Health care has been identified as number one public priority and nursing professionals play an important role in providing health care. Good quality of education and trainings to nurses are crucial. Because of this, the clinical expertise and the passion for teaching of a nurse educator can be a rewarding career. They play an important role in strengthening the nursing workforce and delivering leadership needed in continuing education and services of nurses.
Do you have clinical expertise and a passion for teaching? Perhaps, you might want to explore a nurse educator as a career. Let’s discuss the nature of work of a nurse educator.
What is a Nurse Educator?
A nurse educator is a registered nurse who combines clinical expertise and teaching into a career. They teach and prepare licensed practical nurses and registered nurses for entry into practice position. They play an important role in ensuring quality educational experiences of a nursing workforce which are needed in the health-care environment.
Duties of a Nurse Educator
Nurse educators are responsible for equipping and guiding current and future generation of nurses. They serve in a variety of roles from a clinical faculty to a dean of a nursing school or teaching nurses in hospitals. These professionals are responsible for implementing, designing, assessing and modifying academic and continuing education programs for nurses. The academic programs maybe in the form of a formal academic program that leads to a certificate or a nursing degree, or informal education program that for continuing learning.
Nurse educators can also have responsibilities consistent with faculty in other disciplines in academic settings. Aside from teaching, their duties include advising students, engaging in research works, taking part in professional associations, speaking at nursing conferences, contributing leadership ideas in academic community, and maintaining clinical competence. In other health care settings, nurse educators work as clinical supervisors and staff development officers.
Nurse educators can also work in conjunction with other health care professionals for meeting the appropriate learning needs of nurses. They are the cutting edge of clinical advancements.
Work Condition of Nurse Educator
A nurse educator can work in many different settings. They can work in the academic setting such as the nursing schools, in the hospitals teaching registered nurses or in community colleges, home care agencies or online using distance learning technolog. Unlike the nurses do, the nurse educators don’t have long shifts. They work only eight to ten hours a day.
The work of a nurse educator is very demanding job but most of them find it rewarding because they are interacting with people everyday. Seeing their student’s progress in their education and training is a great achievement to them.
Educational Requirements of a Nurse Educator
To be a nurse educator in a clinical setting, it is required that you are a registered nurse with a valid license and years of experience in a health care environment. In an academic setting, the minimum requirement of a nurse educator is a master’s degree but some academic programs require a doctorate degree.
Occupation and Progress of a Nurse Educator
The work of a nurse educator is both demanding and a very rewarding job. It requires years of experience in a health care environment. If one wants to accelerate in this job, he/she must never stop learning by acquiring trainings and education. Those who take bachelor’s degree in nursing can progress in their profession by taking master’s degree and finally a doctorate degree. You must also collaborate with other health care professionals to know clinical advancements and to add to your learning experience and skills as a nurse educator.
In this profession, continuous learning is a key to success. You must not be afraid to try new things and keep updating yourself to new technologies and new teaching strategies. There is a great expectation that there will be a high demand of nurse educators. Some nursing schools are struggling to find a nurse educator to cater the rising interest of new students in a nursing profession. Aside from great opportunities, a nurse educator career is a dual role profession. You can be an educator at the same a patient care provider.
What are you waiting for? A nursing educator could be an amazing career for you.