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Health Care Industry

Never underestimate the value of teachers

AORN Journal, Sept, 2005 by Nancy J. Girard

September, historically, is the month school starts for millions of children and adults. It seems only fitting at this time to reflect on the value of teachers in our lives. I recently saw a quiz about important people in history. Try to answer the following questions.

* Who discovered the element radium?

* What Noble Prize winner served the poorest of the poor around the world?

* Who is the 2005 Miss Universe? Now, answer these questions.

* Who was your favorite grade school teacher?

* What teacher was a role model for you in nursing school?

* Who is a staff educator at your institution?

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The answers to the first three questions are Madam Curie, Mother Theresa, and Russian-born Canadian Natalie Glebova, respectively. My guess is that you could answer the last three questions more easily.

Teachers affect us tremendously all through our lives. I remember my first grade teacher clearly. Her name was Miss McPherson. When I entered first grade, my family thought I was a little slow. Miss McPherson immediately determined I was having a problem seeing the blackboard. She called my mother who took me to get my eyes examined. I had never mentioned having difficulty seeing because I thought how I saw things was normal. It turned out that I was very near-sighted. It was like a miracle when I put on my first pair of glasses. I could see birds on a telephone line and words on the black-board for the first time in my life. I wasn't stupid, only half blind? My teacher was my hero, and I loved her until the day she died.

Teachers often are unsung heroes. They make dismal pay and get blamed when a student doesn't learn something, regardless of the learner's ability, but they love their jobs. People who are forced into teaching don't last long. It takes fortitude, interest, and love of learning to stay in a teaching career.

Consider the requirements needed to get into nursing school and the heavy emphasis on science-based courses. Nursing is not for dummies. Nurses must be intelligent, decisive, knowledgeable, and confident in their ability to think critically. It was probably a teacher somewhere who was instrumental in forming you as a nurse.

NURSING FACULTY MEMBERS

There is a severe shortage of nursing faculty members today, and it is not getting any better. In 2003, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing reported that the average age of retirement for a nurse faculty member is 62.5 years. (1) The average age of a doctoral-prepared faculty member is 53.5 years, so in the next 10 years there will be a wave of retirements. I am seeing this already at my school (ie, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, School of

Nursing, San Antonio, Tex) where several of my faculty members have retired in the past three years. Nursing schools turn away thou-sands of qualified students each year. Some students wait two or more years to get into a school of nursing even after taking their prerequisites courses.

For example, more than 700 students at my school were unable to enroll in the nursing school in 2005 because of a lack of room and teachers.

One reason for the shortage is the devaluation of teachers. Consider the old, erroneous statement by Nobel prize winner George Bernard Shaw: "Those who can, do; those who can't, teach." (2) This is damaging to the image of teachers. Other reasons for the shortage of nursing school faculty members are low pay, long hours, and the perception that teachers aren't real nurses. Teachers, like practicing nurses, get into a specialty to serve and because they love to learn.

Still, the biggest reward for most academic teachers is seeing students learn. To see a light bulb turn on or see a student experience an "ah ha" moment is worth everything. The secondary reward is to see students succeed in their careers, turn into wonderful nurses and leaders, and move the profession of nursing forward.

STAFF EDUCATORS

Almost everything that has been said about academic teachers can be said about staff development educators. In the clinical arena, teachers are highly valued by nursing managers and staff nurses; however, the position often is the first to be cut for budgetary reasons. The role of teacher then falls on those who are not prepared to teach or those who have no interest in teaching--a sad situation for all involved. Teachers, like members of any other group, range from outstanding to average to a bad few. Fortunately, there are many more outstanding teachers practicing than bad ones. The institutional focus for retaining teachers in clinical areas must change from one of budgets, management, accounting, and governance to a renewed learning culture with continuous teaching, curricula, and competencies.

GIVING RECOGNITION

Perioperative nurses, as well as nurses in every other arena, are still desperately needed. To prepare new nurses, we need teachers for formal study or for orientation and certification. It is time to recognize the value of teachers, whether they add to the fiscal profits of an institution or not. I urge everyone to say thank you to a teacher this month as school begins. They will greatly appreciate it.

Health Care Industry

Never underestimate the value of teachers

AORN Journal, Sept, 2005 by Nancy J. Girard

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