classroom, as it should be. I do not use test banks but develop my own test questions as do most of our faculty. I maintain clinical preparedness by working casually in my system hospital to maintain my skills and certification in my specialty.

Most gratifying? The abilty to shape the minds and hearts of the future leaders (and my caregivers!) to the best career path option. So many advances, too numerous to share. All the best in your decisionmaking!

[rhenmag9]

*it depends on your specialty and students to teach..i am teaching 3rd year nursing students and 8 hrs of work plus paper works is ok...d next day will be devoted to my relaxation,encoding of grades,if any, and reading books/article related to what i am teaching...nursing education is really great...you just need to learn how to juggle things and im sure evrything will fall into place....:monkeydance:*

[rhenmag9]

-3 days of work,lectures and laboratory....

-4 days of relaxation( at least)..., preparing lessons,examinations and encoding of grades,checking of papers and nursing care plans....

i am sure you can make it....goodluck...