Top Reasons to Become a Nurse Educator
Beyond working in a clinical setting and providing hands-on patient care, the rewarding field of nursing offers an abundance of career paths and future job opportunities. For instance, nurses with a Master of Science-Nursing Education may become educators, guiding others to becoming the best nurses possible within a variety of fields.
What is a nurse educator’s role, exactly? Explore more about the top reasons one might consider becoming a nurse educator.
What Is a Nurse Educator?
A nurse educator is a registered nurse (RN) who uses their training, skills and education to teach students in graduate or postgraduate capacities. This can entail patient care education in medical facilities, teaching in a classroom setting or a mixture of both. It can also mean being intricately involved in creating a curriculum to train the next generation of nurses.
Rewarding Benefits of Being a Nurse Educator
Take a closer look at the numerous advantages of choosing a nurse educator profession, as well as the immense impact such a career can have on others and the nursing field overall:
Making a Lasting Impact on the Future of Nursing
Becoming a nurse educator allows a skilled nurse to impart their training and hard-earned knowledge to the industry itself, in many ways shaping the future of the entire nursing landscape. The nurses in training who sit in the classroom (or online) will take what they have learned and put it into practice in the field. Therefore, serving in a nurse educator position means a skilled nurse can make a difference in the trajectory of health care.
Helping Improve Patient Care Through Better Training
Education is key to creating an environment that is healthy and supportive for patients. Nurses should be well-versed in the latest strategies for patient care. Nurse educators can help them understand the day-to-day elements (along with the not-so-ideal scenarios) they will likely face when delivering patient care. Their real-world experience is indispensable for new nurses who are honing their skills in patient care before putting them into practice. In other words, a classroom environment or even on-the-job training is the perfect opportunity for nurse educators to share what they know about patient care through their experience with new nurses.
Enjoying a More Predictable and Flexible Work Schedule
Nursing might be a rewarding career choice, but it’s also a demanding one both emotionally and physically — often including long hours, unpredictable work schedules and more. A nurse education position either through a hospital or an educational institute will be more structured and predictable. Thus, set hours are likely the standard for this role, which is considerably different from working in health care as a practicing nurse.
Transitioning to a Less Physically Demanding Role
As mentioned, nursing is demanding in many ways, not the least of which is physical. After working in the industry and providing care for patients, nurses may find it takes a toll on their bodies. Thankfully, being a nurse educator gives nurses the ability to still practice the role they love without the physical strain.
Accessing Competitive Salaries and Job Stability
Nurse educators enjoy job stability along with competitive salaries — ranging from an average of $80,780 to upwards of $130,320 per year, according to data from the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
Exploring Diverse Career Opportunities in Education and Health Care
There are numerous ways to put an MSN degree from an accredited nursing program to work in education and health care. This may include working management roles within the medical field, in a college or university classroom setting, or even within medical facilities.
Becoming a Leader in Nursing Curriculum and Policy Development
Nurse educators’ voices matter to the field at large. In many cases, it is these professionals who oversee or contribute to the creation of nursing curricula and impact policy development for the future.
Engaging in Lifelong Learning and Professional Growth
When training others, nurse educators are still experiencing growth themselves. As the industry changes, educators are charged with staying on top of the latest advancements. This means that nurse educators will always be learning and growing professionally as they train others.
Having the Opportunity to Teach in Traditional and Online Settings
Nurse educators may have the flexibility to teach in online settings instead of always teaching in person using a more traditional style. Given all the ways that universities (like Texas A&M) work to help students with flexible schedules and online or in-person options, nurse educators can also benefit.
Joining a Profession With High Demand and Strong Job Security
Nursed educators will continue to be in high demand and enjoy enhanced job security due to their crucial role in training the next generation of nurses. This profession is one that is here to stay and will continue to yield various job opportunities.
Challenges Faced by Nurse Educators
Although becoming a nurse educator is overall positive, not all aspects of moving into a classroom or teaching setting are easy. There are certain challenges that nurse educators might face when choosing this career path.
Navigating the Transition From Clinical Nursing to Teaching
For some new educators, it can be challenging and intimidating to transition from actually working as a nurse in the field — practicing a skill in a real-world setting — to teaching others in a classroom how to do the job and hone the skills.
Addressing Diverse Learning Styles and Students’ Needs
All students are different; no two people learn exactly the same way. One challenge nurse educators may face is addressing diverse learning needs and styles within the classroom. Nursing education programs prepare educators with the expertise to recognize these differences and apply evidence-based teaching principles to improve student learning. This often requires creativity and flexibility to ensure all students are engaged and supported effectively.
Keeping Up With Rapid Changes in Nursing and Health Care
Like many disciplines, the world of nursing and health care is constantly changing. Continued technology and scientific advancements are always a factor. Nurse educators have to keep up with these rapid changes so they can then teach the next group of nurses, ensuring their students are not left behind in a dynamic industry. This could be a challenge for some but a benefit for others who genuinely enjoy continued learning and extensive engagement within their field of study.
Earn a Master's in Nursing Education at Texas A&M
As evidenced above, there exist a variety of benefits of being a nurse educator as a profession. At Texas A&M University, we offer an MSN-Nursing Education degree program that can equip you to become a nurse educator.
Think becoming a nurse educator could be an ideal path for you careerwise? Ready to expand your current education with a master’s in nursing education? Contact us today to request more information about our accredited nursing programs.
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