Career Guide
Nurse educator
If you excel in communication, possess a wealth of nursing knowledge and enjoy fostering growth and development in others, a career as a nurse educator could be in your future.
If you excel in communication, possess a wealth of nursing knowledge and enjoy fostering growth and development in others, a career as a nurse educator could be in your future.
Career overview
Nurse educators are crucial in shaping healthcare professionals' futures, guiding nursing students in classroom and clinical settings to teach patient care. Their responsibilities include preparing lectures and course materials, supervising laboratory and clinical activities, evaluating students' work and leading discussions. Nurse educators also stay updated in the field through continuing education and clinical work experience. They advise nursing students on academic paths, mentor faculty members and coordinate training programs. In addition to their teaching responsibilities, they may also conduct research, participate in administrative duties and contribute to the academic community through various activities.
Take your next step
In 2023, 89,900 postsecondary nursing instructors and teachers were employed in the national workforce, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The largest employers of postsecondary nurse educators include colleges, universities and professional schools; junior colleges; and general medical and surgical hospitals. Job titles related to this career include clinical nursing instructor, nurse educator, nursing instructor and nursing professor.
Nurse educators are greatly needed in the workforce as there has been a shortage of nursing faculty across the United States over the last few years. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 66,261 qualified applicants were denied entry into bachelor’s nursing programs in 2022 due to several factors, including a lack of faculty. The shortage of faculty can be partly attributed to the lack of nurses with advanced degrees, which are often preferred or even required by institutions to gain employment as a nursing faculty member.
Career-relevant skills
You may need the following skills and foundational knowledge in day-to-day experience in the nurse educator career:
- Applied nursing theory
- Interprofessional competencies
- Problem solving
- Analyze social determinants
- Health equity
- Information technology
- Legal/ethical medication administration
- Translate leadership theories
- Global health nursing
- Decision making
- Evidence based practice
- Applied statistics
- Safety in advanced practice
- Patient interview
- Disease process analysis
- Physiological process
- Critical thinking
- Pharmacological databases
- Pharmacologic patient education
- Advanced health assessment
- Cultural competence
Additional skills:
- Analyze learning theory
- Curriculum development
- Nurse education
- Rubric development
- Program evaluation
- Mentorship
- Student engagement
- Advising
- Educational technologies
- Applied informatics
- Project development
- Regulatory compliance
- Advanced clinical practice
Regularly used on the job
Service orientation, time management, active listening, coordination and active learning are a few vital soft skills you may need as a nurse educator, O*NET states.
Salary range $63 - 103K
25th to 75th percentile
In 2023, nurse educators within the 25th and 75th percentiles earned between $63,050 and $103,370, according to BLS nationwide statistics.[1]
16,100 jobs
Projected growth (2023-2033)
Jobs in this field are projected to increase by 18% nationally between 2023 and 2033. This is faster than the average projected growth rate for all occupations, BLS reports.[1]
[1] Salary ranges are not specific to students or graduates of University of Phoenix. Actual outcomes vary based on multiple factors, including prior work experience, geographic location and other factors specific to the individual. University of Phoenix does not guarantee employment, salary level or career advancement. BLS data is geographically based. Information for a specific state/city can be researched on the BLS website. The BLS Projected Growth for 2023-2033 is published by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This data reflects the BLS’ projections of national (not local) conditions. These data points are not specific to University of Phoenix students or graduates.
Education and experience
To pursue the nurse educator career, candidates typically need a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN). For this line of work, you may want to consider a master’s program with a concentration in nurse education. In some cases, advanced degrees such as a doctor of philosophy (PhD) or doctor of nursing practice (DNP) may be preferred and can allow you opportunities to do more within your career. For example, with a DNP, you may be able to teach as a university professor, spearhead clinical research and qualify to evaluate your peers.
It is important to note that you will typically need to maintain an active, unencumbered RN license to qualify for bachelor’s and graduate nursing programs, gain nursing experience and work as a nurse educator. You may also need to meet additional state requirements depending on where you live. For example, registered nurses in many states must renew their license every two years, within which you also may have to complete a certain number of continuing education hours. Continuing education courses are designed to help you stay on top of best practices and newest advancements in this constantly evolving field. Consider working as a registered nurse (RN) for about two to five years in a clinical setting to gain necessary experience to pursue the nurse educator career.
As a nurse educator, you can become certified by taking the National League of Nursing (NLN) certification exam. In some cases, you may be required to continue clinical practice in the field while teaching. This requirement helps educators remain actively engaged in their field through relevant work experience they can bring to the classroom. Progression in this career may involve leading educational teams, contributing to curriculum development to enhance nursing programs or specializing in a specific area of nursing education, such as clinical, instructional or developmental education.
