The Nurse Educator (NE) is a Registered Nurse (RN) who holds a graduate-level nursing degree (master’s or doctoral) that enables them to provide instruction to nurses, both students and senior staff members, on topics of nursing and patient care practice. Nurse Educators must remain abreast of the latest developments in clinical practice and then develop and implement educational programs that bring new knowledge to novice and experienced nurses. Many Nurse Educators often take leadership roles in professional organizations, speak at conferences, write grant proposals, or develop training material, including textbooks and tests.
Nurse Educators are passionate about nursing best practices and love teaching. They are committed to continuous, lifelong learning and take great pride in watching nurses develop their skills and knowledge. NEs must possess strong clinical capabilities, experience, and excellent critical thinking skills.
Communicating effectively, instructing, evaluating, and adjusting teaching methodologies for adult learners is vital to the Nurse Educator’s success.
The Nurse Educator works to improve the nursing staff’s competencies and assesses, enhances, and validates standards of care for the benefit of patients.
Some employers will consider hiring a Registered Nurse with a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN) and strong unit-specific expertise for a Nurse Educator position. However, advances in nursing practice and patients’ higher acuity have led many employers to prefer Nurse Educators with graduate-level education.
Additional titles for the Nurse Educators include Clinical Staff Development Manager, Professional Development Specialist, Training and Development Specialist, and Dean of Education.
Practice Specialties
Most Nurse Educators have an area of clinical specialization encompassing the patient’s entire lifespan and the full range of disease or treatment protocols. Clinical-based Nurse Educators usually work within units that reflect their area of specialization, such as:
- Cardiology,
- Emergency and Trauma services,
- Family Health,
- Intensive Care Units – Cardiac, Critical Care, Neurology, Surgical, etc.,
- Medical-Surgical,
- Neonatal,
- Oncology,
- Pediatrics,
- Psychiatric/Mental Health,
- Surgical Services, and
- Women’s Health.
Core Competencies
The National League for Nursing (NLN) defines Nurse Educator’s core competencies as:
- Facilitation of learning,
- Use of assessment and evaluation strategies,
- Participation in curriculum design,
- Evaluation of program outcomes,
- Serving as a change agent and leader,
- Seeking continuous improvement in nursing education, and
- Publishing of articles concerning nursing.
Beyond these specifics, the Nurse Educator must possess extensive knowledge in their area of specialization, remain abreast of new developments, and possess the ability to communicate knowledge effectively to the nursing staff.
Practice Settings
Nurse Educators provide instruction in a wide range of clinical and academic settings. In any practice setting, the Nurse Educator serves as a role model for their students, demonstrates high levels of clinical expertise, and possesses the instructional skills to make the program material accessible.
The Nurse Educator must be able to teach and demonstrate nursing theory and practice at multiple levels of student knowledge. At the same time, new evidence-based science will require the Nurse Educator to create new programs. Existing programs will need to be updated and revamped through continuous process improvement.
Academia
In academic settings, the Nurse Educator works with nursing students ranging from recent high school graduates studying nursing for the first time to highly experienced nurses pursuing an advanced degree or post-graduate certificate.
The Nurse Educator may hold full-time or Adjunct Faculty positions at:
- Public and Private Universities and Colleges,
- Community and Junior Colleges,
- Hospital-based Schools of Nursing,
- Technical Colleges, and
- Online Instruction using Distance Learning Technology.
Students at these schools may pursue degrees that range from vocational, practical, and two-year nursing degrees, four-year Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN), to graduate-level master’s and doctoral degrees or post-graduate certificates.
The academic setting often enables the Nurse Educator to participate in nursing research and peer reviews of articles to be published.
While some Nurse Educators hold full-time teaching positions at colleges and universities, others have adjunct or part-time non-tenured teaching positions while employed full-time at a local hospital or medical center.
