Rising healthcare needs mixed with a retiring generation of nurses has brought about a nursing shortage. There are not enough registered nurses (RNs) or licensed practical nurses (LPNs) to take the place of the retiring nurses. Nursing programs and schools are in high demand but there are not enough teachers to fill in positions within these programs to accept enough students to make a dent in the shortage. Every nursing program in major cities is expected to have around 2-300 applicants for around 5-60 spots that need to be filled. Many students will wait for two-four years on average before being accepted into a nursing program.
How do I become an RN?
There are several pathways to take to becoming a nursing educator; of course you must start your journey from the bottom. This means you must first become an RN and hold a bachelor’s degree. You can continue your education to obtain your master’s degree or even a doctorate in nursing if you want to manage or run a nursing program. RN programs are offered online, in person, or a hybrid of both. Each of these programs will require clinical hours; you will be required to care for patients under the supervision of an RNBSN (Registered Nurse with a Bachelor’s of Science in Nursing). After you have successfully completed the program and obtained your RNBSN degree you will be eligible to take the NCLEX-RN exam which will make you qualified to practice as a nurse. This guide will provide more information about becoming a nurse educator.
What are the educational requirements for nurse educators?
Nurse educator jobs primarily involve work in universities and colleges where the degrees offered are bachelor's degree and associate programs in nursing. Some instructors are involved in Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) courses; yet others work with health care facilities and are involved with clinical education.
The nursing master's degree (MSN) is the nurse educator certification required to teach students completing their bachelor's degree at any accredited university, as well as to fill the nurse educator jobs in health care agencies and in hospitals. A registered nurse who has clinical experience and holds a bachelor's degree in nursing will qualify as a clinical instructor. Additionally, pursuing an online teaching degree, such as a PhD in nursing education, can help you advance in the field. Nurse educators have a choice of working as full time members of the faculty, with the usual benefits of retirement and tenure; they also have another option of teaching part time and remaining involved with patient care in the hospital or other health care facility.
The MSN qualification is open to registered nurses with a minimum of three years of experience in a health care field. This qualification can be attained while the student is working his full-time job; in this instance, he will only need to invest a few hours a week on schoolwork. Several universities have accredited online nursing programs available, and will work with students’ local health care facilities to provide any hands-on training that may be necessary.
What are the benefits of a nurse educator career?
Training for a nurse educator qualification gives the interested candidate many options for variety in nurse educator jobs, flexible work schedules, opportunity to educate the eager minds of new nurses, and the opportunities for distance learning and other teaching situations.
While the nation's schools are greatly challenged with finding new educators to staff their faculty and to support the fast growing demand for nursing education, at the same time that difficulty presents opportunities for employment for nurse educators and also job security for a long time to come.
What does a nurse educator's salary look like?
Nurse educators are like educators across America, they are underpaid. You will see about a $10k reduction in pay from normal nursing hospital jobs. RNs typically make around $65-70,000 per year in a hospital setting. Nursing educators will make around $50-55,000, for full-time teaching. It is typical for nursing educators to teach Monday-Friday, and then work a part-time job on the weekends for extra money.
While the pay is less than the average nurse makes, you will be training a new generation of nurses. If you find yourself craving something more in your day job, you should look into teaching. Working this career as a nurse educator allows you to give back to the future nurses of America.