There are some things that make my job worth it. I can tell you if you're going to make any good money in nursing, education isn't that track. But what does make the pain of a lower salary tolerable is the joy you get seeing your students out in the real world.
I met Mary in the fall of 2002 when she started at Essex County. Over the next two years, through hard work and dedication, and through thick and thin, she persevered and graduated and successfully passed her NCLEX licensure examination this past July.
This week while teaching clinical at Clara Maass Medical Center I found her holding down her position in the Emergency Department. While she found it hard to break from calling me Professor we talked like colleagues. There's something to be said, and to be proud of, when the apprentice passes by the master. If you or your family find yourselves in the CMMC ER and Mary is your nurse you're in good hands.