What is a Nurse Educator?
Job Description of a Nurse Educator
The duties mentioned of a nurse educator can involve the supervision of nursing students during their clinical experiences. Their job will also be to educate the public and many of the health specialists on various issues concerning nursing.
The nurse educators hired by colleges and universities will have the major duties to create, develop and implement a curriculum that will attest and meet the current demands of nursing. They will be there to supervise and provide for the nursing students hands-on training.
These professionals are not limited only to instruct and train the nursing students in colleges or universities. They also have the option to choose a career path that will allow them to train and instruct medical staff at hospitals and healthcare clinics as well as educate the public on numerous and various healthcare topics.
If the job of a nurse educator is in the setting of a clinical area, then these professionals will design educational programs that are made for the staff nurses. This will mean taking into account various skill levels. Their job will often involve managing budgets, secure funding, and other tasks related to the educational programs.
The most common nurse educator tasks include the management and the coordination of various educational activities as well as providing the right documentation. They will often participate in performance evaluations of the clinical staff, and they will offer support and guide to the clinical staff, in learning, and how to apply best and implement care processes or standards.
Nurse educators will have the tasks of identifying the present gaps by analyzing the standards and practice. They will create and design educational initiatives that will allow a great improvement in the care given to the patients.
How to Become a Nurse Educator?
If your hope is to become a nurse educator then right from the start, you should get the right amount of information on the minimum or the typical job openings. The educational requirements vary completely since there are some employers that will ask the candidates to possess a nursing license and as well as a Master of Science in Nursing degree or else known as an MSN. This is usually supported by clinical experience, and the length will vary being comprised between 2 and up to 5 years of experience.
The MSN has a length of 1 and up to 3 years this depending on the individual if she or he already possesses a bachelor’s in nursing degree. Other employers will accept candidates that already possess a bachelor’s degree and enough experience while others employers will require their candidates to have a doctoral degree.
Since you have to start from somewhere getting an entry level at a teaching job can be obtained by having a post master’s certificate. The length for possessing such a certificate is usually estimated at one semester, and the curriculum is comprised of around teaching and instructional approaches.
A doctoral degree is required for those nurse educators that will choose a career in college and university. Every student that will want to go beyond a master’s degree will find such training programs online or in campuses. A Ph.D. can take up to four years of studies while a DNP also known as the Doctor of Nursing Practice will take to be completed between one and up to four years.
The Doctoral programs are usually focused on two areas: one is research and the other on practice. A Ph.D. program is focused mainly on research while a DNP program places emphasis on practice. These programs have targeted the nursing education, and the coursework for both of them might include assessment and evaluation, advanced nursing, practice as a nurse educator and curriculum development and other.
Work Environment and Schedule
A nurse educator works in settings that typically involves nursing schools, community colleges, and technical schools as well as in the healthcare facilities. Those who found work in the healthcare facilities can work on positions such as clinical supervisors or staff development officers.
Their schedule is based on the type of employment but in general lines they can work nine months based on the academic calendar or a year. These professionals don’t have to work 12 hours shifts or do night shifts like the clinical nurses.
The day in the life of a nurse educator involves being in an office or a classroom and preparing for classes, giving lectures, advising students or attending to faculty meeting and handle all other administrative work. They will have to keep up and inform themselves of the current nursing knowledge.
When you have students to oversee in clinical settings, then your time will be divided between campus and a nearby healthcare facility. This facility can be such as a hospital, or you could be engaged in research that will add to the scientific base for nursing practice.
As a nurse educator many times you’ll have to fulfill certain publishing requirements, and you’ll often be involved in the research. With other words, academic life can be pretty busy and in many cases you’ll find yourself without much time for you. Being a nurse educator you’ll be expected to take part in professional organizations as well as to attend to various conferences as well as to speak when invited to events.
Pros and Cons of Being a Nurse Educator
Every job has its benefits and disadvantages. When it comes to the job and work of a nurse educator, there are certain aspects that will make you decide if this is the right career choice for you or not.
A very rewarding fact for many of the nurse educators remains the interaction with the students. Another one will be the nature of the job itself that can bring pride in the position of teaching other nurses to care for patients. This role cannot be changed with nothing and the outcome many times is without words just a huge fulfillment.
Another factor that will influence for the best is the portability; nursing is one of those careers that can be taken anywhere. Once you have been recognized as a licensed registered nurse in one state you can easily apply for reciprocity in another state. The career field is very wide, and there are plenty of job opportunities and various settings in which you can get a job.
However the academic life, and the career established, can many times be filled with stress and pressure. These things are due to unexpected situations and multiple demanding, and will leave you with less time for you to enjoy as the time for yourself.
Another con that has to deal with the context of this field is the fact that you’ll be engaged in plenty of educational activities with students and with patients. Such things will many times be emotionally, physically and intellectually challenging. There are not challenges that will not be accompanied by frustration but on some level they will keep you motivated and engaged.
Nurse Educator job growth
The employment growth for nurse educators is predicted at 19% rate of increase, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, that is a faster than the average rate for all occupations. The job prospects and outlook for this field is a great one, with plenty of setting where to choose from such as private practices, or various local hospitals, universities, colleges, community settings or the public ones as well as other locations and facilities.
The rate of increase is mainly due to the number of demanding as well as the nature itself of the job since the role of a nurse educator is one that links other nurses with the field through giving the right education and not only.
