Registered Nurse Educators: How to Become One
If you were to ask a group of registered nurse educators about how they arrived at their current job, there's a good chance you would get several different answers about the paths and steps that each person took.
That said, there are still ways that you can develop a baseline understanding of the preparation that is necessary to become one.
The Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has gathered data to provide you with insight into the type of education that's commonly required for registered nurse educators to land a job. This page contains information, sourced from real job postings, that describes the experience levels and specific skills that employers of registered nurse educators expect candidates to have. In the end, this information will help you create an education or professional development plan that aligns with your career aspirations.
Keep reading to learn more about career steps for registered nurse educators.
What Education & Experience is Needed for Registered Nurse Educators?
Do registered nurse educators need a degree? What kind of experience do registered nurse educators typically need? Thanks to data sourced from Lightcast™ from real job postings, we can get some clarity on those questions, as well as the level of education that is commonly required for registered nurse educators to secure jobs.
Education Level Required in Job Postings for Registered Nurse Educators
Jobs Postings for Registered Nurse Educators By Education
- Bachelor's degree: 31,487 (43%)
- No Education Listed: 16,059 (22%)
- Master's degree: 13,939 (19%)
- High School or GED: 9,041 (12%)
- Ph.D. or professional degree: 2,282 (3%)
A bachelor's degree is the level of education sought the most by employers of registered nurse educators. According to job data, a bachelor's degree was required for 43% of positions. In 22% of job listings no education level was listed and in 19% of postings a master's degree was required.
Experience Level Required in Job Postings for Registered Nurse Educators
Jobs Postings for Registered Nurse Educators By Experience
- 0-1 Years: 8,410 (22%)
- 2-3 Years: 21,247 (56%)
- 4-6 Years: 7,775 (20%)
- 7-9 Years: 395 (1%)
- 10+ Years: 279 (1%)
While the amount of required experience will vary based on the responsibility and seniority of the position, an aggregate view of job posting data can help paint a picture of the experience level sought for most job openings for registered nurse educators. In 56% of job postings for Registered Nurse Educators, employers were looking for candidates with 2-3 years of experience. In 22% of listings employers were looking for candidates with 0-1 years of experience, while 4-6 years of experience was sought in 20% of job postings for registered nurse educators.
What Kind of Degree Do Registered Nurse Educators Need?
So far this page has provided detail into the level of education and the amount of experience required in job openings for registered nurse educators, but what type of education or degree will help prepare you for a career in the field?
According to occupational data obtained through Lightcast,™ there are 17 key academic programs that can help prepare prospective registered nurse educators, and in 2021 a total of 81,387 of those programs were completed at institutions in the United States.
Check out the information below to learn more about the specific programs that should be considered by prospective registered nurse educators.
Top Degree Programs for Registered Nurse Educators
Top 5 Degree Programs for Registered Nurse Educators (2021)
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Public Health, General. | 22,677 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General. | 13,892 |
| Human Services, General. | 13,224 |
| Health and Wellness, General. | 6,105 |
| Nutrition Sciences. | 5,302 |
| Program | Completions |
|---|---|
| Public Health, General. | 22,677 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, General. | 13,892 |
| Human Services, General. | 13,224 |
| Health and Wellness, General. | 6,105 |
| Nutrition Sciences. | 5,302 |
| Public Health Education and Promotion. | 4,550 |
| Public Health, Other. | 3,404 |
| Health Services Administration. | 3,027 |
| Community Health Services/Liaison/Counseling. | 2,516 |
| Health Teacher Education. | 1,801 |
| International Public Health/International Health. | 1,599 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness, Other. | 1,240 |
| Behavioral Aspects of Health. | 814 |
| Sports Studies. | 614 |
| Health Communication. | 410 |
| Maternal and Child Health. | 163 |
| Dental Public Health and Education. | 49 |
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What Skills Do Registered Nurse Educators Need?
Education and experience have been covered, so what are the specific skills and traits needed by registered nurse educators to secure a job?
A good way to understand this is to examine actual job postings for skills commonly sought by employers. Continue reading for a breakdown of specialized skills found in job postings for registered nurse educators, as well as common skills that can help you thrive in the workplace.
In-Demand Skills for Today's Registered Nurse Educators
Based on 60,021 job postings
Top 5 Specialized Skills for Registered Nurse Educators
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | 23,537 | 39% |
| Health Education | 7,284 | 12% |
| Clinical Nursing | 5,412 | 9% |
| Health And Wellness Coaching | 4,428 | 7% |
| Clinical Experience | 4,270 | 7% |
Top 5 Common Skills for Registered Nurse Educators
| Skills | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communications | 22,005 | 37% |
| Teaching | 14,461 | 24% |
| Leadership | 14,063 | 23% |
| Management | 13,920 | 23% |
| Planning | 11,620 | 19% |
Based on 60,021 job postings related to registered nurse educators, nursing was the top specialized skill sought by employers, with 39% of all postings looking for that skillset. Skills for health education, clinical nursing, health and wellness coaching, clinical experience and nursing practices were also highly sought.
As for common skills, communications was the most desired skill found in job postings for registered nurse educators, followed by teaching, leadership, management, planning and customer service.
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Nursing | 23,537 | 39% |
| Health Education | 7,284 | 12% |
| Clinical Nursing | 5,412 | 9% |
| Health And Wellness Coaching | 4,428 | 7% |
| Clinical Experience | 4,270 | 7% |
| Nursing Practices | 4,168 | 7% |
| Quality Improvement | 3,935 | 7% |
| Clinical Practices | 3,933 | 7% |
| Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) | 3,924 | 7% |
| Curriculum Development | 3,912 | 7% |
| Patient Education And Counseling | 3,883 | 6% |
| Nurse Education | 3,787 | 6% |
| Public Health | 3,704 | 6% |
| Health Promotion | 3,617 | 6% |
| Diabetes Mellitus | 3,252 | 5% |
| Acute Care | 2,868 | 5% |
| Community Health | 2,846 | 5% |
| Adult Education | 2,822 | 5% |
| Mental Health | 2,796 | 5% |
| Performance Improvement | 2,779 | 5% |
| Skill | Postings | % of Total Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Communications | 22,005 | 37% |
| Teaching | 14,461 | 24% |
| Leadership | 14,063 | 23% |
| Management | 13,920 | 23% |
| Planning | 11,620 | 19% |
| Customer Service | 11,034 | 18% |
| Research | 8,669 | 14% |
| Writing | 8,408 | 14% |
| Coordinating | 8,093 | 13% |
| Presentations | 7,680 | 13% |
| Interpersonal Communications | 7,553 | 13% |
| Coaching | 6,452 | 11% |
| Microsoft Excel | 5,899 | 10% |
| Problem Solving | 5,821 | 10% |
| Computer Literacy | 5,634 | 9% |
| Operations | 5,459 | 9% |
| Microsoft Office | 5,386 | 9% |
| Microsoft PowerPoint | 5,122 | 9% |
| Training And Development | 4,792 | 8% |
| Sales | 4,785 | 8% |
Additional Links
Ready to dig deeper into career information about registered nurse educators? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for registered nurse educators.
What do registered nurse educators do?
How much do registered nurse educators make?
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