How to Become a Nurse Educator

nurse educator with studentsThe U.S. healthcare system needs more and more nurses each year. However, there aren’t enough faculty members in master's degree in nursing education programs to help meet this demand. In fact, per the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, U.S. nursing schools turned away 65,766 qualified applications from baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs in 2023 due to an insufficient number of faculty, clinical sites, classroom space, clinical preceptors, and budget constraints.

If you’re an experienced nurse, you can help secure the future of the profession—and expand your own career horizons—by becoming a nurse educator. As a nurse educator, you will teach student nurses to care for patients in classrooms and in clinical settings. You could teach nursing students in two-year or four-year programs. It’s a rewarding career path that offers you the opportunity to have a lasting impact on the quality of patient care by training the next generation of nurses.

This short guide to becoming a nurse educator lays out the steps you should follow, what qualifications you should pursue, and how long it takes to become a nurse educator — as well as explaining what nurse educators do. 


Steps to Becoming a Nurse Educator

If you’re wondering how long it takes to become a nurse educator, it can take several years depending on what degrees you've already earned. Generally, nurse educator requirements include an RN license plus a master’s, post-master's, or doctoral degree in nursing. In addition, you may want to obtain certification as a nurse educator to qualify for more positions.


Step 1: Choose a Nurse Educator Degree Program

Finding the right educational program can be challenging, especially if you’re already employed full-time in the healthcare field. You should consider several factors when selecting a nurse educator degree program, including:

  • Accreditation status for the university and the degree program
  • The institution's reputation in the education and healthcare communities
  • Availability of online courses for students already working full-time
  • Graduation and employment rates
  • Cost of the program after any aid has been considered

Any of these program characteristics can impact your overall success in pursuing a career as a nurse educator. 

Step 2: Earn Your Degree

Once you’ve found your program and enrolled, you will need to complete your coursework. Courses for a nurse educator master’s degree can cover the following areas:

  • Theories of education and learning
  • Assessment and evaluation of student performance
  • Curriculum design and development
  • Educational technology for training nurses
  • Teaching strategies for nurse instructors
  • Reviewing and evaluating research in both nursing practice and nursing education

Nursing research is required. In addition, you will complete hands-on teaching practice in either a classroom or clinical setting. These courses and experiences provide you with the skills and competencies you need to educate future generations of nurses.


Step 3: Obtain Your Nurse Educator Certification (optional)

After graduating from your program, you will be eligible to pursue roles right away. However, you may want to seek certification as a nurse educator. While not all employers will require it, earning this national certification can help you stand out.

The Certified Nurse Educator program offered by the National League for Nursing is open to licensed nurses who hold a master’s or doctoral degree and who have at least two years of experience teaching at an educational institution. To earn CNE certification, you will need to take an examination and pay a fee. Visit the National League for Nursing for more information.


How Long Does It Take to Become a Nurse Educator?

If you are already a licensed nurse with a bachelor's degree, it can take as few as two to three years of study at the master's degree level to become a nurse educator. If you already have an MSN, it can take as few as one year of post-master's study.

The certification exam is for experienced educators. You could pursue becoming a certified nurse educator at least two years after you've been teaching.


What Does a Nurse Educator Do?

learn_nurseeducator2.jpegAs a nurse educator, you will be responsible for ensuring your students’ success in both nursing theory and clinical practice. You will most likely:

  • Design nursing curriculum, plan and deliver lessons
  • Effectively evaluate student learning and identify their strengths and weaknesses
  • Create program improvement strategies
  • Offer career development advice to student nurses
  • Assist with finding clinical placement sites and/or observe students in clinicals
  • Understand the connection between students’ clinical experiences and classroom learning
  • Model best practices in patient care and nursing administration

It’s important to note that many nurse educators continue to practice as nurses while they teach. Educational employers may prefer that you're able to offer teaching points grounded in real-world experience that reflects the current state of the field.


GMercyU: Your Pathway to Success

As one of the most trusted nursing schools in the region, the Frances M. Maguire College of Nursing and Health Professions at Gwynedd Mercy University offers two programs to help you become a nurse educator: 

Contact us at 833-588-5953 or accelerate@gmercyu.edu to learn more about one of these programs. You can also request more information here.