Eight traits make great nursing instructors
By Bridget K. Parsh, RN, CNS, MSN, EdD
Now’s the perfect time to move into nursing education to teach the
next generation of nursing students.
I
IF YOU’RE LOOKING for a career that
can impact the future of nursing, consider
becoming a nursing instructor. Because
of a serious faculty shortage, thousands
of qualified applicants have been turned
away from nursing programs in recent
years.1 Almost three-quarters (71%) of
nursing schools surveyed in one study
cited faculty shortages as a reason for
not accepting all qualified applicants.2
With such a significant need, now’s
the time to consider a career as a nursing
instructor or professor. Here are eight
characteristics you’ll need:
1. Appropriate education. Each nurs-
ing program, whether LPN, ADN, or
BSN, must follow standards set by the
appropriate state nurse practice act, other
state regulations, and the facility or uni-
versity. In addition, the level of education
required of faculty members can vary
with the position. For example, class-
room faculty teaching students in a BSN
program need to have at least an MSN
degree. On the other hand, a BSN degree
may be sufficient for clinical instructors,
depending on their state and their job.
Some tenure-track positions require a
doctorate.
If you decide to further your education
by pursuing a higher degree, you’ll be
mentored by nursing instructors and get
connected to local nursing programs.
Going back to school for more education
may even lead to your next job!
2. Teaching skills. Nursing faculty teach
critical thinking by asking questions,
reviewing written work, conducting clini-
cal conferences, and evaluating student
journals. They work side by side with
nursing students as well as with nursing
staff. As a faculty member, you can bring
your real-life experiences to the classroom.
Students love to hear how theory is applied
in the clinical world.
16 Lippincott’s 2010 Nursing Career Directory
3. Ability to work with others. Though
it’s also significant in many other careers,
an ability to work with others is essential
to nursing faculty. If you’re a faculty
member, you can have an immeasurable
impact on students. In the clinical set-
ting, an encouraging word or a support-
ive smile go a long way.
4. Expertise. Although the primary
role of faculty is to educate, faculty mem-
bers are also colleagues to professional
nursing staff and nurses to patients. The
staff expects a clinical educator to be respon-
sible for the care the students provide to
patients and to intervene if things go awry
in the unit.3 Nursing competence is criti-
cal to the teaching role. Nursing students
come with a wide variety of experiences.
Patience and understanding play a huge
role, but patient safety always comes first.
5. Assessment skills. Yes, your assess-
ment skills remain important as an edu-
cator too. Working with students, whether
in clinical areas or in the classroom, requires
constant assessment of their learning and
understanding. Just as nurses must be
sure of patients’ knowledge before they’re
discharged, educators must be sure that
students grasp the concepts of nursing
care before they care for patients. The most
effective educators are adept at intuiting
students’ concerns, showing empathy,
and offering clearer guidance.4
6. Love of nursing. As a faculty mem-
ber, you’ll need to have a clear vision of
nursing and of nursing’s value to society.
Students expect their clinical educator to
guide them in making observations, apply-
ing theory, reaching conclusions, selecting
and performing interventions, and evaluat-
ing outcomes.5 A passion for our profession
makes teaching easier and more effective.
7. Communication skills. Communi-
cating a positive attitude about teaching
and learning and promptly responding to
students about their work promotes their
confidence and skills. Today’s high-tech
student uses e-mail, the Internet, cell phones,
and basic face-to-face communication to do
their learning. Using technology in the
classroom or online classes is a nursing
educator skill that’s valued by students.
8. Skills beyond the clinical setting.
As a university professor, you’ll work on
university committees and conduct the lat-
est research in our field. Being connected to
the community and the campus are a reward-
ing part of the role of university faculty.
Challenges and rewards
A career as nursing faculty can be chal-
lenging and rewarding. During the semes-
ter, you’ll have obligations to students,
hospitals, and universities that can be
overwhelming at times. Lecturing on
campus and spending days working with
students in the nursing units will keep
you busy. Your reward is the nursing
students, who are striving to be their
very best for their future patients. You’ll
find that mentoring a struggling student
or boosting a student’s confidence will
have a huge impact not only on the stu-
dent but on yourself as well. ■
REFERENCES
1. Buerhaus PI, Staiger DO, Auerbach DI. The
Future of the Nursing Workforce in the United States:
Data, Trends, and Implications. Sudbury, MA: Jones
and Bartlett Publishers; 2008.
2. American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Fact
sheet: nursing faculty shortage: http://www.aacn.
nche.edu/Media/FactSheets/FacultyShortage.htm.
3. Oermann MH. Reflections on undergraduate
nursing education: a look to the future. Int J Nurs
Educ Scholarsh. 2004;1(1):Article 5. http://www.
bepress.com/ijnes/vol1/iss1/art5.
4. Gibbons C, Dempster M, Moutray M. Stress and
eustress in nursing students. J Adv Nurs. 2008;
61(3):282-290.
5. O’Connor AB. Clinical Instruction and Evaluation:
A Teaching Resource. 2nd edition. Sudbury, MA:
Jones and Bartlett Publishers; 2006.
Bridget K. Parsh is a member of the faculty for the division
of nursing at California State University in Sacramento.
www.nursingcenter.com