Why Become a Nurse Educator?

Have you heard the old saying, “Those that cannot do, teach”? When it comes to nurse educators, that saying should be revised to say “Those that can do very well, teach”! Good nurse educators—registered nurses with advanced education who are also teachers—must be exceptionally skilled in their field, must stay current with new nursing methods and technologies, and must have a genuine desire to help prepare the next generation of nurses. “Education allows you…to help nurses grow, to become, and at the same time to practice your craft,” says Professor Bethany Hoffman, RN, MSN, in an interview by HospitalSoup.com.

Do you have to give up nursing to become a nurse educator? On the contrary, many Nurse educators continue to care for patients part-time, balancing their clinical practice with the education of future nurses. Even if you decide to teach full-time, you’ll still need to be on the leading edge of clinical practice to ensure that your students are getting the best possible information.

There are many reasons to become a nurse educator. The main reason, if you’re going to be any good at the job, is probably that you are passionate about both teaching and nursing. You already know you are passionate about nursing. But how do you know if you will be any good at teaching?

“I would say if you’re interested in teaching, try it,” says Christie Dryer, director of Cecil College ADN program. “ I would try precepting if you’re fairly new to it to see if you actually like mentoring at all; it gives you some idea of what teaching’s like. And try it. You’ll know very quickly. Try a semester of clinical teaching; you’ll love it or hate it.” (Interviewed on The Nursing Show, January 2009)

Other practical benefits to becoming a nurse educator include high job security, good pay, and convenient working hours.

High Job Security

As a nursing educator, you will be in extremely high demand. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, thousands of qualified applicants are being turned away from nursing schools because of a serious shortage of nurse educators. This results in too few nurses being trained to meet the needs of the nursing industry. Too few nurses means even fewer future nurse educators…and the cycle goes on. You can help avert the nursing shortage crisis by becoming a nurse educator. In addition to being part of the solution, you will also enjoy excellent job security and your pick of attractive job offers.

Competitive Salaries

The compensation for nurse educators reflects the shortage. In previous years, nurse educators were underpaid, which may have been a contributing factor to the current scarcity. Now, however, “salaries are catching up across the country as everyone’s realizing we have to have plenty of qualified, competent nursing faculty to have qualified, competent nurses,” says Dryer.

The average salary for a nurse educator is just over $71,000, but can vary greatly depending on how much clinical and teaching experience you have. Nurse educators who work only during the academic year are paid their annual salary over nine months, and summer teaching is usually compensated separately. If you decide to complete a doctorate program, you can expect a corresponding salary increase. In addition, if you take on administrative or leadership responsibilities, you should make more money.

Convenient working hours

As a nurse educator, you typically won’t be expected to work 12-hour shifts or graveyard shifts, as you might have done as a clinical nurse. Much of your day will be spent in your office or classroom. You will need to prepare lectures, advise students one-on-one, grade coursework, participate in faculty meetings, handle administrative work and do research. Academic life is certainly demanding, and you’ll need to be able to juggle several priorities at once, but many RNs who have transitioned into an academic setting say that the working hours are less stressful than in clinical practice.

So what is your next step to becoming a nurse educator?

First of all, you must be a registered nurse with a valid license and several years of work experience. Most nurse educators complete a Master’s degree in nursing. At some universities, educators are required to have doctorates. Depending on your area of specialty, you may also choose to pursue a post-master’s certificate or degree in education as well as certification. Wherever you are on the path to becoming a nurse educator, you can take advantage of the many online degree programs available so that you can continue to work while you study.

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