At University of Phoenix, we offer graduate and doctoral programs that lead to the nurse educator career outcome. Our programs allow you to fit your education into your busy schedule, taking one course at a time in six- to eight-week intervals. Learn more about which of these programs — focused on teaching you the skills you’ll need in your career — is right for you.
Phoenixes in the workplace
Meet Gloria L., an alum whose journey from overcoming childhood illness to building a career as a nursing educator and end-of-life doula is deeply rooted in her Navajo heritage. Her education empowers her to bring love and light to her work, inspiring others through her unique path.
Gloria L. | MSN 2019 | PhD 2022
Phoenixes in the workplace
Meet Gloria L., an alum whose journey from overcoming childhood illness to building a career as a nursing educator and end-of-life doula is deeply rooted in her Navajo heritage. Her education empowers her to bring love and light to her work, inspiring others through her unique path.
Programs
Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in Nurse Education
Advanced nursing theory, strong clinical skills and research provide the foundation for nurse leaders to influence the future of nursing and healthcare. The Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) with a concentration in Nurse Education will prepare you to facilitate and deliver quality patient care while coordinating actions in the workplace and managing a team of nurses. Develop your knowledge with key courses covering topics like nursing theory, leadership, social justice and information systems, advanced pathophysiology, health assessment, pharmacology and the nursing leader’s role in healthcare organizations.
In this program, you’ll learn how to:
- Integrate theoretical, organizational and systems leadership concepts into healthcare resources for diverse populations
- Evaluate organizational processes, system and utilization of current technologies to support continuous quality improvement and promote safe patient outcomes
- Appraise theory and evidence-based research to transform professional nursing practice
- Synthesize the principles of healthcare policy, regulation, accreditation and ethics to advocate for change within populations
- Integrate evidence-based guidelines and interprofessional collaboration to improve healthcare for diverse populations in local, national and global settings
- Apply educational tools and teaching principles to design, implement and evaluate culturally relevant and linguistically appropriate health education programs for individuals or groups in a variety of settings
You can earn this degree by completing 34 credits of required study and direct care clinical hours. The length of this program is 20 months, and each course is six to eight weeks long. Graduates may be eligible to sit for the Nurse Educator Certification Exam and should contact the National League for Nursing for eligibility requirements.
Doctor of Nursing Practice
The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) builds on the foundation of the graduate nursing competencies. Program content focuses on advocacy; scientific evidence and innovations for improvement in patient and health care outcomes; leadership strategies; and accountability to transform health care delivery by designing, evaluating and continuously improving the context within health care delivery. Graduates are prepared for the expanding role functions and the needs of advanced nursing practice. Graduates of the DNP — with a blend of clinical, organizational, economic and leadership skills — are prepared to significantly influence health care outcomes. This program does not prepare students for any type of professional certification or state licensure as a nurse or an advanced practice nurse.
In this program, you’ll learn how to:
- Integrate scientific underpinnings to advance nursing practice and improve the health care environment following state Nurse Practice Acts and/or regulatory guidelines
- Construct leadership strategies to improve health care outcomes
- Translate scientific evidence and innovations to improve population health status and care outcomes
- Synthesize scholarly evidence, judgment and accountability in designing, delivering and evaluating a project to impact health outcomes.
You can earn this degree by completing 31 credits of required study. The length of this program is 20 months, and each course is eight weeks long.
Additional pathways
If you do not currently have a bachelor’s degree and would like to pursue the nurse educator career path, consider earning a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN).We offer an RN to BSN program for those who have earned an associate degree or diploma in nursing and would like to further their higher education.
We also offer a competency-based alternative to the traditional RN to BSN program, which allows students to work independently and at their own pace with faculty guidance while saving time and money on their degree. It is important to note that competency-based programs are not the right fit for every student. The RN to BSN program is a post-licensure education program designed for nurses with active, unencumbered RN licensure who wish to obtain a bachelor’s degree in the professional field of nursing. The program is designed to help students develop the professional knowledge and skills of registered nurses and prepare them as generalists who are able to apply critical thinking, professional skills and knowledge to patient outcomes and healthcare systems.
If you have active RN licensure and a bachelor’s degree in an unrelated field, our Nursing Bridge Program helps experienced nurses like you earn your MSN degree. You’ll start with three BSN courses and then move into the master's program specialty that fits your career goals. Reach out to an enrollment representative for more information on your competency-based and bridge program options.
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master's degree program in nursing, and Doctor of Nursing Practice program at the University of Phoenix are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, 655 K Street, NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20001, 202-887-6791.
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