How to Become a Nurse Educator

To become a nurse educator, you build solid clinical expertise as an RN, start teaching informally on your unit, and then earn the credentials your target setting requires. Academic faculty roles usually require at least an MSN, while hospital educator roles often ask for a BSN at minimum and prefer or require an MSN. Certification, such as the National League for Nursing's Certified Nurse Educator (CNE), strengthens your case in either setting.

Two main types of nurse educator

Your steps depend on whether you want to teach students in a school or train nurses in a hospital.

Faculty qualifications are also governed by state boards of nursing and by program accreditors, so requirements differ by state and school. Part-time and adjunct clinical instructors, who supervise students at the bedside, are common, and the degree required for that role varies by state.

Hospital titles include clinical nurse educator, unit educator, nursing professional development specialist and residency coordinator. On the academic side you will also see simulation educator and clinical instructor roles.

What nurse educators do

The nurse educator role centers on helping other people learn to practice safely. Typical work includes:

• Assessing learning needs and designing teaching to meet them
• Teaching in classrooms, skills labs, simulation and at the bedside
• Writing and evaluating tests, competency checklists and skills validations
• Mentoring new nurses and students
• Rolling out new policies, equipment and evidence-based practice changes
• Tracking outcomes and adjusting programs based on what works
• Keeping their own clinical knowledge current

Skills that make a good educator

• Clinical judgment you can explain. Experts often act on instinct; educators slow down and put their reasoning into words.
• Patience with learners at every level, including experienced nurses learning something new.
• Clear communication, both in writing and in front of a group.
• Feedback skills. Giving honest, specific feedback that helps someone improve without crushing their confidence.
• Organization. Tracking competencies, schedules and records for many learners at once.
• Adaptability. Adjusting your approach for different learning styles and experience levels.

A simple test: after a stretch of precepting, notice whether your orientee's progress leaves you energized or drained. That reaction says a lot about whether teaching full-time will suit you.

Step 1: Become a strong clinician

Your credibility as an educator rests on your clinical skill. Hospital educator postings commonly ask for experience in the specialty you will teach, and unit educators often come from that unit or a similar one. Faculty who teach a clinical course are expected to know that area well.

Step 2: Start teaching where you are

You can build teaching experience long before you change titles:

• Precept new hires and students. It is the closest thing to a teaching trial run. Here is how to be a good nurse preceptor.
• Become a superuser for new equipment or EHR changes.
• Lead unit in-services and help run skills fairs.
• Join your practice council or education committee.
• Become a CPR instructor through an organization that trains instructors, such as the American Heart Association.
• Help with your hospital's residency program. Read what new grads get from nurse residency programs to see how those programs are built.

Many hospitals reward this kind of work through a clinical ladder program, which can raise your pay while you prepare for an educator role.

Step 3: Earn the right degree

• For hospital educator roles, a BSN is often the minimum, and an MSN is often preferred or required. An MSN in nursing education or in your clinical specialty can both work, depending on the employer.
• For academic roles, an MSN is usually the minimum to teach in prelicensure programs, and a doctorate (PhD, DNP or EdD) is expected for many university and tenure-track positions.

Look for graduate programs with coursework in curriculum design, teaching strategies and evaluation, plus a teaching practicum. Ask your employer about tuition help before you enroll.

Step 4: Get certified

The main educator certifications are:

• CNE (Certified Nurse Educator) from the National League for Nursing, for academic nurse educators
• CNEcl (Certified Academic Clinical Nurse Educator) from the NLN, for academic educators who teach mainly in clinical settings
• NPD-BC (Nursing Professional Development) from ANCC, for hospital-based professional development educators

Each has its own eligibility rules on education and teaching experience, so check the certifying body before you apply. Keep your clinical specialty certification current as well; it supports your credibility in the content you teach.

Step 5: Apply strategically

• Start as an adjunct clinical instructor or part-time educator while you keep a bedside job, if your state and school allow it.
• Build a teaching portfolio with in-service materials, evaluations and a short teaching philosophy.
• Prepare a teaching demonstration, which many academic interviews include.
• In interviews, ask about student or staff load, expectations for scholarship and service, and whether you can keep some clinical practice.

The emerging nurse leader learning path covers communication and leadership skills that educators use every day.

Where to see pay

Educator pay varies by setting, region, degree and whether a role is salaried or hourly. Moving from bedside to a weekday educator role can change your overall compensation, because differentials and overtime may disappear. Read hourly vs salaried nursing jobs before you compare offers, and run each one through the free pay calculator.

Next step

Browse nursing jobs for educator, clinical instructor and professional development openings; jobs posted on NurseTide show the pay.

General information for nurses, not medical, legal, tax or financial advice. Follow your facility's policies, your state board of nursing and the terms of your employer or contract.