| Nursing is the nation's largest health care | | | | interest in nursing among new students. |
| profession, with more than 2.7 million | | | | |
| registered nurses nationwide, and nursing | | | | Career Flexibility |
| students account for more than half of all | | | | |
| health professions students in the United | | | | Most nurse educators work in colleges and |
| States. Applications to attend nursing | | | | universities that offer associate and |
| schools continue to increase nicely but did | | | | baccalaureate programs in nursing, and some |
| you know that thousands of students are being | | | | work as instructors for LPN courses while |
| turned away because of an acute shortage of | | | | educators involved in clinical education also |
| Nursing Educators? | | | | work at collaborating health care facilities. |
| | | | |
| A study done by the U.S. Bureau of Health | | | | A Master's degree in nursing is typically |
| Professions indicates that by 2020, the U.S. | | | | required to become a faculty member at a |
| nursing shortage will grow to more than | | | | university but RNs with a Bachelors degree in |
| 800,000 registered nurses. How can we put a | | | | nursing and clinical experience are the |
| serious dent in stemming this dangerous tide | | | | minimum basic requirements for clinical |
| unless nurses take an active role in | | | | instructors.Nurse educators can work as full |
| educating the nurses of tomorrow? | | | | time faculty with all the benefits including |
| | | | tenure and retirement, or may choose to work |
| Becoming a Nurse Educator is a wonderful | | | | as part time faculty while still continuing |
| career step | | | | clinical employment and direct patient care. |
| | | | Nurse educators play a vital role in |
| Registered nurses ARE teachers! RNs teach | | | | preparing and shaping future generations of |
| patients and their families how to manage | | | | nurses! |
| their illness or injury, including | | | | |
| post-treatment home care needs, diet and | | | | Earn an NLN accredited Master's in Nursing |
| exercise programs, and self-administration of | | | | Education Degree While You Work |
| medication and physical therapy. RNs mentor | | | | |
| and precept new graduates and new hire staff | | | | You can earn an accredited Master's Degree in |
| as well as develop and implement ongoing | | | | Nursing with a specialization in education or |
| continuing education activities within | | | | in health education online while maintaining |
| clinical settings. RNs combine their clinical | | | | your current job by investing just a few |
| expertise and passion for teaching others in | | | | hours of study time per week through several |
| thousands of ways every time they work.Nurse | | | | schools. |
| Educators make use of that same clinical | | | | |
| expertise and passion for teaching to guide | | | | Don't have a BSN Degree? |
| and shape the future of the nursing | | | | |
| profession- one student at a time! | | | | There's a fully accredited RN to MS in |
| | | | Nursing bridge program that allows busy |
| Do you want to be doing direct patient care | | | | nurses to take the fast track to earning |
| when you're 63 and still waiting to be old | | | | their Masters in Nursing. Students earn both |
| enough to retire? I say leave bedside nursing | | | | degrees in a fraction of the time at 1/2 the |
| to the younger nurses, give your sore back a | | | | cost of traditional programs and don't have |
| rest, and turn your talents towards building | | | | to give up their job to do it. |
| the next generation of nurses instead! | | | | |
| | | | Make a difference today that will impact the |
| Some RNs choose to advance their nursing | | | | entire profession for years to come. Become a |
| career by moving into administrative or | | | | Nurse Educator! |
| management positions, but the | | | | |
| responsibilities and stress of management | | | | For Additional Information about NLN |
| isn't for everyone. For those RNs who would | | | | Accredited Online Nursing Degrees and |
| enjoy keeping in touch with direct patient | | | | programs including LPN to RN/BSN, RN - BSN |
| care and in shaping the future of nursing the | | | | Degrees, Specialty Nursing Certification in |
| best career path to think about is becoming a | | | | Forensic Nursing, Legal Nurse Consulting, and |
| nurse educator! | | | | Advanced Practice Nursing visit Medi-Smart's |
| | | | Online Nursing School Directory. |
| Given the growing shortage of nurse | | | | |
| educators, the career outlook is strong for | | | | Copyright 2006 Medi-Smart. Permission to |
| nurses interested in teaching careers. | | | | reprint is granted as long as the article is |
| Nursing schools nationwide are struggling to | | | | published in its entirety with all |
| find new faculty to accommodate the rising | | | | hyperlinked text intact. |