Best route to become a professor

[reznurse]

Hi everybody, I am looking for advice concerning the world of academia and nursing. I have a BSN and have been accepted to an NP program that I will not be able to finish until three years from now because of the core classes being full for a year (first time I've ever used one of those!). Anyway, I have thought hard about teaching and considered using an FNP masters in nursing to do so, however I have recently found a masters program with a focus in nursing education and I am thinking about doing that as it can be done much, much quicker.

I am looking for comments/advice about getting a masters with an education focus vs. an FNP focus. How hard is it to find, get into, do a postmasters program for advanced practice nursing?

How hard is it to find a teaching job? How hard is it to find a PHD program? etc., etc. Thanks

[scribblerpnp]

I would think that the best route for a clinical degree would be the DNP degrees which are becoming more available. Anyway, where I work we have all kinds of faculty with different doctorates: PhD, DNS, EdD, DNP. But everyone has to find their own nitch, that is for sure!

[Goodoldnurse]

Hello all! I am persuing a Masters in Nursing Ed at this time. I have close friends taking the NP route and one taking the CNS route. My coursework is education focused, roles and issues in nursing education as well as teaching strategies. I can also take 3 electives and so far have chosen pharmacology and might chose pathophysiology. Since my goal is education, this is a no-brainer for me! It also does not include clinical time that the NP and CNS pathways do. This is my 2 cents!! :smilecoffeecup:

[barb4575]

Yes, the DNP is a clinical route, but I don't know that much about it as I believe it is new. My graduate program's curriculum prepared everyone as a CNS and then, we chose another track. I was amongst three individuals who chose the educator track and we did learn a great deal about the role, but that was in 1994 and I think it has been improved to include much more today. I recall my first experience after graduation and I did feel that I was alone other than one faculty member who did take me under her wing. I will never forget her.

Barb