Sitting down and enjoying a meal with your family is very important. Too many people want fast food and to get on with their fast life. If you can just sit down for 30 min a day to enjoy a lovely cooked meal, it does wonders to your stress levels and relationships with others

Luke
My blog on getting rid of fruit flies

Just Wonderful

Hello. I am an AD RN for 12 years, an LVN and nurse asst. prior to that. I have wanted to get my BSN for some time. I am currently working at an online Algebra review class to help me prepare to take the last 2 prerequisites that I need in order to begin a BSN program. An important issue for me that I imagine applies to many RN's my age is that I have college age children and supporting their education comes first. I would guess that Master's and Doctorate prepared nurses have as a rule, time and finances available to them that has helped them in their pursuits. I don't think broad assumptions can be made that in essence place the AD prepared RN in a lower class. People make sacrifices and have different priorities in life. Ensuring our children are educated is an important responsibility for those of us who have children. Sometimes our own wants and needs have to wait. Something to consider.

Dear JS and Patricia,
I too have been a nurse for many years (since 1984). I returned to school twice-for my masters in nursing after 8 years of practice and then for my PhD which I just completed in 2008. While it is very difficult financially among other reasons to return to school, it is not impossible. What seems to be the greatest difficulty is to find the motivation to do so when you already have an established career that has given you many financial and non-financial rewards without having to do so.

At 57 I just can not make myself return to school. I can not afford it for one reason and do to my full time and volunteer work I truly do not have the time. I am a critical care nurse (27 yrs)working 12 hr shifts plus overtime. Also in regards to the BSN I think it is unfair that the nursing organizations seem to look down on ADN nurses. Yes it would be nice to have the title BSN and this would give me more opportunities away from the bedside, however, for me the bottom line is that I sat in on the EXACT state boards as the BSN graduate, and we receive the EXACT same nursing license so why is it that ADN's are not as respected? I also think it is very unfair that many, many years of experience, dedication, devotion, integrity and loyalty do not seem to matter nearly as much as do the title BSN. Thank you.
pab

I am an ADN. I have often thought about returning to school, but, some how time flew by. I feel that I am too old and I really don't want to do any more clinicals. I've been a RN since 1984 and for the past 10 years I have been working in home heathcare. I now want to persue other aspects of nursing but fear I won't be able to without a higher degree. Right now I feel like I am in limbo, even though nursing is all I know.

I have been teaching nursing for 33 years and been a nurse for 43 years. I have experienced other nursing shortages but I can not remember a time when the shortage of faculty was so severe. It may be a regional problem (I am not sure) and many states are developing programs to address both issues, practice and education. With the economic problems we are facing as a nation, it may be even more difficult for educational institutions who generally can not or will not match practice salaries. While I love teaching and believe myself to be current, I do not intent to have my colleagues come in on Monday finding I "passed over" working at my desk over the weekend. I look forward to having a replacement and will do all I can so they can take over. I hear there is life after teaching and I want to enjoy it.

There is a shortage of faculty and, here in Canada it's partially because the pay is significantly less than bedside nursing. I know, I left bedside and am teaching. There are pros and cons both ways, but the money difference is significant!

My question is why do all these people want to be nurses all of a sudden.? I'm not sure they all want to be nurses for the right readon. Where were they when the pay was low(er)?

Your progress with the faculty shortage would be a great deal of help to me. I represent the Pennsylvania Higher Education Foundation, a foundation that awards scholarships, grants and loans to prospective nursing students. This year, we have taken a more active role to assist with resolving this very same problem through awareness: Increase capacity at our schools of nursing by attracting current nurses to become nurse educators. Our waiting lists for entry into nursing programs in Pennsylvania are too long. Your first of the five focus areas - Salary and Funding of Faculty Positions - is what I've been exploring on various blogs and forums, since the feedback thus far has been the dramatic decrease in pay for becoming a nurse educator. Below are links to 2 of our sites for your reference. I look forward to more on your blog and thanks for any insight that you can provide.

http://pennsylvanianurses.blogspot.com/

http://www.futuresinnursing.org/aid/...ducators.shtml

I am constantly astounded by the so called lack of available nursing instructors. I believe there exists a huge group of qualified instructors who have faced some of the same barriers that I have trying to learn what is needed to teach nursing. It sometimes feels like the best kept secret in a nursing career. Simple, factual information would go a long way in educating those of us who have long and varied work histories and Masters degrees in nursing to figure out the path into the teaching arena. Does such a thing exist?

Tell more about the talking stick. Does the speaker hand it off? Do they keep passing it around the circle? Do they use it as a reminder to stay quiet? This sounds intriguing. I love knowing about other's customs. I think there is much to learn from others' cultures.