Nursing Shortage Impacts Nurse Educators, Too

Nursing Shortage Impacts Nurse Educators, Too

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Extensive media coverage has brought our nation’s nurse shortage into the spotlight. But not as many people know that the U.S. also faces a shortage of nurse educators — which threatens to exacerbate the nurse shortage in the future.

A number of factors have caused the nurse educator shortage, including:

• Nursing educators retiring
• The nursing shortage steering more nurses toward clinical work
• Budgetary constraints within schools (clinical settings frequently pay more)

As schools recognize the importance of nurse educators, however, salaries have risen. In addition, online nursing degree programs, tuition assistance and the quality and prevalence of online nursing master’s degree programs make it easier than ever for RNs to enter the academic environment.

Some benefits of becoming a nurse educator include:

• Stable hours, rather than long nursing shifts
• Job security
• Potential for student loan repayment
• Competitive salaries
• Rewarding work

Additionally, today’s nurse educators often have opportunities to specialize as both an educator and a clinician, enjoying the best of both nursing worlds.