Confused as heck

Requirements for those types of jobs will be up to the employer. What is confusing? Have you looked at job postings?

If you are speaking of clinical nursing you generally need a Masters degree, after this it is up to the university/college/school to hire you. Clinical nursing associate usually assist the nurse teacher/instructor in the classroom and in on site clinicals.

If you want to teach a course this is different. To become a nursing instructor/adjunct professor at a community college level or higher, or for that matter even the local private colleges again you need the Masters (in most cases), and then you will need in most states a certified "teacher license". This is where the hang up maybe. It takes about 6-12 months to get this license. Once you get this Teacher Certification you are compliant with the state regulators and can teach. I have seen nurses become a sub for the local schools in science, math, health...and of course teach nursing at the universities.

In IL where I went to the university, you need to have at least a bachelor degree from a regionally accredited institution, complete a teacher prep program that leads to a teacher certification in your home state (this includes student teaching and pre-teaching field experience), have grades of C or better, have some course work with developmental disabled topics, and pass the IL certification Test System Basic Skill exam.

In Idaho where I live now you need a bachelor degree, completion of the teacher prep program that leads to the teacher certificate in my state (includes student teaching), background check and pass the Praxis/pedagogy exams (think of these like a SAT exam).

Again what it comes down to is you need the teacher certification.

I think you can work in the clinical setting (monitoring students while they are in their clinical and assist with the basic things like assessment/shots/bathing/ things that need to be signed off before the student nurse is able to do rotations) for a time period before you will be asked for your teacher certificate.

Some private schools maybe different and the above examples may have modifications that I have not followed however the teacher certification I think has remained the same.

Where did you get the idea that a nursing instructor teaching classes in higher ed needs any type of teaching certification or extra continuing education? That's just false. No one in higher ed needs a teaching certificate; that's for K-12.

Also, regarding the bolded portion--adjunct instructors in the clinical setting most certainly DO NOT "help out" the main instructor; they ARE the instructor. No school is going to pay two people to do the job of one person.

I have never been asked to obtain a "teaching certificate" of any kind. I teach in an online program for a university.

CNE is a certification, not a postgraduate certificate. As such, you have to meet the requirements to qualify to be certified.

This certification and its requirements to test can be accessed here and I have cut and pasted the exact requirements below. Note that though your current education is impressive in your field, you are not qualified to sit for CNE certification. You would be if you take more graduate level courses, however, in nursing education, examples which are listed below:

Certification for Nurse Educators (CNE)

Option A: Must meet criteria 1 & 2

1.Licensure

-A currently active, unencumbered, registered nurse designation in the country where currently practicing as a nurse educator.

2.Education

-a master's or doctoral degree in nursing with a major emphasis in nursing education or

-a master's or doctoral degree in nursing plus a post-master's certificate in nursing education or

-master's or doctoral degree in nursing and nine or more credit hours of graduate-level education courses*

Examples of acceptable courses include: Curriculum Development and Evaluation; Instructional Design; Principles of Adult Learning; Assessment/Measurement & Evaluation; Principles of Teaching and Learning, Instructional Technology

Note: Graduate-level research or statistics courses do not count toward this requirement

Option B: Must meet criteria 1, 2 & 3

1.Licensure

- A currently active, unencumbered registered nurse designation in the country where currently practicing as a nurse educator.

2.Education

- A master's or doctoral degree in nursing (with a major emphasis in a role other than nursing education).

3.Experience

-Two years or more employment in a nursing program in an academic institution within the past five years.

All eligibility criteria for initial certification must be met at the time of application.