Post-Master’s Nursing Education Certificate
Make an Impact in Healthcare With a Post-Master’s Nurse Educator Certificate
The Post-Master of Science in Nursing: Nursing Education Certificate program is ideal for advanced professional nurses who are looking to take on the role of a nurse educator in a variety of settings. This certificate program equips advanced nurses with the additional skillset and knowledge that helps educators satisfy the expanding educational needs of the nursing profession.
Course Topics in the Post-MSN Certificate in Nursing Education
Nurse educators practice as faculty, staff educators or clinicians. As a student, you will be taught how to educate in an academic or clinical setting. In the nursing education post-MSN certificate program, you can gain competency in many areas to help you become a knowledgeable nurse educator.
The post-MSN nurse educator certificate program focuses on the advanced practice role as an educator incorporating competencies of:
- Assessment
- Instructional strategies
- Program planning and program evaluating
- Diagnostic reasoning
- Leadership
- Evidenced-based research and application
Nurse educator certificate program course topics include:
- Advanced pathophysiology and pharmacology
- Advanced health assessment
- Nurse education seminars
- Nurse education practicum
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Through the post-master’s nursing education certificate program, you will have a specific focus of your practicum experience which will give you direct practicum hours. With this comprehensive curriculum, you can further your knowledge as a clinical or academic educator. This curriculum gives you the opportunity to take the Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) exam.
Nurse Educator Certificate Program Requirements
The post MSN certificate in nursing education program follows the same admissions requirements as other GCU graduate programs. To view GCU’s general admission requirements and program qualifications, visit the Graduate and Doctoral Online Admissions Requirements online.
Career Opportunities for Post-Master’s Certificate in Nursing Education
Nurse educators practice in a variety of settings. With a post master’s nurse educator certificate, graduates can have the opportunity to pursue an academic career as faculty for a traditional or online nursing college as well as a career as a clinical educator.
Nurse Educator Certificate Program FAQs
If you’re thinking about taking your advanced nursing practice into the education sector, read through our frequently asked question to learn more about a career in nursing education.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, postsecondary nursing instructors and teachers have a median annual wage of $78,580 as of May 2021.2
There are various tracks to becoming a certified nurse educator (CNE). The length of time it takes to become a CNE depends on your track and whether you are a full-time or part-time student. Fill out the form on this page to speak with a university counselor and better understand the timeline of completion for your program.
In order to qualify for the CNE exam, you must have a valid license as an active, practicing nurse and an advanced degree with either an emphasis or postgraduate certificate in nursing education. You may also need to have recent academic teaching experience.
A post-MSN nursing education certificate is a certificate program that provides advanced nurses the opportunity to gain competence in the nursing education field. Upon completion, you will learn to integrate evidence-based practices into learning environments to educate generations of nurses in both traditional and non-traditional settings. You will do so by applying instructional strategies, designing a strong curriculum, assessing and evaluating learning outcomes and engaging as a professional nurse educator through systematic self-reflection.
1 While all courses are completed online, you will need to attend clinical, practicum and immersion hours in person locally.
2 The earnings referenced were reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (“BLS”), Postsecondary Nursing Instructors and Teachers as of May 2021. Due to COVID-19, data from 2020 and 2021 may be atypical compared to prior years. The pandemic may also impact the predicted future workforce outcomes indicated by the BLS. BLS calculates the median using salaries of workers from across the country with varying levels of education and experience and does not reflect the earnings of GCU graduates as postsecondary nursing instructors and teachers. It does not reflect earnings of workers in one city or region of the country. It also does not reflect a typical entry-level salary. Median income is the statistical midpoint for the range of salaries in a specific occupation. It represents what you would earn if you were paid more money than half the workers in an occupation, and less than half the workers in an occupation. It may give you a basis to estimate what you might earn at some point if you enter this career. You may also wish to compare median salaries if you are considering more than one career path. Grand Canyon University can make no guarantees on individual graduates’ salaries as the employer the graduate chooses to apply to, and accept employment from, determines salary not only based on education, but also individual characteristics and skills and fit to that organization (among other categories) against a pool of candidates.
Core Courses
Course Description
This course focuses on advanced physiology, pathophysiology, and pharmacologic principles. This course will guide the Nursing Education learner in interpreting changes in normal function that result in symptoms indicative of illness and the effects of select pharmacologic substances on that process. Evidence-based research provides the basis for determining the safe and appropriate utilization of medications and herbal therapies on human function. Appropriate education for various prescribed pharmacologic agents is incorporated. Prerequisite: NUR-590.
Course Description
This course builds upon students’ previous health assessment knowledge offering advanced health assessment content to provide the foundation for the advanced professional nursing role of the nurse educator. This course emphasizes knowledge of health assessment, including physical, psychosocial, and spiritual health assessment; risk assessment; and functional assessment in diverse populations in the promotion of health and prevention of disease. Topics, such as effective communication and client teaching/counseling to elicit patients’ interpretation of their health status and perceived barriers, are incorporated throughout the course to maintain a nursing focus on patient responses to illness or the threat of illness. This course incorporates the completion and interpretation of a head-to-toe assessment along with emphasis on effective documentation and health recordkeeping. Prerequisite: NUR-641E.
Course Description
This course prepares learners to deliver advanced nursing knowledge within practice, professional, and academic settings. Specific emphasis is placed on effective methods to facilitate learning and fostering critical thinking skills in diverse health care settings. Learners synthesize advanced nursing knowledge of pathophysiology, pharmacology, and assessment within the integration of technology. Learners complete 50 direct patient care clinical hours in a specialty area to integrate advanced nursing knowledge and advanced assessment skills into practice. Clinical hours: 50. Prerequisite: NUR-643E.
Course Description
In this course, learners contribute to the development of nursing curricula, focusing on different phases of the curriculum creation and improvement processes. Learners examine methods of curriculum design, assessment of learning outcomes, and best practices for curriculum development, including aligning curriculum to professional standards, writing learning objectives, creating formative and summative assessments, and using data to improve student learning outcomes. Prerequisite: NUR-646E.
Course Description
This course culminates with two experiences for the learner: 1) 50 hours of direct clinical and 2) 100 hours of an education practicum; both must be completed with an approved nurse preceptor in the respective settings of the learner's choice. These clinical and practicum experiences afford learners the opportunity to continue the synthesis of advanced clinical nursing knowledge and skills at the start of the course and then demonstrate educational competencies in their selected areas of interest (e.g., assessment of learning needs, program/curriculum planning, implementation, and assessment/evaluation in either a traditional or nontraditional setting). This course offers opportunities for learners to begin integrating the role of the advanced nurse and the advanced educator based on the NLN competencies into their professional behaviors. Direct Care Clinical (50 hours) and Educational Practicum (100 hours) experiences totaling 150 hours. Practicum/field experience hours: 150. Prerequisite: Successful completion of all previous coursework in the program.
- GCU cannot and will not promise job placement, a job, graduate school placement, transfer of GCU program credits to another institution, promotion, salary, or salary increase. Please see the Career Services Policy in the University Policy Handbook.
- Please note that this list may contain programs and courses not presently offered, as availability may vary depending on class size, enrollment and other contributing factors. If you are interested in a program or course listed herein please first contact your University Counselor for the most current information regarding availability.
- Please refer to the Academic Catalog for more information. Programs or courses subject to change
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