宅男频道

When Carol Allen, EdD, MSN, RN, was in high school and preparing to apply to colleges, she debated career paths.

She knew she wanted to be a teacher, but worried that the field was oversaturated with job seekers. So, she decided to prepare for a career in nursing.

After several years of working as a registered nurse (RN) and earning her master鈥檚 degree, Allen had the opportunity to combine her passion for nursing and love of teaching.

She became a nurse educator.

鈥淔or me, it was like a dream come true,鈥� said Allen, who is now an adjunct nursing instructor at 宅男频道 (SNHU). 鈥淚 had the best of both worlds. When I became a nurse educator, I got to be the teacher I wanted to be.鈥�

What is the Role of a Nurse Educator? 

A nurse educator is a registered nurse who teaches other nurses and medical professionals, according to . They can also teach nursing students who are new to the field.

Instead of dedicating their careers entirely to patient care, nurse educators are passionate about teaching and advocating for nurses. They offer leadership and guidance in both a professional and academic setting.

According to the National League for Nursing (), nurse educators:

• Engage in scholarship
• Facilitate learner development and socialization
• Function within the educational environment
• Participate in curriculum design and evaluation of program outcomes
• Use assessment and evaluation strategies

The World Health Organization (WHO) also outlined some of the core proficiencies of nurse educators (). They include:

• Communication, collaboration and partnership
• Ethical/legal principles and professionalism
• Management, leadership and advocacy
• Nursing practice
• Theories and principles of adult learning

Nurse educator proficiencies, according to the WHO, center around the fact that nursing is always changing. Therefore, nurse educators must be lifelong learners who keep up to date with the changing techniques in technology, medicine and teaching.

Qualities of a Nurse Educator

While further evaluating this career path, an additional factor to consider may be the certain skills or qualities that a nurse educator typically has. According to NurseJournal, these 5 skills are key to the foundation of being a nurse educator:

• Clinical expertise
• Communication
• Curriculum design
• Evaluation and assessment
• Leadership

Where Do Nurse Educators Work? 

The term "educator" makes it sound like nurse educators only work in academic settings when they actually work in a variety of environments.

According to NurseJournal, nurse educators work in settings such as:

• Businesses - Coaching wellness and health seminars, leading CPR and first aid programs and instructing professional development courses
• Colleges and universities - Teaching classes and running clinical educational experiences for students
• Medical centers and hospitals - Creating professional development programs for nurses, facilitating training for staff and designing educational initiatives to improve patient care

How Much Do Nurse Educators Make?

Nursing instructors earned a median salary of in 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported.*

A nurse educator's salary can vary based on level of education, years of experience and the location of their job — and there's potential for an even greater salary.

What is the Growth Potential for Nurse Educator Careers?

The nursing field is facing a shortage of nurse educators, according to Dr. Stacey Rosenberg, DNP, RN, ACNS-BC, CNE, associate chief nursing administrator at SNHU. Contributing to the shortage, she noted, is that current educators are retiring or nearing retirement age, and demand for nursing degree programs grows.

According to a survey from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN), U.S. nursing schools turned away from college degree programs in 2025 — likely due to a persistent nursing faculty shortage. Of those applications, nearly 17,000 were to graduate nursing programs, which the AACN reports will continue to perpetuate the nurse educator shortage.

Another AACN report found that 1,588 full-time faculty vacancies were identified at 478 nursing schools in 2025, with an additional 150 faculty positions needed to accommodate student demand ().

This demand is expected to continue. According to BLS, jobs for nurse educators are projected to grow by through 2034 — significantly higher than the 3% national average for all occupations.*

How to Become a Nurse Educator

If you’re ready to get started with a nurse educator career, it’s important to understand the educational and professional requirements.

Most nurse educators have at least a few years of clinical nursing experience before moving into the education field and are required to be a licensed RN in order to work as an educator, said Allen. Having an advanced nursing degree is also important.

The majority of nurse educator jobs require an MSN or a doctorate degree, according to NurseJournal. (Note: Nursing doctorates are not currently offered at SNHU.)

While not required, earning an MSN with a concentration in Nursing Education could help set you apart from other applicants. A degree focused on nursing education offers registered nurses the skills and knowledge required to facilitate learning through curriculum design, teaching, evaluation and advisement.

With hard work, passion and a support system, Cheryl Marcotte '23MSN earned her MSN with a concentration in Nursing Education through SNHU’s online credit-based program. Starting a family and furthering her education was a combined task she said she achieved proudly.

"I took some time off from school with the birth of my son. I feared that it would be hard to return... but when you have a passion for success and a strong support system, your goals are achievable," Marcotte said. "I learned that I could do more and be more."

Read more: How to Become a Nurse Educator

Become a Certified Nurse Educator

Becoming a certified nurse educator through the NLN Academic Nurse Educator Certification Program is another way to differentiate yourself and demonstrate expertise in the field, said Rosenberg.

Becoming certified offers nurse educators the ability to establish themselves in the nurse educator practice and create a means to in this role, according to the NLN.

The certification also communicates to students, colleagues and the broader health care community that you are meeting the highest standards of excellence in the field, NLN noted.

To be eligible for the certification, you'll have to meet specific eligibility requirements related to licensure and education.

By completing an MSN with a concentration in Nursing Education at SNHU, you'll meet the educational component needed to sit for the CNE exam. Or, if you already have an MSN degree, you could opt for a post-master's certificate in nursing education.

Is It Worth It to Become a Nurse Educator?

If you're already a registered nurse, considering advancement to an educator role could be valuable to your career.

“Teaching really is a part of nursing,” Rosenberg said. “In some ways, it’s a natural transition."

And if anyone knows this to be true, it's Rosenberg. She's worked at SNHU since 2014 and has over 20 total years of experience in the nursing and education fields. She is both a certified Adult Health Clinical Nurse Specialist and Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) with experience in curriculum development and accreditation.

According to the , to determine if being a nurse educator is right for you, first assess your current education level and motivations.

Many experiences can be beneficial if you're looking to transition between roles. The American Nurse Journal encourages:

• Attending national nursing educator conferences
• Observing experienced educators in clinical and classroom settings
• Reading more nursing education literature
• Taking advantage of new faculty orientations and development opportunities
• Volunteering to precept an undergraduate student

Transitioning from a working nurse to an educator may take time, but the endeavor can result in worthwhile growth and learning along the way.

For Allen, working as a nurse educator has allowed her to do the clinical nursing work she loves and fulfill her passion for teaching.

“I wanted to be able to impart what I knew and understood about nursing care to the next generation of nurses,” she said. "Everyone in the nation benefits when we improve patient outcomes and elevate the level of health care being provided to our populations.”

*Cited job growth projections may not reflect local and/or short-term economic or job conditions and do not guarantee actual job growth. Actual salaries and/or earning potential may be the result of a combination of factors including, but not limited to: years of experience, industry of employment, geographic location, and worker skill.

Danielle Gagnon is a freelance writer focused on higher education. She started her career working as an education reporter for a daily newspaper in New Hampshire, where she reported on local schools and education policy. Gagnon served as the communications manager for a private school in Boston, MA before later starting her freelance writing career. Today, she continues to share her passion for education as a writer for 宅男频道. Connect with her on .