I am a registered nurse currently working as a nursing instructor at a community college in British Columbia. This blog is part of an assignment for the Provincial Instructor Diploma Program offered by Vancouver Community College.
I entered the field of nursing with stars in my eyes and an enthusiasm that I thought would carry me through the remainder of my career. Unfortunately, I was not prepared for the climate I was about to enter.
Working "at the bedside" in my chosen clinical field (Mental Health and Addictions) proved to be a far greater challenge then I had anticipated. The patient acuity climbed steadily each year. When the workload increased to a point that left me questioning my ability to practice safely, I knew it was time for a change.
In 2010, I was fortunate to be hired as a Clinical Instructor with the very college I had graduated from. I was tasked with guiding a number of 3rd year nursing students through their psychiatry rotation. Teaching nursing students while working as a floor nurse what always one of my favourite parts of my job so I knew this assignment would be a perfect fit. Watching my students grow from nervous and timid students to budding nurses gave me a sense of pride that is difficult to describe.
In the fall of 2014, I felt like it was time for me to transition into teaching in a classroom setting. I began teaching a 3rd year nursing theory course and I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge. I felt like I could be better, though. I didn't have any formal training in teaching so I sought the advice of one of my nursing mentors. She recommended I take the Instructional Skills Workshop and it was a tranformative. Following that experience, I registered for the PID program and the rest is history.
The reality of nursing is that you will see patients with mental health issues in every clinical area. I want to continue to help eliminate the fear and stigma associated with this patient population by showing my students why I love working in psychiatry.
