What is a Nurse Educator?
Nurse Educators are registered nurses prepared at the master’s or doctoral level and practice as faculty in colleges, universities, community colleges and technical programs, or staff development educators in health care facilities. They work with recent high school graduates studying Nursing for the first time, nurses pursuing advanced degrees and practicing nurses interested in expanding their knowledge and skills related to care of individuals, families, and communities. Professional titles include Instructional Nurse Faculty, Teaching Staff, Staff Development Officer, and Continuing Education Specialist.
What does a Nurse Educator do?
Nurse Educators are responsible for designing curricula, developing courses, teaching and guiding learners, evaluating learning outcomes, and documenting outcomes of the educational processes. In addition, Nurse Educators assist students and practicing nurses identify their learning needs, identify learning opportunities, In addition, Nurse Educators may be involved in advising students, engaging in research and grant writing, providing leadership for professional associations, speaking at professional conferences, maintaining clinical competence, and publishing in peer reviewed journals.
Who employs Nurse Educators?
Nurse Educators are employed by colleges, universities, community/technical colleges, and health care facilities. Nurse educators are in demand due to the growing shortage of nurse faculty in Schools of Nursing.
Should I consider Nursing Education as a career?
Applicants for master’s and doctoral study in Nursing Education should have good communication skills, a solid clinical background, flexibility, and possess critical thinking skills. They should develop an in-depth knowledge base in the area of instruction and be interested in developing the skills to convey this knowledge to students and practicing nurses. Nurse educators develop a commitment to lifelong learning and a concern to contribute to knowledge development in the Nursing discipline.
What are the classroom and clinical requirements for the Nurse Educator?
The didactic courses and clinical course for the Nurse Educator are built upon the base of the requirements for the Clinical Nurse Specialist Options in Adult Acute Care. In the Adult Acute Care Nurse Educator curriculum students may choose to complete requirements for both the CNS and Nurse Educator simultaneously or opt only for the educator preparation.
What are the admission criteria?
The coursework for Clinical Nurse Specialist Educator:
Fall Year 1
- NUR 600Q Research and Statistics for Advanced Nursing Practice - 4
- NUR 612Q Advanced Physiology and Pathophysiology - 3
- NTC 650 Instructional Strategies in Teaching Nursing - 3
- NUR 614 Assessment and Diagnostic Reasoning - 4
Spring Year 1
- NUR 613Q Pharmacology and Therapeutics - 3
- NCA 621 Advanced Adult Acute Care Nursing I - 4
- NCS 685 Adult CNS Practicum I - 2
- NCS 616 Foundations of Clinical Nurse Specialist Practice - 1
- NTC 652 Curriculum and Program Development - 3
Summer Year 1
- NCA 622 Advanced Adult Acute Care Nursing II - 3
- NCS 617 Phenomena of Concern to Advanced Practice Nurses- 1
- NUR 601Q Role Development for Advanced Nursing Practice - 3
- NTC 654Q Evaluation of Instruction - 3
Fall Year 2
- NUR 602Q Issues Affecting Advanced Nursing Practice - 3
- NCA 623 Advanced Adult Acute Care Nursing III - 3
- NTC 692 Residency: Nurse Educator - 3
Q = Online Course
Contact:
Ann Williams, PhD, RN
Phone: (205) 934-6583
E-mail: williama@uab.edu