MSN, RN, NPD-BC
The beauty of the nursing field is that there are multiple ways to make an impact. After years at the bedside, you can become a travel nurse, nurse anesthetist, nurse practitioner, legal nurse consultant, nurse informaticist, infection prevention nurse, telehealth nurse, nurse writer, outpatient nurse, infusion nurse, immunization nurse, nurse educator, and much more. The possibilities are endless.
This is in no way diminishing the importance and value of nursing at the bedside. If I can be honest, I had a hard time parting with the bedside, so I chose a route that kept me close to my nurses: EDUCATION!
I can only speak for myself when I say I became a nurse because I wanted to help people. At the age of 5, without really knowing what a nurse does, I knew I wanted to be a nurse like my aunt. I grew up viewing a nurse as a woman in a white top, white skirt, white shoes, and white cap with a red cross on it.
As time went on, I viewed a nurse as a person who cared for people by giving them medicine, filling their water cups, fluffing their pillows, and making sure they were properly covered by their blanket. That view of nurses evolved into much more before I entered nursing school, and even more once I became a nurse.
I thought I would be at the bedside forever. I loved caring for patients and their families that much. But that thought changed a few years into my nursing career. I wasn’t burned out. I was still very excited about direct patient care and actually wanted to contribute even more on my unit. This is when my interest in being a nurse educator came alive.
My first nursing job was in the medical intensive care unit at a prestigious teaching hospital. My preceptors and other people on my unit encouraged new nurses to further their education. This didn’t just mean going back to school for an advanced degree. It meant attending conferences, joining the unit education committee, participating in skills fairs, attending nursing grand rounds, considering a certification, and a world of other enrichment ventures.
With encouragement from my mentors, I joined our unit education committee and became a preceptor. I began to reflect on my 11-year journey — graduating nursing school, passing the NCLEX, and landing a job in critical care as a brand-new nurse. I asked myself, “If I had to do this all over again, what would I change about what I received from educators as a nursing student and a new nurse?”
Through this time of reflection, I decided to pursue a graduate degree in nursing education. I realized my desire to help people extended beyond patients and families and expanded to the people who were caring for these patients and families. If you’re considering moving into the nursing education field, let’s explore some of your options.
My initial goal was to become an educator in the university setting. During graduate school, I taught a clinical rotation with a group of six students as part of my scholarship requirements. I also assisted with labs and some lectures.
During our graduation celebration dinner, the dean of our department reminded us that the next step was to obtain a doctoral degree if we wanted to become professors. I quickly realized I would have to become creative until I was able to obtain a doctoral degree.
I maintained a per diem status in my bedside role and took the opportunity to become was formerly called a clinical educator in a hospital. I had unit-specific and centralized education responsibilities. Eventually, I became a hospital-based educator full-time. Below are some key points to consider when deciding to be a nurse educator in the hospital setting.
Different institutions call their nurse educators by varying titles, including clinical nurse educator, nurse educator, staff development practitioner, and staff development specialist.
In recent years, several hospitals have modified their job specifications and titles to align with the Nursing Professional Development Scope and Standards of Practice. Therefore, you may see titles such as Nursing Professional Development (NPD) Practitioner or Nursing Professional Development Specialist (NPD specialist/NPDS). NPD practitioners need a minimum of a baccalaureate degree in nursing. NPD specialists must hold at least a graduate degree in nursing, as well as certification in Nursing Professional Development (NPD-BC). The certification is offered through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).
Through the guidance of the NPD Scope and Standards of Practice, the six key responsibilities of an NPD practitioner or specialist are:
Educators in the hospital setting can be unit-based or systemwide. In my first role, I was assigned to two units: postoperative orthopedic and telemetry. I was responsible for onboarding, remediation, and education on anything involving policy/practice changes and new equipment. I led unit-based education committees, facilitated skills fairs, and created educational resources.
I collaborated with the nurse managers to assess learning needs for the unit. There were frequent check-ins with new and seasoned employees. I also assisted with centralized onboarding classes outside of my assigned units.
In my current role as a systemwide NPD specialist, I facilitate nursing education that affects all areas of the organization. In a hospital-based setting, you will also have the opportunity to develop multidisciplinary relationships that help bolster continuing education programs, lead evidence-based initiatives, and partner in policy revision.
Hospital-based educator roles are very versatile, as policies and practices can change by the minute. Some NPD specialists support nurses in effectively educating patients and their families. Others may facilitate initiatives that focus more on career development and certification rather than physical skills and competencies. There are also cases where NPD specialists are affiliated with a hospital system but focus on home health or ambulatory/outpatient settings.
