Educating In Nursing Practice Settings
Nurse educators play a vital role preparing other nurses in the intricacies of quality care as well as educating patients about medications, managing illness and staying healthy. The Nurse Educator concentration within Benedictine’s online M.S.N. program prepares you to teach in nursing practice settings to improve outcomes.
Coursework in this concentration covers teaching and learning principals, curriculum development, evaluation strategies, and instructional design. You will also acquire the ability to adapt available curriculum and materials to the needs of your audience and your specific role. Benedictine’s rigorous M.S.N. curriculum includes advanced nursing content in the "three P’s of nursing":
- Advanced health assessment coursework emphasizes physical, psychosocial and spiritual health assessment, risk assessment and functional assessment across the lifespan.
- Advanced pathophysiology coursework enables students to recognize and analyze physiological changes related to illness or injury and apply to real world scenarios.
- Advanced pharmacology is a crucial element of any nursing program, because drug interactions and allergies can be life-threatening for some patients. Nurse Educator students will receive advanced instruction on medication selection and patient education.
The Nurse Educator Concentration
In addition to the foundation curriculum, the Nurse Educator concentration of the online M.S.N.requires 24 semester hours of classes, which cover both the teaching and clinical aspects of nursing education practice.
NRHL 6507 Advanced Health Assessment
This course builds upon the student’s previous health assessment experience to provide the foundation for advanced roles in nursing. The course emphasizes physical, psychosocial, spiritual, and functional assessment among diverse populations. Advanced assessment topics include focused health histories, advanced physical assessment techniques, differentiation of assessment findings, and health assessment documentation standards.
Pre-requisites: NRHL 5501, NRHL 5502, NRHL 5503, NRHL 5505, NRHL 5506. 3 semester hours
NRHL 6508 Advanced Pathophysiology
The course focuses on the application of advanced knowledge of the complex physiological functions and pathophysiological processes to the care of individuals with healthcare problems. Course content examines alterations in function as well as adaptive, integrative, and regulatory mechanisms at the molecular, cellular, organ, and system levels. The course is designed to enable the graduate nursing student to recognize and analyze these physiological changes and to apply this knowledge in a wide variety of clinical settings.
Pre-requisites: NRHL 5501, NRHL 5502, NRHL 5503, NRHL 5505, NRHL 5506. 3 semester hours
NRHL 6509 Advanced Pharmacology
This course provides the graduate nursing student with the necessary knowledge to develop a greater understanding of pharmacology and application. The course content builds upon the student’s current understanding of pharmacology. Students will explore the principles of pharmacology as they apply to various disease processes with consideration of medication selection factors, client adherence, and ethical implications. Clinical application of pharmacological management, adverse reactions, and patient education implications are presented through case studies and scenarios.
Pre-requisites: NRHL 6508. 3 semester hours
NRHL 6641: Instructional Strategies
This course focuses on teaching and learning strategies in nursing education. Students examine frameworks for analyzing pedagogical philosophies, adult learning theories, ethical issues and professional values related to nursing education, as well as the integration of new technology in instructional design and delivery. The course emphasizes best teaching practices for nurse educators.
Pre-requisites: NRHL 6507, NRHL 6509. 3 semester hours
NRHL 6645: Curriculum Development
This course focuses on the role of the nurse educator in the development of innovative curricula and instructional design in a variety of settings. The student examines conceptual frameworks and key curriculum components of course development. Trends in curriculum, technology, program evaluation, and regulatory and accreditation standards are explored.
Pre-requisites: NRHL 6641. 3 semester hours
NRHL 6647: Evaluation Strategies and Methods
This course focuses on the role of the nurse educator in the assessment and evaluation of learning. The student applies key strategies to effectively measure achievement of learning outcomes in a variety of settings. Legal, ethical, regulatory issues and the importance of evaluating personal teaching effectiveness are explored.
Pre-requisites: NRHL 6645. 3 semester hours
NRHL 6653: Advanced Nursing Practice: Clinical Immersion
This course builds upon the synthesis of prior knowledge and skills that promote the advancement of professional clinical nursing practice. The student applies nursing research and evidence-based practice to develop advanced clinical competency in a defined area of nursing practice. The course requires 70 practicum clock hours of clinical learning experience in the practice setting and the development of a nursing project proposal.
Pre-requisites: NRHL 6647. 3 semester hours
NRHL 6655: Advanced Nursing Practice: Capstone Project Implementation
This course provides opportunities for the student to apply knowledge and skills learned throughout the program into nursing practice. Under the direction of the faculty and guidance from the preceptor, students complete a nursing project that demonstrates their cumulative learning, nursing practice abilities, and professional growth that reflects master’s nursing practice. The project validates students' ability to synthesize and apply new knowledge and skills to real-world clinical issues and problems. The course requires 70 practicum clock hours of clinical learning experiences in the practice setting.
Pre-requisites: NRHL 6653. 3 semester hours
What Can I Do with a Nurse Educator Concentration?
Nurse Educators can work in a wide range of settings, including healthcare facilities, community services and outreach programs. You may work with patients, instructing them on the correct use of a new medical device. You could train other nurses of various ability levels in a number of nursing skills and applications. Or, you may find yourself educating the general public on ways to improve the health of individuals or entire communities.
View the M.S.N. degree webinar to learn more about program details and your concentration options.
Here is a sampling of the career opportunities available to M.S.N.graduates with the Nurse Educator concentration:
| Title | Salary Range | Projected Job Growth |
|---|---|---|
Nursing Instructor | $55,000 - $75,000 | Over 30% |
Health Educators | $35,000 - $55,000 | 10 – 19% |
Health Specialties Teacher | $75,000 and up | Over 30% |
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics
Why Choose Benedictine’s Nurse Educator Program?
Benedictine’s M.S.N.program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), which ensures the quality and integrity of baccalaureate, graduate and residency programs in nursing. The experienced and credentialed nursing faculty leaders at Benedictine are second to none. In each course, they provide advanced nursing students with insight and wisdom that will be invaluable throughout their Nurse Educator career.
Learn How to Get Started with Your Online M.S.N.Program
Learn more about how you can play your part in educating a variety of learners and preparing nurses to give patients the best care possible with the Nurse Educator concentration within Benedictine’s Online M.S.N.program. Call (866) 295-3104 today to speak to a program manager, or request more information.