A Career as a Nurse Educator

A nurse’s role isn’t only limited to providing medical relief to those in need, but extends to providing the patient’s family with emotional support as well aseducating them about various medical conditions.Another extension of this profession is educating other nurses. Such nurses are called nursing educators. Let’s take a look at the path to becoming a nursing educator and the functions a nurse educator performs. Whatis a nurse educator? A nurse educator is an experienced registered nurse (RN) who provides theoretical and practical training tonew and in-training RNsand other nursing students to prepare them to undertake their responsibilities as nursing care professionals in heathcare institutions. What do nurse educators do? Nurse educators are primarily responsible for strengthening a nursing workforce and mentoring student nurses. Some of their roles include:

• Creating the curricula for various educational programs and teaching it to registered nurses and student nurses.
• Assessing the impact of the curricula through student progress and making the necessary changes to improve it.
• Advising students and providing them with constructive criticism as they go throughtheir learning processes.

Nurse educators can also:

• Travel as speakers at nursing conferences and conduct seminars and workshops to present new concepts or techniques in nursing education.
• Participate in policymaking and grant writing procedures in healthcare facilities.

Where do they work? While registered nurses typically work in healthcare facilities, nurse educators can work in the following settings:

• Colleges and universities for higher education
• Community or junior colleges
• Hospitals and nursing homes
• Hospital-based nursing programs
• Teaching hospitals
• Community health agencies
• Home-care nursing agencies
• Long-term care facilities
• Technical schools

What are the education requirements? Registered nurses(RNs) with a bachelor’s degree and a few years of working experience can enroll in a master’s degree program in nursing education. These programs are offered at traditional brick and mortar colleges or online. There are colleges like Stevens-Henager College that offer both online and on-campus programs in a variety of healthcare occupations (as well as business, information technology, and graphic arts programs). Before enrolling, make sure the college you chooseis accredited by a reputed accrediting body. For instance, accreditation of Stevens-Henager College is through the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC), which is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Students can always move on to earning their doctorates in later years if they feel the need for continuing professional advancement. Jobs and salary According to Pay Scale, nurse educators can earn salaries anywhere between $47,133 to $92,679, depending on education, experience, and location. The overall job opportunities for nurse educators are likely to be very good,with the U.S. Bureau of Labor estimating a 26 percent growth in employment of registered nurses from 2010 through 2020. Nurse educators mentor and prepare the future generation of registered nurses.With growing demands for nurse educators and the job security the profession can offer, why wouldn’t you want to consider this as a career option?