Why Teaching Nursing Students

Spending the last fifteen years of my professional career as a Nursing Instructor was probably my most meaningful era in the healthcare field for me. Having paid my dues on a busy Medical-Surgical floor, Postpartum float, Geriatric nursing supervisor, home health agency, Neuro/Neuro ICU charge nurse, Neurosurgeon's clinic, Day Surgery unit, I wasn't even looking to spread my wings to academia. But, as the story goes, sometimes opportunities just come to you. I like to think of this as a pre-destined assignment.)

As I look back, every step of the way seemed to pave the road to this new destination. I had attained training for preceptorship for new staff nurses, I loved taking nursing students to monitor and mentor, and was even briefly a nursing educator role at the hospital, orienting new hires for in policies and critical thinking.

I met two wonderful nursing instructors who brought their college students to train. One was older than me and still wore her nurses cap. I respected her professionalism and her sweet, soft caring voice...laced in a thick (Southern) Georgia accent. She carried herself with undeniable wisdom and authority but was still very approachable to the students. That one was Ms. Allene.

The other jewel was Sandra. She was my age and a real spitfire, but not in a mean way at all. (She also was from the state of Georgia.) She had been with the college program since its beginning and raised the bar for the standards she required from each student. They had to be on top of their game from the way their uniform was pressed, their academic grades, and the way in which they performed their duties with their patients. Sandra stole the hearts of everyone she met, opening impossible doors with just her smile and countenance. She later went on to be the program's dean.

One shift, Ms. Allene approached me and asked me, "Have you ever considered teaching nursing students?" For a minute, the question caught me completely off guard. To be honest, I had never even considered it. But somehow, she instilled enough courage in me to say yes to her recruitment.

I was getting older and needed to work smarter, not harder. I loved the students. I hated the "business" of organizational healthcare. I still wanted to help people get stronger and healthier, though. Maybe it was time to help these students to help patients do just that.

It turned out to be a very good decision. I fell in love with my job. Mostly it was because of the gratification in seeing each community college nursing student turn into a "nurse." I was in awe of the struggles they had and the hurdles they jumped, and the sacrifices they made to attain their goals. It made me want to work that much harder to help them. Most of these students were the first in their family to even go to college. Some were from different countries and cultures, learning English as a second language, and then learning a medical language.

It was great to be a small part of their journey, helping them to find their strengths and joy within themselves. Knowing that I was not only helping them personally, but also their families...when their goals were met and they got into the workforce, life would be better for them all.

Teaching nursing students helped me to dig deeper into pathophysiology and I became a better nurse, as well. I found out that if you want to really learn, you must teach. Nurses must teach patients, so I encouraged my group to prioritize that.

I found a new freedom to enjoy Nursing without feeling like a hospital owned my soul. I was grateful for the experience and training I had gained in the field, along the way. But teaching was my first love, it seemed. Maybe that is why I smiled those last fifteen years.