Nursing education plays a critical role in providing quality learning pathways for nurses seeking initial licensure, continuing education, and specialized certifications. The nurse educator career pathway offers a non-clinical opportunity for nurses to contribute to the advancement of the nursing profession without the demand and intensive clinical responsibilities of registered nursing.
If you’re considering a career in nursing education, continue reading to learn more about where nurse educators work, their career outlook, and how a bachelor, or master, degree in nursing from the University of Providence can set you on the path toward a career in nurse education.
What is a Nurse Educator?
Nursing education is a specialized discipline of nursing that focuses on educating the future of the nursing workforce through clinical demonstration and didactic lessons.
What does a Nurse Educator do?
Nurse educators are responsible for educating and preparing current and aspiring nurses to perform their nursing duties. Similar to other education positions, nurse educators are responsible for the development and delivery of their course material. Many nurse educators also serve as mentors and role models for current or aspiring nurses who rely on them to teach nursing practice.
Where do Nurse Educators work?
Nurse educators are primarily found working in universities and hospitals.
Nurses who work in academic settings such as universities, trade schools, or community colleges, adhere to institutional guidelines for faculty or adjunct positions. Nurse educators working for universities may be required to maintain a strict class schedule and work as part of a larger nursing program or department to deliver courses, build curriculum, conduct research, and more.
Nurse educators who work in hospitals focus more on delivering continuing education, skills development, and professional certification opportunities for currently employed and licensed nurses. Nurses who work in hospitals are often referred to as clinical nurse educators due to their strong focus on the enhancement and development of clinical nursing skills.
How to become a Nurse Educator?
The pathway for nurse educators includes multiple years of schooling, optional professional certification, and clinical experience in the nursing field. The road to becoming a nurse educator starts with earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree and receiving licensure through NCLEX.
Following certification, many nurse educators go on to gain experience in the nursing field – providing them with more depth and understanding of the nursing practice.
Aspiring nurse educators can then pursue a Master of Science in Nursing degree as a general degree or with a concentration in nursing education. While professional certification is not required for some jobs, professional certification in nursing education can provide an additional credential showcasing mastery of the concepts and command of the subject matter.
Nurse Educator Career Outlook
As the need for qualified nursing professionals entering the healthcare workforce continues to increase, so does the need for nurse educators responsible for educating them.
Positions in nurse education can be found across the United States, on track to increase approximately 18% in demand between 2022 and 2032 in a recent report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on post-secondary educators. Furthermore, positions in nursing education provide robust opportunities for nurse educators to pursue doctoral degrees, become educational leaders in nursing, and help shape the future of nursing practice.
