LPN working up to become Educator

[CMarieRN87, ADN, RN]

I am currently a LPN at a LTC facility in my area. I became a nurse 3 years ago, and I love it. Nursing is amazing, and I am so glad I chose this field. I am taking my prerequisite classes to get into the RN program next spring and from there I plan to get my BSN.. My goal is to work as a RN while bridging to the BSN. I want to work in different areas to gain skill before eventually becoming a Nurse Educator. I had planned to teach new nurses at a school facility. But after doing more research, I realized that you can become a Nurse Educator in a hospital. What would be the benefit of working in a facility vs a hospital? Do I have to get my MSN to become a Nurse Educator or is my BSN sufficient? Those who are already nurse educators, what paths did you take? Did you work doing patient care for a while before switching to educator? Would you recommend this career choice to other nurses? I know that I have a lot of questions, and I apologize in advance for them. I am just very interested in this field of nursing and would like to hear what others have to say about it. Thanks in advance!

[joanna73, BSN, RN]

Hello. Currently, I work as a clinical nurse educator. I have various specialty certifications in addition to a BSN. I am now enrolled in a Masters program.

I've been a nurse for six years. Prior to education, I was a unit manager and a charge nurse. I am certain that these roles have contributed to my success as an educator because:

1) the staff know me and feel comfortable coming to ask questions

2) I am aware of how practice dictates policy and how our policies are developed.

I would recommend this career if you enjoy teaching and if you can act as a resource and mentor staff.

[CMarieRN87, ADN, RN]

Thank you very much for your comment Joanna73. What sort of certifications do you have?

That is why I was looking into this field, I do enjoy training and teaching new nurses and helping others when they need it.