Thirty-four years ago, Gina Chester, RN, BSN, knew she had a passion for helping people. Nursing was a natural choice.

During her years as a nurse, Chester has spent much of her time working in cardiac and coronary care.

"I've always been drawn to helping people learn," she said. "And when I worked as a head nurse, I really liked mentoring new staff. For me, moving into education and training was a good choice."

Chester is now the cardiovascular education coordinator at Piedmont Hospital, educating the staff and nurses who work directly with cardiovascular patients.

"For me, the decision to leave the clinical side of health care and the patient contact was hard," she said. "I loved working with patients and the experience of being at the bedside, but now I am able to train the staff to help these patients and their families."

Chester's day can include teaching 10 to 20 students and registered nurses on such topics as cardiovascular assessments, acute coronary syndrome, hemodynamic monitoring and catheterization, or dealing with paperwork at her desk. It's an interesting job that's different every day. Knowing her ultimate career goal helped Chester make the transition.

"I knew seven years into nursing that I wanted to teach," she said. "Once I had a game plan, I went for the management education first. I knew it would help me in teaching."

She said extensive knowledge in the clinical area is essential for those hoping to teach in a hospital setting and train staff.

"You also need a passion to help others who want to learn," she said. "One of the first steps is to begin to mentor others. Tell your supervisor that you're interested in teaching and ask to help work on projects.

Salaries for in-house education coordinators vary, depending on the nurse's longevity in the profession and the specific duties included in the job.

"It's probably less money than working on the clinical side with the same experience, but it has its benefits," she said.

For one, the hours are more predictable. It's also a chance to blend management experience and teaching while staying in the hospital setting.

"It's all about the desire to help other people," she said. "It's a good thing to have variety in my job and to blend management and teaching."