I read through many posts in which current nurses are feeling burned out. A common theme among nurses is overworked, underpaid, and underappreciated. Most assuredly you are not underappreciated by your patients who are grateful for the care you provide. But, I can understand that many employers take for granted those who provide such a selfless service as nursing.
Maybe the change you need is to take your experience to the next generation of nurses by becoming a nurse educator. This would satisfy both your calling in the healthcare profession and address the shortage of nursing crisis.
I’m not certain if every state has a program to financially assist current nurses to go back to school to become nurse educators, but Pennsylvania has a fine program in place; The Pennsylvania Higher Education Foundation. Several years ago they formed to address the nursing shortage and offered scholarships, grants, and low interest loans to persons looking to become nurses. Now they find that nursing schools in Pennsylvania (and many other states) are turning away nursing candidates due to the lack of nurse educators.
If you live or work in Pennsylvania and would like to explore your options for financial aid to become a nurse educator, visit:
http://www.higheredfoundation.org/home.shtml
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4 comments:
If you are feeling burned out, you are the last thing that nursing education needs.....Nursing eduction needs those of us who are still in the trenches with the nurses we will are teaching....I think that all of us had that nursing instructor who should have retired 25 years ago and had lost that spark....that is why we eat are young....do you want that to continue??? If so then by all means, go into education if you are burned out....but I for one do not....
Nurseteacher, I guess the title of the blog could have been more appropriately named, but I titled this with regards to a few other blogs I've been reading. There are many nurses that are looking for a change within the nursing profession because of long hours, a feeling of being underappreciated, etc. Many want to stay in healthcare and nursing, but feel a little overwhelmed in their current situation.
As much as we need more nurse educators in the schools of nursing around the United States, a burned out nurse going into education might be a good idea IF she understands the differences in teaching and the elements of pedagogy that she needs to be familiar with before becoming a nurse educator. Nursing education is a different world and many clinical nurses that enter the nurse educator world leave due to the inability to transition to the academic side of nursing. However, many schools utilize clinical nurses as adjunct clinical instructors and this is a great fit for a new nurse going into education.
Nursing education is an excellent career for professional growth. It is very rewarding working with nursing students. Canidates will need a masters degree to teach in the classroom and a bachelors to teach clinicals. The pay is generally less than working on the floor depending on the learning institution. The best benefit is having weekends and holidays off. LH
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