Nursing Specialties

Clinical Nurse Educator

What is a Clinical Nurse Educator

Clinical nurse educators (CNEs) provide all practicing nurses with evidence-based medical and nursing information. CNEs function as crucial and reliable resources and are available to research and relay accepted standards of practice, regardless of discipline. In addition, CNEs directly affect the quality of patient care by making sure nurses and students learn rationales behind the tasks performed and the pathophysiology that supports the conditions observed.

All areas of nursing practice benefit from the clinical nurse educator. Their role is to identify areas of needed education, plan for how that education will be delivered, develop teaching modules groomed to the skills of those being taught, and devise return demonstrations to measure that the material has been appropriately absorbed and applied.

Clinical nurse educators are devoted to bringing knowledge to others and seeking ways to energize and motivate their students. They instruct students using various methods such as webinars, live in-services, and instructional modules.

Clinical nurse educators often have master’s degrees and often acquire their nurse education certificates. Some are certified nurse specialists (CNSs), and others may be advanced practice nurses (APNs) who decide to become educators.

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What does a Clinical Nurse Educator Do?

Clinical nurse educators act as a bridge between classroom education, clinical learning, and actual experience needed in healthcare settings to stay current with standards of practice. Therefore, they must have strong knowledge of the conditions they intend to teach and an exceptional ability to communicate with their students.

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They first assess the level of knowledge of their students and then determine what type of educational program matches their experience level and ability to comprehend the information to be presented. They design their education program with both a pre- and post-evaluation so they can measure if the information presented, using the method chosen, met the goals they set out to achieve.

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Clinical nurse educators must collaborate with other educators in school environments and other hospital departments. In clinic environments, they assess the community’s health status priorities for teaching in clinics.

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They must be receptive to each individual student’s needs and support them in their learning journey.

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What skills does a Clinical Nurse Educator need?

Clear communication

Research Skills

Organizational skills

Patience

Computer skills

Ability to create webinars or modules

What skills does a Clinical Nurse Educator need?

Learn More About
Clinical Nurse Educators

Work settings for Clinical Nurse Educators

Clinical nurse educators often work in colleges and universities, hospitals, community clinics, and doctor’s offices.

Common Cases Clinical Nurse Educators Encounter

Clinical nurse educators often work with nursing students, new grads in hospitals, staff nurses in clinics, and even the public. Their goal is to teach whatever information their students require to gain knowledge and self-confidence.

How to Become A Clinical Nurse Educator

Complete an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) or Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree: takes about two to four years based on the program
Pass the NCLEX-RN exam and apply for your RN license after graduation
Obtain one to five years of nursing experience
Attend a master’s or doctoral in nursing program with a clinical education concentration. Nurses with ADN degrees can complete their BSN in conjunction with their master’s or doctoral degree. These programs take about 18 months to three years to complete.
Take the exam to become a Certified Nurse Educator through the National League for Nursing (NLN)

How to Advance Your Career As A Clinical Nurse Educator

A CNE may obtain a doctoral degree in their preferred educational focus or obtain certificates in other areas of interest.

Education Requirements & Helpful Certification

Clinical nurse educators must be BCLS certified. Depending on where they teach, they may need to be ACLS certified. Additional certification is highly recommended.

Two main certifications are available through the NLN and there are two options to meet eligibility.

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Option A:

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After licensure, the applicant’s education must either have completed:

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a master's or doctoral degree in nursing with a major emphasis in nursing education or
a master's or doctoral degree in nursing plus a post-master's certificate in nursing education or
master's or doctoral degree in nursing and nine or more credit hours of graduate-level education courses

Option B:

After licensure, the applicant’s education and experience must have:

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A master's or doctoral degree in nursing (with a major emphasis in a role other than nursing education)
Two years or more employment in a nursing program in an academic institution within the past five years

Average Salary For Clinical Nurse Educators

Clinical nurse educators typically make between $77,050 - $94,482, with a median salary of $85,482, according to Salary.com.

The May 2021 Bureau of Labor and Statistics report shows which states have the highest and lowest wages for nurses. They do not list by nurse specialty, but clinical nurse educators’ salaries would likely follow suit despite having a master’s degree. The highest-paid states are California, Hawaii, and Oregon. The lowest-paid states are South Dakota, Alabama, and Mississippi.

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Specialty Organizations & Communities

National League of Nursing (NLN)

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Professional Nurse Educator Group (PNEG)

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Ideal Personality Traits

Enjoys research
Strong clinical background
Excellent communicator
Leadership and mentoring skills
Commitment to learning

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Clinical Nurse Educator

Clinical nurse educators provide on-going instruction in areas that improve the quality of care provided by staff and other caregivers. They often work in hospitals or clinics but can also be found teaching in academic settings.

Clinical nurse educators schedule and deliver continuing education in the form of in-services either in person or via webinars. They design their teaching plans based on educational learning theories, nursing theories, and students' needs. Clinical nurse educators are devoted to bringing knowledge to others and seeking ways to energize and motivate their students.

Education Requirements

Clinical nurse educators must be BCLS certified. Depending on where they teach, they may need to be ACLS certified. Additional certification is highly recommended.

Two main certifications are available through the NLN and there are two options to meet eligibility.

‍

Option A:

‍

After licensure, the applicant’s education must either have completed:

‍

a master's or doctoral degree in nursing with a major emphasis in nursing education or
a master's or doctoral degree in nursing plus a post-master's certificate in nursing education or
master's or doctoral degree in nursing and nine or more credit hours of graduate-level education courses

Option B:

After licensure, the applicant’s education and experience must have:

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A master's or doctoral degree in nursing (with a major emphasis in a role other than nursing education)
Two years or more employment in a nursing program in an academic institution within the past five years

How to advance/career pathway

A CNE may obtain a doctoral degree in their preferred educational focus or obtain certificates in other areas of interest.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Provide staff instruction in areas of clinical education, procedural care, or any newly identified need by the administration
Provide input in staff’s performance evaluations
Identify areas that would benefit from increased teaching to improve safety, compliance or accuracy of staff actions
Arrange schedules for the education of staff and train others who will assist in teaching
Document the entire process with timelines and design follow-up testing methods after training is completed

MOST COMMON CASES

How to become a