Name: Amy Feurer
Current place of employment: Riverside School of Health Careers, Newport News, Va

Current role (clinical, administrative, dean, adjunct, etc.): Full-time faculty member
Highest level of education: Master's Degree

Number of years you have been an RN: 10 years
Number of years as a Nurse Educator: 1 year

Why did you choose to teach nursing (variety of work, flexible work schedule, encourage and educate eager minds, etc.)?
From the time that I was in nursing school I knew that I wanted to be a teacher. My classroom and clinical instructors just looked like they loved their job and nursing. When I completed my Family Nurse Practitioner Program my current job became available and I snatched it up. This career choice within nursing allows me to keep up various clinical skills, meet many new people, and maintain a flexible schedule. I enjoy the students so much.

Over the year/s how has your initial opinion of teaching changed? What is responsible for those changes?
I believe that so far it is everything that I thought it would be. It has proven to be challenging just as I had thought. I knew when I started that it may not always be easy to get the student to understand what seems so natural to myself.

Personally speaking, what is the best part of teaching nursing (advising students, classroom teaching, clinical instructing, etc.)?
The best part of teaching for me is the students. They are in the classroom because they want to be and for the most part are eager to learn. It is very rewarding to see them apply what they have learned in the classroom in the clinical setting. It is my opportunity to show everyone what nursing has done for me!

In your opinion, what is the most difficult part of being a Nurse Educator?
The most difficult part of being a Nurse Educator is having to fail the student who really wants to be a nurse. There are many people out there who want to be a nurse but are not able to keep up with the demands of nursing programs. It is very difficult to have the tearful adult learner sit in my office and tell them they cannot move on in the program.

Would you encourage fellow RNs to consider becoming Nurse Educators? Why or Why not?
Absolutely. This is one of the most rewarding positions that I have held in my nursing career. This is my way of giving back to nursing what it has given to me.

In your opinion, what are some factors that retain you as a Nurse Educator?
As I said earlier this is a very rewarding job. It is wonderful to see the students that you have helped to make into a nurse walk across the stage and graduate. It is a sense of accomplishment that you share with the student.

What is your opinion of using the Internet as a teaching tool? (For example, one instructor teaching hundreds of students non clinical classes (A&P, Psychology etc.) in a virtual classroom?)
I am not an advocate of internet education as a sole method of instruction. There is a great deal to be said for face to face interaction. Nursing is a very personable profession and this needs to start in the classroom.

What is the main reason you see nursing students dropping out of programs?
The main reason that I see is that they are not strong enough academically to stay in the program. I have not been an educator for long, but I believe that very few students drop out of nursing programs on their own accord.