Clinical
In clinical settings, Nurse Educators provide in-service instruction to practicing nurses that enable them to integrate the latest Evidence-Based Practice solutions into their everyday work to improve patient outcomes. Nurse Educators take a leadership role by providing the education that enables their organizations to adapt and succeed in a rapidly changing healthcare environment. Nurse Educators counsel and mentor nursing professionals through ongoing educational experiences to improve nursing practice quality.
Clinical practice settings for Nurse Educators include:
- Hospitals and Medical Centers,
- Community Health Agencies,
- Home Care Agencies,
- Skilled Nursing Facilities, and
- Long-Term Care Facilities.
Nurse Educators may sometimes be tasked in a clinical setting to develop and maintain ongoing education programs in an environment that may not place education as a top priority or when resources are limited. These NEs must solicit and obtain the necessary funding, time allocation, and other resources to address the educational needs of nurses with a wide range of knowledge and expertise and must be current in their skills.
In addition to their instructional role, many clinically-based Nurse Educators continue to provide direct patient care. This practice further extends their clinical experience. A Nurse Educator may participate in direct patient care to provide on-the-spot, informal teaching opportunities for less experienced nurses. This on-the-spot training typically happens when a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) is not on staff.
In addition to educational activities, Nurse Educators often assist nursing leadership with:
- Individual Nurse Reviews – Sharing an evaluation of knowledge, expertise, and potential for the successful assumption of additional responsibilities,
- Equipment Needs – Identifying, evaluating, selecting, and justifying new or redirected expenditures,
- New Employee Orientation – Briefings regarding nursing and patient care procedures, practices and protocols, and
- Forecasting – Keeping abreast of regulatory rule changes and emerging nursing and patient care practice trends.
Nurse Educators usually work in a single unit and report to the Unit Level Clinical Director. The usual delivery of instruction is to a group of nursing staff in a classroom or laboratory setting. However, it can also occur with a patient and an individual nurse at the bedside. Instruction might concern direct patient care, new equipment training, and new nursing protocols for entire nursing teams in a specific unit.
The Nurse Educator must be able to work as a problem solver in a multi-disciplinary environment of decision-makers.
Education
Some Nurse Educators in a clinical setting hold a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree. However, an NE master’s, doctoral nursing degree, or Post-Graduate Certificate is becoming the minimum level of Nurse Educator education by an increasing number of employers. There are several degrees or certificate types:
- Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Master of Science, Nursing Major (MS-NM), or Master of Nursing (MN) – The master’s degree has been the most commonly offered degree type and is the minimum degree required for Nurse Educator education. These degree programs are offered widely by public and private schools. The master’s degree in nursing focuses on advanced nursing theory and care practice. Read more...
- Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) – This degree prepares the student in much the same way as the master’s degree in nursing. However, the DNP emphasizes using research results to improve their nursing practice. DNP programs also emphasize the application of Evidence-Based Practice to improve the quality of patient care. This emphasis prepares graduates to apply new developments in Evidence-based Practice to their practice. Read more...
- Post-Master's or Post-Doctorate Certificates – Eligibility is limited to individuals with a graduate-level or doctoral-level nursing degree. For example, someone holding an MSN as a Nurse Practitioner (NP) would be eligible to enroll in a Nurse Educator certificate program. Read more...
Many schools are beginning to transition their master’s programs to the Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. The DNP places greater emphasis on the application of Evidence-Based Practice .
Use the Nurse Educator Search Tool to identify programs for this and other degree combinations from our survey of more than 710 schools.
Accelerated Degree Programs
Accelerated Degree Programs generally cost less and can be completed more quickly than enrolling in consecutive BSN and MSN or doctoral programs. Use the Accelerated Degree Program Search Tool to identify programs for this and other degree combinations from our survey of more than 710 schools.
Certificate Programs
Most schools that offer a Nurse Educator master’s or doctoral degree also offer a Post-Master's (PMC) or Post-Doctoral Certificate (PDC) Program. These programs are open to individuals with a master’s or doctoral degree in another nursing specialty. For example, a CNM may wish to obtain a certificate enabling practice as a Nurse Educator. These Certificate Programs should not be confused with certifications offered by Certification Boards or Professional Associations.
