You don't have to be a professor to teach. There are ways for nurses who prefer the clinical side of their jobs to pass on knowledge to the next generation of nurses and help ensure the future of their profession.

"Being available as a preceptor or to speak to a class can help both nurses and students," said David Bennett, assistant dean of Kennesaw State University's College of Health and Human Services School of Nursing. "For a faculty position, a nurse must have at least a master's degree in his or her specialty, but we're always in need of nurses to work with students in their final semester as they transition from the classroom to their clinical practice."

Nursing schools are experiencing severe faculty shortages. Because nursing schools are filled with as many students as they can handle, there's a pressing need for nurses who can guide students, particularly students who are nearing graduation and spending their final semesters in clinical practices.

"They need to be supervised and mentored in the workplace," said Bennett, Ph.D., RN. "We continue to have trouble finding nurses willing to be preceptors, and this is a vital link in nursing education. This is an excellent way for clinical nurses to help bring new nurses into the workplace and continue their own clinical service."

Nurses with bachelor's degrees are preferred, but those who have outstanding clinical skills can be preceptors as well, Bennett said. Many hospitals offer formal training for preceptors.

"Check with your supervisor to see if your hospital has such a class," he said.

Students are assigned to preceptors who supervise their work and fine-tune their skills. "As the students progress, the nurse can give the student more responsibility, and that can lighten the nurse's workload and provide hands-on experience for the student at the same time," Bennett said.

Nursing schools seek frequently seek out clinicians to address students in the classroom, asking them to share real-life case studies and knowledge. Check with area nursing schools to make a connection with faculty.

"Being involved with students, especially as a preceptor, has great benefits," Bennett said. "It's a great way to refresh your knowledge, and students ask lots of questions, so it keeps you sharp.

"You can contribute to the future of the profession. Sometimes it even opens the door to a new career path for a longtime nurse who may decide to move into academia full time."