Pay varies based on the institution. Some pay hourly while others offer a fixed salary. Due to varying shifts of the nurses, there will be times when education has to occur off-shift. Hourly pay would include shift differential. Salary pay would not. Compensation typically increases with merit and market reviews. NPD certification will also result in a salary increase.
In some states, nurses can become adjunct clinical instructors with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN). However, in most states, a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) is strongly preferred. At this level, educators can become adjunct clinical instructors, lab instructors, or full-time lecturers.
To obtain professor status, a doctoral degree is required. Historically, this has been either a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree. In recent years, this has expanded to include degrees such as Doctor of Nursing Education (DNE) and Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) with a nursing education focus. The offerings vary depending on the academic institution.
The pay for hospital-based educators varies depending on the institution. BSN- and MSN-prepared nurse educators in academia typically earn significantly less than educators in a hospital-based setting. Obtaining a doctoral degree can move an educator toward a pay increase and tenure.
Being an educator is much more than teaching and curriculum development. The National League for Nursing (NLN) developed Core Competencies for Academic Nurse Educators.
These competencies are divided into three categories:
The novice and experienced academic nurse educator share the same core competencies:
While the core competencies are the same, the task statements for each are modified to the level of expectation for a novice nurse educator. A novice nurse educator has less than two years of experience.
The academic clinical nurse educator has similar core competencies, with the addition of demonstrating effective interpersonal communication and collaborative interprofessional relationships. In addition to learning nursing tasks, nursing students will need to learn the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration for the best patient outcomes. The academic clinical nurse educator models this communication and collaboration when teaching.
When I decided to obtain a master’s degree in nursing education, I started with a goal of teaching at a university. My experiences made me want to be an educator who considered the full picture. I had a desire to nurture an environment where students felt heard. I wanted to foster a culture where educators looked past poor exams and investigated the root of unsuccessful journeys in nursing school.
James Baker stated, “Proper preparation prevents poor performance.” I wanted to be part of the process preparing nursing students, not only for the NCLEX, but for their future career. There’s versatility in the roles in academic education. You may lecture in-person or virtually. You may be teaching in a simulation lab or an actual hospital unit.
Another reason I wanted to teach in an academic setting is that I knew that engaging in scholarship was a major component of the role. Some nurses fear that leaving the bedside will keep them far removed from the latest practice. I believe the requirement to engage in scholarship keeps everything fresh and current.
Various roles fall under the travel nurse educator label. The first is similar to what you expect from a travel nurse. The travel nurse educator is contracted to serve a hospital for an agreed amount of time to address the immediate needs of the organization. This is an interim role with the potential to transition into a permanent role.
Travel nurse educators might also work with companies that market medical equipment. For instance, if a hospital decides to purchase new feeding pumps, an educator from that vendor would travel to the hospital to facilitate education. Sometimes, the educator will hold classes to educate the nurses. In other cases, the educator will teach hospital educators and superusers who then are prepared to teach the rest of the nurses.
Other travel nurse educators might be employed by a company that offers electronic medical record and documentation systems. When a hospital changes to a new system, educators from that vendor will travel to the hospital to train superusers and be present for support when the new system is activated.
There are many opportunities in the travel nurse educator arena, and as with any contract work, the compensation and perks are desirable. This may be a good fit if your life allows you to be away from home for extended amounts of time. It’s also a great fit if you like frequent setting changes and meeting new people.
We have a tendency to think about the more formal educator roles; however, it is also important to discuss the concept of a preceptor. A position statement from the Association for Nursing Professional Development defines a preceptor as “one who guides, assesses, and validates the knowledge, skills, and attitudes needed to transition to a new role, specialty, or environment in the healthcare setting.”
Preceptors not only help train new nurses but also can be called on to mentor students who are completing their clinical rotation. According to the Ulrich Precepting Model, preceptors have seven roles:
Based on the roles alone, preceptors are integral to the education experience for nursing students and nurses. While the preceptor role is not recognized as a nursing specialty, it is certainly a gateway to preparing for certain certifications and advanced degree roles. If you are considering a transition into a formal education role, precepting is certainly a place to start!
Education in any capacity is a vital part of the nursing journey. Whichever path you decide to take, it will make an impact. Seeking mentorship, taking advantage of shadow opportunities, and weighing what you perceive to be pros and cons can help make the decision that is best for you. I wish you all the best!
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