Nurses play an important role in society, there is no question about that. They are the backbone of the medical industry, making up a significant number of the workforce responsible for the care and attention to patients. For those that have chosen such a career there are plenty of avenues by which to expand upon that knowledge and experience. One of those is becoming a Nursing Educator.
There has been much discussion over the last decade or so about the quickly expanding need for more nurse practitioners in clinical settings and healthcare professionals. There is already a notable shortage of nurses compared to the projections needed to adequately care for the quickly aging Baby Boomer generation.
While those numbers are near common knowledge among colleges and medical institutions, there seems to be less vocality around the need for nursing educators, which is ironic considering that you can’t have more nurses without an adequate number or people to train them. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) states that there is a current rate of 8.8% openings, vacancies for nursing educators and these numbers are expected to keep on climbing due to impending retirement rates. Disconcertingly, nearly one third of all currently employed nursing educators in bachelor programs are projected to retire by the year 2025.
So, if education and nursing are mutual interests, it may be a sound choice for the future. Here is how to begin a career path to becoming a nursing educator. But first, let’s consider what a nursing educator is and does.
What is a Nursing Educator?
Nurse Educators, also known as nurse instructors, are registered nurses (RN’s) who have gone on in the education and experience levels to support the training and education of those persons who would like to become nurses themselves. As with any teaching curriculum, nurse educators will be required to teach, guide, report, and sometimes create their own lesson plans in a variety of environments.
Nurse educators are, along with other educators in the program, responsible for the development and guidance of students. The preparation of those students equips them to sit for the NCLEX-RN exam— the test that all prospective nursing students need to take before they are certified to work in professional environments.
Nurse educators work in conjunction with other faculty members at primary and secondary institutions such as medical research hospitals, health-care facilities, and sometimes private research companies so as to stay up to date on what emerging nurses may need to know to be well equipped for their professional roles.
Additionally, nurse educators can double their time in clinical settings acting as supervisors for nursing students or RNs in training. Nurse educators are not only teachers but can stand as mentors for students as well.
How to Become Nursing Educator
Before pursuing this career course, it is important to consider the necessary steps needed to become a nursing educator. Nurse educators, depending on who is doing the hiring, will have different requirements. The minimum is a valid RN license and two years of experience as an RN. Many educators will work about three to five years before making the transition into a teaching position.
While most nursing educator positions will require a Master of Science in nursing in addition to a few years’ experience, there are some places that are willing to overlook a master’s degree in exchange for many years of experience, great references, and evidence of competency in supervision and training of others.
So, typically speaking, the correct order of completion to become a nurse educator is to complete an undergraduate degree such as a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, passing the NCLEX, serving as a nurse for a few years, and then feeling out whether education in this field is still desirable. From there, interested parties should enroll in a nurse educator program such as a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN).
For those of different ambitions, going on to complete a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) or a Doctorate of Education (Ed. D) should be considered. While not required for teaching at an undergraduate level, it is generally sought after for those who would teach at the graduate level as a tenured professor or school administrator.
Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.