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Well first, PhD and MSN are not certifications but rather are academic degrees.
Earning an MSN can qualify you to teach in an LPN/ LVN program and undergraduate programs. (ADN and BSN) One generally needs to be educated to one level ABOVE what you want to teach. So if you want to teach in a MSN program, you need to have a doctoral degree (DNP/ PhD/ EdD).
Does that make sense?
Even if one were hired in a university setting with a MSN, the expectation is that the nurse educator will be actively pursuing a terminal doctorate degree.
Professors in other collegiate disciplines usually hold doctorates, so that is the same expectation for nursing faculty who seek full professorship and tenure with maximum compensation.
I started one RN-BSN program and very few had doctorates. It was very disorganized (they were reworking the program) the director of the program had an MPH. Not even an MSN in nursing! I did not stay there.
I moved to another program that had all doctoral level instructors but also used a company that hires MSN instructors, most of which are working on terminal degrees, to be TAs. That was a great program.
If you have an MSN, you can get a DNP or an Ed.D, in about 2 years and then teach at the University level. (as opposed to a 5-6 year Ph.D)
I have a Masters in Teaching as well as MSN. I could get a post Masters CNE and teach clinical or specific topics, perhaps (I am ortho certified and am sitting for CDE soon).
In Informatics, we had non-nursing degrees (Medical Information Management degrees), but that is the exception, rather than the rule.
Annieeeeeee
3 Posts
Hey all! I see teaching in my future and I'd love to do so at the college/university level. A lot of my nursing school professors were PhD certified but I'd rather not go down that route. Have a lot of you had master's-certified professors in the past? Does anyone know how likely one is to get a teaching job with an MSN?
Thank you!!!