Walden University Jan 3rd BSN to MSN in Education support

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Specializes in LTC, med/surg, oncology, cardiac.

Hi all! Just wanted to start a thread for support for anyone that has been accepted or to be accepted for the education track at Walden University Janurary 3rd BSN to MSN in education! I'm looking forward to my new chapter in my life. I am a divorced mom of two, work 64 hours on a cardiac floor, and so want to move south when I'm done w/school or even this fall if I can land a teaching job.

I see many concerns with students that do not want to get their MSN in education because of the pay decrease. I've talked to many full time instructors and they actually make decent $ here in MN around $65k and in addition to that they get 4 plus months off a year. That is way more than staff nurse on the floor makes!

:lol2: Couldn't ask for more! They all seem to really love their job too!

Anyway, just hope maybe this thread can be a support tool for us doing the education track! We will be busy, and it will be crazy w/what life brings us but w/added support we can make it through! :yeah:

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Hi Deanna

Are there really no other posts besides yours and now, this one from me? To be honest, I've never participated in a threaded discussion besides the ones at school. I'd signed up for this the same day you posted the notice but had trouble navigating the site. Gave up and came back just now but expected to see lots of posts. Maybe I'm not in the right place.

I'm an educator but don't make nearly the $65k you talked about. Several understandable factors have my salary down MUCH farther than that. I do think the $65k is probably a reasonable figure or perhaps a little lower here in PA but am not sure. Also, some programs go year round so you have to figure that in. Even w/o the summers off, you get weekends and holidays off which is worth a lot to me. I work M-Th so I have EVERY F off - too good to be true. I have a 3 day w/e EVERY week. Since many of our holidays fall on Mondays, I then get a 4 day w/e. Pretty cool. Academia is a whole different ball of wax than healthcare and has its own issues and hangups. When you consider that you would be a nurse AND a teacher, you get the issues and hang ups of both professions. I still wouldn't trade it for anything. It's so incredibly rewarding.

Janet

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Specializes in LTC, med/surg, oncology, cardiac.

That is good to hear Janet! I'm looking forward making the transition into education. I was offered a teaching job down south, but just too soon to move. It was similiar to the $65k but not the full summer off instead about a total of 8 weeks off a year. To be honest, that is better with the no holiday/weekends etc and way more time off compared to floor nursing!

Yes, no other posts! That is OK! I know I'm really busy with school, work and family so having to come to another site to read/post things might be a hair much!

Alright! Need to get some stuff done around the house! :eek:

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hi my name is maria. thank you for the starting the support. i just transfered from an orthopedic (after 9 yrs:eek:) floor as an assistant nurse manager and started on a cardiac :redbeathe floor also as the anm. needed something different as if the school work is not enough. i also work as a staff nurse:nurse: once a month to help pay for the classes, but i love bedside nursing and miss it but i work mon - thurs with every weekend off and holidays. as you can see i stay up late to read and do house work. i just love these emoticons. i think i used a big font?

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Specializes in LTC, med/surg, oncology, cardiac.

Awww, the cardiac floor! :cool: LOL To be honest, I'm getting burnt out of bedside nursing (why I'm back in school so I can teach). :yeah: I would love your schedule (holidays & weekends off)!! Someday hopefully soon! This site can be kind of fun just to post random stuff (school or NOT school related...hehe). Kind of like..... HoW aRe PeOpLe HoLdInG uP oUt ThErE? LOL :coollook: Well, I better go write a response for this weeks discussion! :eek:

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Specializes in Tele, Stepdown, Med/Surg, education.

Hey guys I'm enrolled in Walden in the education program I didn't start in January but last year. I'm 5 classes in so I'm a little ahead, hope I can still stay on the blog :)

I work now full time as a LPN instructor I make 58k. I'm enjoying the weekends and holidays off and these great snow days. But I do teach all year around. I've been teaching for 1 year now and finally just started liking it. Can't wait to get to the education classes I'm taking Research now so I'm almost there. I have to say the pay cut was huge for me I just came from traveling and before that nursing in Chicago. But I do enjoy it and it's very rewarding. So far Walden has been ok, a lot of busy work and a lot of reading so don't think you are going to blow it off. I still work PRN at the local hospital and still in the process of making the med surg class "mine" so I do a lot of work outside of class, but I'm still able to manage my school load. It's not bad at all. Hope we all can keep in touch. The one thing about the online environment is no friends. Sometimes I want to just chat about school.

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Specializes in LTC, med/surg, oncology, cardiac.

Welcome SRDAVIS!!! What state are you teaching in? Any advice for teaching that you have? I did talk to an instructor and she said it takes a good two years to get a system going and to really start enjoying it. Are you teaching theory and clinicals? How many students in your clnicals? It is difficult to make friends per say on line! I have one girl I talk to and text from my last class, but it would be nice to have some support in your current classes. Say you have a silly quick question or you just want to blow some steam! :eek: I bet your looking forward to your core classes! Yay! Congrats! So far I'm enjoying Walden, but I am noticing it is taking time away from my exercising! :cool: I've been researching FL to move to (we want to move south), and so far it looks like schools are year round with a couple weeks off between quarters. The other option is school nursing, but I'm not sure if they allow you off for the summers down there either. I know here in WI there is no school nurse on in the summers during summer school. We would really like to come back to MN/WI for our summers.

Janet! I read you post on the turnitin the other day (maybe you already got a response), but I have the resubmit button. Check it out, you can resubmit your discussion post that way just enter turnitin again and it should be there! :up:

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Specializes in Tele, Stepdown, Med/Surg, education.

Ok first I'm in Missouri, and I'm about to start my 3rd go around. I teach Med Surg I & II theory and clinical. lol can't believe it I'm "THE" med surg teacher. A lot of responsibility being the program's go to person. But I work with a wonderful group of instructors. I usually have a class (theory of about 20-25) and (clinical 6-8-- avg 7) 6 is clinical is great 8 is too many but every now and then you get the 8 group.

Advice:

1. It's okay to say i don't know the answer ( I take a notebook and jot down questions I have to research after class)

2. Find a instructor that you respect with experience and have them be your mentor either official or unofficial. Someone to bounce things off of.

3. Meet your students where they are at. All students learn different.

4. firm and consistent. I'm young, some of my students are older than me.

I have to be honest I'm still figuring it out myself. But I have to say I like it. I am constanting re eventing my instructor style. The good thing is you get to start over fresh with every new class. So i get to do it differently every 6 months. i wouldn't change my decision to teach, plus I just had two paid SNOW days.

Yes speciality class start this summer, I'm super excited!!!!

and yes so far Walden has been ok for me.

Shemelle

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