A Nurse Educator, or nurse instructor, is a registered nurse (RN) who serves as a teacher for other nurses and individuals who wish to become nurses. Their duties include developing lesson plans, giving lectures and evaluating their students both in clinical settings and through examinations and assignments.
A Nurse Educator should be able to fulfill various duties and responsibilities. The following are some duties and responsibilities a Nurse Educator should be able to execute:
- Creating lesson plans that accomplish predefined learning goals
- Teaching classroom-based courses through lectures and discussions
- Demonstrating techniques and best practices for students
- Overseeing clinical practice components of nurse education and training programs
- Grading papers, assignments and exams
- Helping to develop curriculum for nurse training programs in cooperation with other faculty or directors of nursing
A competitive Nurse Educator will have certain skills and qualifications, including:
- Extensive knowledge of nursing related to the material they’re required to present
- Demonstrated communication skills necessary to explain complex medical and scientific concepts in a manner that’s easy to understand and provide written feedback on student assignments
- High-level interpersonal skills to give constructive feedback and serve as trusted advisors for their students
- Creative problem-solving ability to address issues that arise due to student performance or overcome obstacles to delivering established curriculum
- Well-developed interpersonal skills to engage and inspire students
- Ability to move large, heavy items, such as overhead projectors in classrooms or medical equipment in clinical settings
