Masters - education or clinical focus better?

[RNinWI]

Looking for some advice - I am looking into going back to school for more education due to a back injury and physical limitations. I am interested in an education role because I would be less likely to end up in situations where my limitations would become a "liability" to the company. I would be ok with patient education or prospective nurse education. Do you think it would be better for me to choose a masters program specializing in education or with a clinical focus (e.g. NP, CNS) in order to be most prepared? Do you think a prospective employer in either area would have a preference? Thank you :wink2:

[iteachob, MSN, RN]

For an education role, a focus in education will serve you better (though it is not absolutely necessary). I am a nurse educator with an MSN in nursing education.

A degree in nursing education will include adult learning theory, curriculum design, test construction......things that you won't get in a program with a clinical focus. You can teach without the education focus, but it is a LOT smoother sailing with it. Our school employs faculty with both types of degrees.

[pinkemme]

For an education role, a focus in education will serve you better (though it is not absolutely necessary). I am a nurse educator with an MSN in nursing education.

A degree in nursing education will include adult learning theory, curriculum design, test construction......things that you won't get in a program with a clinical focus. You can teach without the education focus, but it is a LOT smoother sailing with it. Our school employs faculty with both types of degrees.

HI

I'm so glad to see a post with this subject. I would be interested in learning more about programs of this nature too, as it is a long-term goal of mine. I live in the Boston area, and wanted to know where you can obtain a degree in nursing education. I have an undergraduate degree in elementary Ed, but I'm not sure how far that will get me. As I mentioned it's a LONG term goal, I'm currently enrolled at Curry accellerated BSN program, so I need to conquer that first, but it's definately an area of STRONG interest to me since I have experience teaching adults (nurses), when I was a trainer working for a Medical software company. Any advise you could offer would be much appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pinkemme:typing

[breaktime]

I'm still a student, so this opinion is given from that perspective, so keep that in mind before hammering too bad if it seems off. My experience as a student has led to an opinion pretty much in line with those above. While I have sometimes picked up a piece of clinical knowledge from those with a degree that focused in that area, I think I have more often found that the professors with an education background have a much easier time getting students to grasp the information they are trying to present. Please don't think I'm saying this applies to everyone, but it seems that the extra piece of clinical knowledge a degree in that area might allow you to offer students, is probably not worth giving up being able to consistently get your point driven home. Especially since if teaching at the undergrad level, often advanced clinical knowledge will simply be exactly that, advanced and while the student may get the concept, quite possibly will not take away from it what you might have hoped.

To make that much, much shorter, as a student I have preferred professors with a degree that focuses on (nursing) education

[RNinWI]

I'm still a student, so this opinion is given from that perspective, so keep that in mind before hammering too bad if it seems off. My experience as a student has led to an opinion pretty much in line with those above. While I have sometimes picked up a piece of clinical knowledge from those with a degree that focused in that area, I think I have more often found that the professors with an education background have a much easier time getting students to grasp the information they are trying to present. Please don't think I'm saying this applies to everyone, but it seems that the extra piece of clinical knowledge a degree in that area might allow you to offer students, is probably not worth giving up being able to consistently get your point driven home. Especially since if teaching at the undergrad level, often advanced clinical knowledge will simply be exactly that, advanced and while the student may get the concept, quite possibly will not take away from it what you might have hoped.

To make that much, much shorter, as a student I have preferred professors with a degree that focuses on (nursing) education

this is very useful information to know. Thank you!

[breaktime]

You're welcome! Also, I forgot to say, GOOD LUCK! Regardless of the economy and whether we need to churn out more nurses or not (not getting into that here, it's on plenty of other threads) we DO need more educators. Good educators I should say. I've had some amazing ones, but I've also run across a few bad ones that are only still at the school because they can't find anyone to replace them...hopefully they'll hire you after you graduate! :)

[iteachob, MSN, RN]

It's the dirty little secret of higher education. Most college professors (not just nursing), while experts in their area, have little or no formal training in education.

A Master's degree in Nursing with a focus in education can be found all over the country, both on-line and traditional (classroom) format. I'm a graduate of Bellarmine University's (Louisville, KY) Masters in Nursing (education focus). It is a traditional classroom format. The only other nursing faculty, where I work, who also has a nursing education focus, is a graduate of the University of Phoenix (online). My other co-workers have MSN with clinical focus, or PhD.

You can probably compile a list of programs with a nursing education track by doing a google search.

[elkpark]

The clinical MSN programs focus on preparing you for one of the advanced practice roles -- NP, CNS, CRNA, or CNM. If you don't want to be one of those and pursue a clinical practice, there's not much point in doing that degree. If you know that your primary interest is nursing education, it makes sense to take the degree focusing on that.