Nurse educators are leaders who teach and mentor new nurses entering the profession. This next generation of nurses needs steady guidance and dedicated help from educators who have the necessary education, experience and practical knowledge. By pursuing a Master of Science in Nursing in Nursing Education degree, nurses can prepare for leadership and build their teaching skills. These MSN graduates help students by providing the resources they need during their education and beyond. Along the way, these future nurse educators also develop their leadership skills. Upon graduation, nurse educators are better prepared for a variety of nursing positions where they can help other nurses.
A nurse educator may work in a variety of different settings:
- Nursing schools.
- Hospitals and clinical teaching centers.
- Community colleges and technical programs.
- Online colleges and distance-learning programs.
Become a Nurse Leader
As a challenging and rapidly changing field, nursing needs effective leaders. Nurses care for patients who may be frustrated, have serious health conditions or have unpredictable health outcomes. Many clinical settings are understaffed and have high expectations of their nurses. As such, working as a nurse can be stressful, confusing or unpredictable. Nurses also need to learn new information and skills quickly and adapt to a changing healthcare industry. In the nursing profession, effective communication and leadership skills are essential. To some extent, every nurse is a leader. Nurse educators step further into leadership by becoming responsible for teaching and leading other nurses.
In an MSN in Nursing Education program, nurses learn how to positively influence other people and effectively communicate ideas and knowledge to others. As you become a nurse educator, you learn more about how to demonstrate professionalism. You learn how to help student nurses, newer nurses and others to improve their work and help them adopt new ideas and skills. You can also learn to serve as a mentor to nurses just beginning their careers. New nurses and students may need help understanding their coursework, choosing a nursing specialty, identifying great first jobs to apply to, and navigating the world of healthcare. You can become their guide and help them navigate new challenges. For many nurses, nurse educator is a rewarding job with a variety of roles and responsibilities.
Learn Effective Teaching Skills
Nurse educators also teach clinical skills, science and nursing theory. Becoming an effective teacher requires qualities such as empathy, patience and understanding. Effective teaching also requires research, preparation and teaching skills. You need strong critical thinking skills and clinical experience. The MSN in Nursing Education degree also prepares students to teach, develop programs of study, plan coursework and evaluate the progress of others.
As a nurse educator, you will need the knowledge and preparation to plan and prepare coursework, teach new material, and test your students’ knowledge and skills throughout the course. Your efforts make a significant difference in how well students understand the coursework. By learning effective teaching skills, you become a better resource to students who are on the road to becoming nurses.
The MSN in Nursing Education degree can help prepare you with the skills you will need:
- Providing career advice to students.
- Conducting research.
- Writing course materials.
- Planning coursework.
- Teaching students.
- Communicating challenging material.
- Evaluating student needs and performance.
- Serving as an academic leader.
As you learn to apply these skills, you will also learn how to share your experiences and clinical background. New nurses and nursing students may benefit from the knowledge, techniques and capabilities you gained in your nursing work. For many nurses, an MSN in Nursing Education degree can lead to a rewarding career helping others enter the nursing profession and serve their communities.
Nurse educators can learn the leadership and teaching skills they need by completing an MSN in Nursing Education degree. These degree programs prepare students by teaching them how to become mentors, leaders and instructors. Nurse educators must have leadership and teaching skills to become effective role models for new nurses and nursing students. Nurse educators need to know how to conduct research, prepare curricula, effectively communicate information, demonstrate clinical skills, evaluate students and fulfill other responsibilities. As nurse educators gain knowledge in these areas, they become more qualified to share their clinical experiences with others.
Learn more about the Lamar University online MSN in Nursing Education program.
Sources:
Nurses for a Healthier Tomorrow: Nurse Educator
American Association of Colleges of Nursing
Association for Nursing Professional Development
