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Discussion

Nurse Educator Programs

I am interested in becoming a nurse educator. I envision a role in which I could be a unit based educator. In thinking about going back for my MSN. I was wondering what schools other nurse educators went to and pros/cons of the program.

Thanks in advance.

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    Unfortunately, there are few schools that offer programs specifically designed for people wanting to specialize in Nursing Professional Development. If fact, I don't know of any. And most schools that offer MSN's in "Nursing Education" focus almost all of their content on teaching in academic settings -- becoming an instructor/professor for a college. They don't seem to recognize that staff education is different from undergraduate education. That's the bad news -- and as someone whose specialty is Nursing Professional Development, it makes me furious.

    However, you will find that some schools include some staff development in their Nursing Education program and/or allow their students in Nursing Education do practicums with staff educators rather then with college faculty. Hopefully, a few people attending such schools will chime in here. I recommend looking at a wide range of school websites for the detailed curriculum information, course descriptions, etc. to see if you can find such a school that suits your needs. Don't hesitate to write to the school and ask them directly whether or not they include staff education in their programs. If enough people start asking, maybe schools will start listening and including that content.

    Another possibility is to get a "general" MSN in something like "leadership." I think an MSN as a CNL could also be a reasonable fit. Then you can augment that academic education that would prepare you for leadership roles in a facility ... with continuing education in Nursing Professional Development. Because is such a lack of academic education available on that topic, people with degrees in other specialties need to get that content somewhere else when they want to take jobs that involve staff education. So there are conferences, workshops, etc. that teach it as a CEU offering.

    Finally, if you are interested in the field of staff education ... I strongly recommend checking out ANPD, the Association for Nursing Professional Development. They are a fine, reputable nursing specialty organization. They offer a lot of educational materials, have conferences, books, etc.

    Good luck. I think NPD is a fine specialty, offering some great jobs.

    llg, PhD, RN-BC

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    Thank you so much for your help! This is wonderful advice that I will take and examine how what I want my career path will be. I really appreciate your time answering my questions and pointing me to some resources.

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    You're welcome. As a long-time specialist in staff development, it infuriates me that academic educators don't recognize that the specialty is a little different from teaching for a college or university. Sure, there is lots of overlapping content, but there are some differences. I think the best solution for our profession is for schools offering degrees in "Nursing Education" to offer 1 or 2 courses that focus on Nursing Professional Development and Continuing Education for nurses. Students would then see (and prepare for) the full spectrum of "nursing education work" that is out there and the many possible career paths that exist with that realm.

    I am hoping that some of the people enrolled in such programs will speak up here. I think Drexel and Duke are 2 schools that do that, but I am not 100% sure.

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    I got an MSN at Excelsior with a focus in education. I really enjoyed the program and felt it prepared me well. I have worked both as a BSN primary nursing instructor at a brick and mortar school, and teach online. I work primarily in Professional Development now. I agree with the other poster that a specialization in Professional Development is probably overdue although I fell "slightly put out" about it, not "furious". :) My degree allows me to do both.

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    TOTALLY agree with llg.... we (non-academic educators) are not represented in MSN programs despite the fact that we deal with far more "students" than our academic colleagues. My family of origin is rife with educators (it's a congenital defect - LOL) but most are in higher ed. None of them are in healthcare at all. I was very disappointed in my MSN(education) program because it barely touched on important workplace education practices & issues. That's why I chose a different route (Allied Health Education Admin) for my doctoral program.

    We may struggle for recognition, but 'our' work is wonderfully versatile & very meaningful. We're involved in all organizational initiatives because success always rests on staff behavior and achieving behavior changes is our area of expertise. We have to know all of the regulatory requirements (accreditation, OSHA, FLSA, NPA, etc.) as well as instructional design, teaching modalities, evaluation and measurement . . . it's all in our sandbox.

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    Indiana State University, where I earned my MSN in nursing education has a focus in academia and clinical education. The program is offered online.

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    I just finished my MSN in Education with WGU a couple of months ago and just secured my first position in Professional Development. It remains to be seen how much my course of study prepared me for the actual position, but there was no focus on nonacademic education until I got to my Capstone. I will say that I have generated a lot of interest in my job search since earning my MSN and that I am pleased with the path my career is taking.

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