Nurse Educator Salary
In the United States, the estimated average salary for a nurse educator is estimated at $78,243 per year. The compensations that are given will differ greatly based on the clinical experience and the teaching experience that these professionals have gained.
There are opportunities for an increase in the salaries due to the level of education that one possess. For instance, if you have a doctorate, or you’re in a higher position of leadership or you assume administrative responsibilities then your salary will be higher. Another option that will get you gain some extra payment is to care for patients.
There are many fields in which a nurse educator can earn a higher income by caring for patients than teaching. On the other side, the nursing schools are compensating by offering a more competitive salary in order to attract nurses into education.
The median salary for these professionals is estimated at $69,316 per year. The salaries of nurse educators are estimated to start from $50,234 per year and reach up to $91,414 per year. To this payment, you can add other benefits such as estimated bonuses that can reach up to $5,043 per year and profit sharing that will start from $400.05 and go up to $2,036. In the end, it will lead to a total payment that is comprised between $50,787 and $93,837 per year.
The great news is that you have plenty of job opportunities and career advancement paths. With more education and with specializations added you can turn to a higher position. Such a position can be Nursing Management, Clinical Nurse Specialist or else called a CNS, or you can even apply for a position of Family Nurse Practitioner or an NP.
A nurse educator salary is also influenced according to location, and it was to make estimations the highest salaries were received in Maryland where the highest average wage reported reaches at about $89,562 per year. The second one based on the estimations made according to each state was California where the average income was of $89,062 per year.
Other states that have a very good average when it comes to the income of a nurse educator are Connecticut, with an average estimation reaching at $80,572 per year, Delaware at about $81,122 per year and Nevada at $81,912 per year. The lowest wage according to states was earned in Montana, where the average income is estimated to reach only at $52,642 per year.
Salary of a Nurse Educator in 2015
Working in the nursing field you’ll be provided with a lot of job security since there are many institutions and facilities that are in need for these professionals. Based on many statistics the next ten years or so there is announced a growth in the health care jobs.
The estimations made show that in the US, in 2015 the salary of a nurse educator is above the average and that the mean annual wage for these professionals reaches about $70,210 per year. The salaries will vary based on the extensive clinical experiences, the type of employment and also due to each state and the educational level earned.
Nurse Educator Salary in 2016
In the US, for the year 2016, the average median income for a nurse educator reaches at $70,186 per year, according to the salary data survey information provided by PayScale. The starting point in the salary of these professionals, goes from $50,614 per year and up to $93,271 per year. The bonus that is usually granted reaches at $5,482, while the estimated profit sharing is calculated at $1,005. In the end, with all these benefits granted the figures in the total payment start from $51,422 per year and up to $95,689 per year.
The main factors that impact the earnings in this profession are the geographical location, followed by the specific type of employment, industry, educational level as well as years of experience in the field. The majority of people that work on a nurse educator position turn out to be female rather than male. The skills that most affect and impact this job, and that bring higher salaries are the ER or else called the Emergency Room, as well as the Critical Care and the Clinical Education.
When it comes to the payment by years of experience you can see a slow but sure increase in the salaries of nurse educators. For instance an entry-level individual with less than five years on the job, can expect to earn around $65,010 per year, while one with 5 and up to 10 years in the field will gain around $68,010 per year. Those considered an experienced nurse educators with 10 and up 20 years of experience will take home around $74,010 per year, while the veterans in this field with more than 20 years of work and practice can expect to earn around $77,010 per year.
The national average payment for this profession rises at $70,708 per year. The best paying jobs can be found in Chicago, where the earnings tend to usually have a median total payment of $82,445 per year. These figures being above the national average, followed by Huston, with a median total payment that reaches at around $79,796 per year.
According to Indeed.com, the average income for a nurse educator is estimated to reach at $65,010 per year. Taking a look at the incomes that are to be found for jobs with related titles, you’ll discover that the incomes vary as well. For instance a nurse educator vascular access, will earn around $112,010 per year while a RN educator can expect to take home around $80,010 per year.
Nurse Educator Salary in Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom
- In Canada, a nurse educator average wage is estimated to be reached at about C$39.88 per hour. The people working in this job have already more than five years of experience in related jobs. The hourly rate in this country has an estimation that is comprised between C$33.02 per hour ad goes up to and C$49.41 per hour. The bonus that is granted in this field can reach up to C$10,102, this leading in the end to a total payment that is comprised between C$54,087 per year and C$96,688 per year.
- In Australia, for instance, the median wage for these professionals is estimated to reach at about AU$38.05 per hour. The hourly rate that is to be found in this field it will start from AU$28.16 per hour and go up to AU$48.84 per hour. The bonus that is granted in this job can reach up to AU$7,123 this will lead to a granted salary that ranges from AU$59,078 per year and goes up to AU$98,707 per year.
- In the UK, the estimations made for income concerning a job as a nurse educator have reached to be comprised between £20,005 per year and up to £40,005 per year. These salaries are also influenced according to the areas, and the clinical experience that was gained over the years.
Conclusion on Nurse Educator Salary
For the next ten years or so due to the major influential factors, working as a nurse educator can lead to an increasing growth that will be estimated above the average.
Every medical and public setting that is linked with the healthcare system is in need for a nurse educator and its services and with the number of demanding increasing this job offers a great stability. Working as a nurse educator means offering knowledge and information to the generations that follows and providing the greatest possible care for patients with various health problems.
Post Revisions
- First Published Date: 23 June, 2015
- Last Updated Date: 29 November, 2016