Nurse Educator Career Investigation

Nurse Educator Career Investigation

Introduction

The career of nurse educator is an all-inclusive term that refers to those nursing occupations that instruct and demonstrate patient care, in both on-the-job clinical environments, as well as lectures, in a classroom setting. A current occupational resource outlines some of the job titles which fall under the category of nurse educator, which include: Nursing Faculty, Nursing Professor, Nursing Instructor, Associate Professor of Nursing, Assistant Professor of Nursing, and Clinical Nursing Instructor (O*NET OnLine, 2011). This report will provide a general overview of the various branches of nursing instructors in the postsecondary educational setting, and will include information regarding the training, job description, demand, legality, and nursing theory associated with the nurse educator career.

Education, Training, and Salary

In order to properly investigate an occupation such as the nurse educator, it is important to address the fundamental aspects of required education, occupational training, and average salary. As the O*NET OnLine resource divulges, 55% of nursing instructors and teachers, in the postsecondary educational setting, possess master’s degrees, while 37% have doctoral or professional degrees, and the remaining 6% have only an associate’s degree (O*NET OnLine, 2011). Another occupational research site relays that certified nurse educators must have a current Registered Nursing License, in the US or one of its territories, with the major emphasis of their degree on nursing education. It is also common for nurse educators to have obtained substantial clinical experience before even attempting this field. Those who maintain their clinical training, by continued work ...

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..., the expert competency stage is reached, in which the nurse’s mastery level allows for the sharing and dissemination of extensive knowledge to those still in the proceeding stages of development (Kodesia, 2013). All nurse educators should possess the expert competency level, in their specific educational subject, in order to better facilitate beneficial education for their students.

Conclusion

The careers that fall under the nurse educator specialty offer a wide array of occupational settings, a secure and expansive occupational outlook, substantial financial benefits, and the personal fulfillment of contributing to the future of nursing practice and quality patient care. All aspiring nurses who possess the disposition, communication skills, and desire to instruct should consider the possibility of the greatly beneficial and rewarding specialty of nurse educator.