What Can You Do With an MSN in Nursing Education?
If you ever asked yourself, “what can you do with an MSN in nursing education?” Then, you’ve come to the right place.
Many experienced nurses look to an MSN education as a way to pass on their knowledge to future generations. We’ll give you more insight into what an MSN in nursing education is and what you can do with it. Read on to learn more!
What Is an MSN In Nursing Education?
An MSN in nursing education allows you to use your nursing experience as a basis to teach students and other nurses. While completing the program, you will obtain advanced clinical foundations with specific theories applicable to adult learning.
This education provides you with material central to designing curriculum and teaching methods. The skill sets you gain through an MSN in nursing education are vital to knowing how to manage a classroom, physically or online. You will need to think critically and work clinically or in a classroom.
An MSN in nursing education shows you how to teach through simulations and other learning technologies, preparing you for quality instruction in traditional teaching environments and labs. Certified nurse educators complete an academic nurse educator certification program.
What Do Nurse Educators Do?
Nurse educators have a passion for education and high-quality care. Their day-to-day role in the training of nurses can directly impact careers. As a nurse educator, you will work in academic and clinical environments. Nurse educators have graduate-level content in health assessment, including physiology and pharmacology.
Since the health field is constantly evolving, nurses need to be open to lifelong learning. Nurse educators are essential to delivering quality education and being role models in a hands-on environment.
Nurse educators still actively play a role in healthcare while fulfilling their teaching requirements, leading, and practicing with students—working in hospitals, or as professors at a college.
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Salary
Being a nurse educator is rewarding, and you additionally have a set schedule without as much physical demand. A typical salary depends on the subject taught and your hours and job responsibilities. According to Payscale, nurse educators have an average base annual salary of $78,327.
You can increase your pay with certification, a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree, or change your employment settings. Regardless of your pathway, an MSN is required.
Also, the pay of nurse educators increases by experience. For example, those with over ten years of experience earn an annual salary is $81,000.
In some locations, such as Washington D.C., the average salary increases to over $105,000. Not only is this increase because of the high demand for nurse educators, but also the higher cost of living.
Job outlook
The demand for nurse educators is high, with an estimated 15% increase in the upcoming decade. The growth means that during the 2020-2030 period, over 9,000 new nurse educator jobs will open in post-secondary institutions.
However, in some states, the job outlook is projected to grow much faster than the national average. For example, in New York, the job of nurse educators in New York is projected to grow by 28%.
What Can You Do With an MSN In Nursing Education?
As a nurse educator, everyday responsibilities differ, depending on the type of training and where you’re teaching. Some nurse educators work part-time, then teach on the side, while others fully dedicate their careers to teaching upcoming nurses. Among the duties of a nurse educator include:
Developing curriculum;
Evaluating and improving educational programs;
Giving lectures;
Guiding classroom and assessing learning;
Leading clinical studies;
Providing constructive feedback;
Mentoring students;
Contributing scholarly work and research.
A nurse educator may also play an active role in nursing programs as a committee member or program director. Others work as deans or as independent consultants. Additionally, nurse educators can contribute to textbooks, educate patients, or work in public health.
Work in medical facilities/hospitals
Nurse educators promote professional role development in hospitals, assisting nursing staff in developing and maintaining their duties. With an experienced guide, future nurses can advance their skills and practice, achieving more of their academic and career goals.
Nurses with an MSN convey critical and life-saving knowledge, helping reduce errors and ensuring that healthcare processes run smoothly. They identify any flaws that could be improved and act as partners to their trainees. They educate staff online or in person to confirm they are confident in their practice. In short, nurses working in hospitals are mentors and leaders.
Teach at colleges and universities
The more common option that you’ll see is nurse educators who work in academic settings. They help new nurses in their diploma programs at accredited universities. Other times, they teach refresher courses for nurses out of the field for some time.
Essentially, they act as directors of student learning, responsible for creating curriculum, teaching, advising, mentoring, and conducting research. Additionally, they have to write grant proposals while teaching students technical nursing skills.
In this setting, nurses are focused on refining students' skills with thorough knowledge and identifying any areas they could improve on. Nurses can see their development as their students complete their education.
Hold wellness and health seminars
Wellness and health seminars help people manage various issues, varying from exercise and nutrition, to mental health, to staying healthy throughout the year. Hosting these events puts people more in charge of their health and wellbeing.
A few examples of wellness and health seminars that nurses could host include:
Weight management;
Nutrition;
Children’s health;
Improving the longevity of life;
Fitness and exercise;
Heart health;
Work and stress;
Depression and anxiety.
Final Thoughts
To recap, a nurse educator is typically someone with several years of experience in nursing and a higher degree who teaches in either hospital or academic settings. There has been an increase in demand for nurse educators, and the average salary is high-paying.
With an MSN in nursing education, you have a lot of doors to open in what you wish to pursue, whether that’s teaching, doing more academic studies, or leading seminars to educate others about the importance of health.