How to Become a Nurse Educator

Nurse educators are experienced nurses with a strong clinical background who train and educate budding nurses. Even if a few nurses prefer to continue giving medical assistance to other professionals for the sake of patients, as a side job, the primary responsibility is to be a faculty member at an institution to aid in teaching the future nurses with their practical experience. As there is a growing demand of nurses in America and other parts of the world, the nursing education profession has seen a boom due to the need of training nursing students.

Nurse educators spend most of their time in classroom or office preparing for the next lesson or laboratory assignment and are usually required to work in academic environment like nursing schools, training institutions, or community colleges. They might also be employed in hospitals, clinics, or as a clinical supervisor or staff development officer. Educators who are accountable for overseeing students in a clinical environment as well as serving the patients can divide their time between teaching and patient care.

Steps to become a Nurse Educator:

Here are points that demonstrate how to become a nurse educator.

Get a Nursing Degree

The preliminary prerequisite to a nursing profession is a degree from an accredited institution. To be a nurse educator, you need to be an Advance Practice Nurse or a certified Registered Nurse. A doctoral degree is an advantage and usually preferred at the university level.

Obtain a License

Irrespective of whether you are planning to become an educator immediately after graduation, or post a full-fledged nursing career, you need to obtain a Registered Nurse license for the concerned state. Nurse educator is an excellent profile for those finding it difficult to juggle between 24/7 hospital responsibilities and family time. It allows the individuals to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Do Certification

To give the best to students, it is essential that you keep your knowledge up-to-date, and this is possible only with the help of certifications. An educator could teach subjects related to geriatric nursing, pediatric healthcare, or even ways to tackle emergency situations. Hence, it is always good to do certification courses along with some practical experience.

Have Substantial Experience

To be an educator, you first need to understand how things work at a clinical setting, or in a hospital environment. Getting a practical experience by caring for patients can be of great use for giving some real-life examples to delve into the field of teaching. Most educational institutions also demand hands-on experience of a few years.

Enroll in Educator Coursework

Since the job of a nurse educator is usually confined to the walls of a classroom or lab, before taking the plunge, it is good to complete a short-term course to get the hang of teaching. Many universities offer online courses for working nurses. For individuals aspiring to make a full-time career in this field, one must check out the bachelor's degree programs from a reputed institution.

Get a Nurse Educator Certification

While not all employers demand a certificate, having a national certification can help you stand out from the crowd. The National League for Nursing offers a Certified Nurse Educator program for experienced nurses willing to take the field of education. All you need to do is take an exam and clear it with good grades.

Write a Concise Resume

Even if there is a rise in vacancies for nurse educators, an employer must know that you are looking to fill in in that position. Furthermore, if you want to highlight your experience and teaching skills, drafting a succinct resume is a must. The document must be a perfect combination of your skills, and different responsibilities that you have successfully executed when caring for patients. It should reflect your urge to educate the budding nurses with real-life examples.

Nurse educators are known to be enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge to the future healthcare professionals and hence, must be a good role model. Becoming an educator is an excellent career option for passionate nurses who want to extend their services to the nursing domain beyond the hospitals and clinical settings.