A nurse educator develops courses, designs curricula, teaches lessons, and evaluates the learning of each student. More importantly a nurse educator encourages and supports future nurses. Nurse educators also work in the hospital to focus on one certain area of expertise. Educator positions are not well known for the high pay. Therefore, anyone who takes on the educational position instead of the practicing position is doing it more for personal gain than financial gain (Billings, 2008).
The nurse educator requires an advanced degree with many programs requiring a doctorate. The requirements and limited compensation may be contributing factors to the shortage of nurse educators (Vert, 2008). The area most impacted by the shortage is in the programs that require a doctorate. The lack of educators contributes to the overall nursing shortage and to the lack of master's prepared nurses. The attitude that portrays a nurse educator as someone who does not want to practice is also detrimental to the recruitment of educators. "Those who can't, teach." This concept is a gross misunderstanding of the desire to foster the development of great nurses. Do you think that more recognition of the educator's efforts and pay increases could help to reduce the lack of nurse educators?
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16 comments:
Interesting ideas. Look forward to following the dialogue.
JD
Roberta this is such an interesting topic to me especially since I am concerned about the nursing shortage. I think we need to look for ways to bring nurses back into education. I know that some sort of advanced degree is currently required but shouldn't experience be valued as well? As nurses age and along with them professors, we will see less faculty in our nursing programs. This is alarming and will only worsen the crisis of the shortage. Last semester I interviewed a VP for one of our local hospitals and she stated that nursing professors make less then some GNs, again alarming. How unfair is that...you go to school, better yourself, get an advanced degree, share your knowledge with students then they graduate and can make more money than you? I would love to be an instructor and probably will for the simple fact that it is my interest but I know a pay cut will be hard to handle for my family especially in these economic times. I look forward to hearing other peoples ideas.
Ash
Excellent subject that needs to be discussed. I should have graduated this fall 08, but feel so strongly of the need to grow Nurse educators that I am staying to get the certificate and will graduate Spring 09. I am hoping that with various ways of educating new nurses that hospital system will start to compensate educators what MSN NP/CNS are being paid to help prepare the next generation of RN's. Great subject, looking forward to your blogs development!
Get blog. Interesting topic. I think it would be great if stipends were readily available to assist nurses with education needed to be an educator.
I agree with previous posts. I would also add that if a nurse has a passsion for teaching, but not the degree, the nurse should have the resources and incentives to continue his/her education, such as stipends (previously noted by Laina) and successful mentoring into the teaching curriculum. A higher wage always makes it more desirable, but should not be the only factor considered by the potential nurse educator.
I agree with the all the ideas that nurse educators are underpaid and therefore do not feel as valued. The nursing shortage will continue until nurse educators are fairly compensated. While an educator must have the passion to teach and shape future nurses, the reality is that money talks. The thought of taking a large pay cut and therefore often times decrease the ability to adequately support a family for example, will often take precedence over the passion to teach.
Hi Roberta,
Interesting topic. I feel that the pay for educators is low across the board and not just for nursing. Due to the vast shortage of nursing educators (and nurses) however, I feel that something truly needs to be done in order to correct this problem. If hospitals are willing to pay more to help with their shortage, then schools should be as well. The focus needs to be changed to realize that if something drastic, such as pay increases, does not occur in nursing education, then soon there will be no new nurses because no one is there to teach them, and the shortage will just get worse. Nurse educators are in that profession because they love what they do which should not make them looked at as less competent as a bedside nurse.
Thanks for your topic,
Jen W.
Great comment but I never questioned the level of patient concern of the nurse educator. I alway viewed nurse educators as somepne to aspire to be. As a student you are very impressionable at any age and the nurse educator is held at a high standard for which we strive to attain.
I agree with all the posts on this topic.We definately need more Nurse Educators,who will infuence higher enrollment numbers and hence more nurse graduates.
We also need educators on the floor that are going to help nurses bridge to current practices to help new graduates settle into their new roles. Because some have complained of the resistance new nurses meet when they introduce new ideas/or ways of practice to some seasoned nurse.
These are all great ideas. It is very true that there needs to be more compensation for all areas of education. However, people who go into education do it for fulfillment more than money. Compensation may be helpful. I have been interested in education since nursing school. Do you think more nurses would choose education over administration if there was more of an incentive?
I have so much respect for nurse educators and they really are the future of nursing. There needs to be a drastic change however in their pay. I remember as a BSN student my faculty having part-time or full-time jobs a staff nurses as well as being a teacher. I assumed it was to keep their skills fresh, but it was more likely they worked another job to help pay the bills. I believe there are more quality educators out there, but these nurses are afraid to take a pay cut or spend less time with their families. A substantial pay increase would definitely help recruit more educators.
I think that nurses may choose education over administration if there was more of an incentive. I think a lot of it has to do with the personality of the nurse, and those that go into teaching do so because teaching is their area of interest. I think that an incentive would attract more to go to school to become educators. I feel that most may not go back to school because getting a graduate degree in education does not mean more money than staying as a staff nurse. Something definitely needs to be done in order to correct this void.
Jen
I think nurse educators ar the key to solving the nursing shortage. I think it is a crime that a ADN working nights can make close to 100,000 a year (yes I believe in hard work) however I also value the years and commitmment it takes to attain an advanced degree. Nursing future's relies on quality educators. Their skills are bound with their initial ablities as RN's. Some of the best teachers I have had, have been nurses I have worked with. Great site, thank you for your committement to this subject!
Kathi and Jenny have touched a very sensitive area.I also agree that teaching is a calling,people should go into it for the love of the profession and not the money. We all know there is no money there.But then this needs to be addresses at the top level to attract nurses to this specialty.Teachers buy in the same shops like everybody else.
This blog goes well with the rn shortage blog. I love your quote, "nurse educators focus on teaching, but that does not make them less concerned about the patient then the practicing nurse." When I am putting together education material for my staff, it is all about the patient and how the practicing nurse can meet the needs of the patient through competent and educated practice.
ABSOLUTELY! Nurse educators need to be paid more. Educators in general, not just in nursing face this same dilemma. Let's reimburse our educators for all of their hard work and recognize them for the hard work they do. They are actively shaping this country, student by student!
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