Dual Programs
Some schools offer Nurse Educator study in Dual Degree and Dual Practice Programs. These programs save the student time and expense by eliminating duplicate coursework.
Dual Degree Programs
Dual Degree Programs award two degrees in separate but related areas of study. Students enrich their nursing education with study in another academic department. These programs award a Nurse Educator degree with an additional non-nursing degree, such as:
- Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) – Nurse Educator, paired with a:
- Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) – Nursing Administration and Healthcare Leadership,
- Master of Business Administration (MBA), or
- Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) – Nursing Administration and Healthcare Leadership.
Graduates from these Dual Degree Programs are eligible to sit for the appropriate national certification exams and become licensed as required.
Use the Dual Degree Program Search Tool to identify programs for this and other degree combinations from our survey of more than 710 schools.
Dual Practice Programs
Some schools offer Nurse Educator study in a Dual Practice Program. These programs award a single degree that combines the NE with an additional clinical practice role. Education in Dual Practice roles enables graduates to work in an expanded range of practice settings and patient populations. This versatility provides the graduate with more career flexibility and growth opportunities.
NE Dual Practice Programs may include an additional practice role, such as:
Graduates of these programs may apply for national certification exams and become licensed in both practice areas.
Use the Dual Practice Program Search Tool to identify programs for this and other practice combinations from our survey of more than 710 schools.
Tandem Degree Programs
Tandem Degree Programs award two degrees in the course of Nurse Educator study. These programs save the student time and expense by eliminating duplicate coursework. Some schools offer NE Tandem Degree combinations, such as:
- Bachelor of Science, Nursing Major (BS-N), followed by a:
- Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), followed by a:
- Post-Master’s Certificate (PMC), followed by a:
Graduates from Tandem Degree Programs are eligible to sit for the appropriate national certification exams and become licensed as required.
Use this Tandem Degree Program Search Tool to identify Tandem Degree programs from our survey of more than 710 schools.
Top 10 Degree and Certificate Offerings
This table displays a count of the Top 10 Nurse Educator degrees and certificates offered by more than 710 graduate nursing programs. This count includes degrees awarded singly, as the higher degree in a Tandem Degree Program, or as part of a Dual Degree Program.
Certification
Graduates from a Nurse Educator degree or certificate program are eligible to sit for the Certified Nurse Educator exam offered by the National League for Nursing (NLN). Individuals who pass the exam earn the Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) credential.
License to Practice
Nurse Educators are not required to obtain a state license by the state where they work as a NE. However, there is no waiver for Registered Nurses (RNs) to become licensed as an RN in their practice state.
States participating in the Nurse Licensure Compact have multistate RN license agreements. This Compact ease the transfer of nursing licenses and the ability to practice among participating states. Participation in this Compact varies by state. Check with your state’s Board of Nursing for more detailed information.
Since Nurse Educators are not Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRN), they are not subject to APRN Scope of Practice rules.
Professional Associations
Several professional associations provide the Nurse Educator with resources for ongoing professional development.
Many associations offer resources for nursing education, including:
- American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) ,
- Association of Community Health Nursing Educators (ACHNE),
- Association for Nursing Professional Development (ANPD),
- Association for Talent Development (ATD) ,
- National League for Nursing (NLN),
- National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF), and
- Professional Nurse Educators Group (PNEG).
Nurse Educators usually belong to other professional associations that provide resources and representation in specialized areas of clinical practice. Other associations of interest at the state and local levels enable members to organize with their neighboring peers to address more localized issues. These associations may be chapters of national or international associations or organized independently.
Use this site’s survey of more than 1,800 international, national, regional, state, and local to locate nursing and related healthcare professional associations. These associations provide professional development resources and representation in numerous nursing and affiliated healthcare specialties.