M.S. in Nursing-Nurse Educator
37
Credit Hours
18
Month Completion
Next Start Date
Jul 1, 2024
Placement Tests
GMAT/GRE not required for admission
Accreditation
CCNE

Train top-notch nurses with an online master’s in nursing education

Take a leading role in the effort to reverse the U.S. nursing shortage by becoming a nurse educator in an academic or healthcare environment. Franklin’s online M.S. in Nursing-Nurse Educator track blends advanced nursing theory and evidence-based practice with industry-aligned courses in instructional design, curriculum design and learning assessment. This CCNE-accredited MSN degree prepares you to assume advanced roles and responsibilities in the increasingly in-demand field of nursing education in as few as 18 months.

Program Availability

Online
On Site

Finish in as Few as 18 Months

Earn your degree and prepare for advancement faster.

$2,000 Smart Start Scholarship

New students in the MSN-Educator program qualify for an automatic $2,000 scholarship.

Accredited

The master's degree program in nursing at Franklin University is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

100% Online Coursework

Balance earning your degree with other work-life commitments.

Contemporary Curriculum

Evaluate and study trending nursing topics throughout the program.

Learn from the Best

Benefit from the expertise of seasoned, in-field practitioners.

M.S. in Nursing-Nurse Educator Program Overview

Fill the gap in nursing education and position yourself for continued professional development

Retirement and burnout are two contributors to the nationwide nursing shortage, which is expected to last until 2030, but another factor in the growing problem is the lack of qualified educators in-place to train aspiring nurses. In fact, according to a report by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, more than 90,000 qualified applicants were turned away from bachelor’s and master’s-level nursing programs in 2021. Survey respondents cited faculty shortage as a top reason for not accepting all qualified applicants. 

As a result, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, predicts a 20% increase in employment for nurse educators through 2028. An online master’s in nursing education from Franklin qualifies you for teaching positions in clinical and academic settings, as well as nonprofit organizations or the insurance industry. While patient care positions often offer higher salaries, education roles tout competitive benefits and more predictable schedules. The MSN-Nurse Educator is also a good stepping stone toward doctoral study in nursing and continued personal and professional development. 

As a graduate of Franklin’s MSN-Nurse Educator program, you’ll emerge as a competent and compassionate nurse educator, able to contribute to the advancement of nursing education, the nursing profession and the delivery of high-quality patient care.

Excel as a nurse educator 

Through Franklin’s School of Nursing (SON), you’ll build a strong foundation in clinical judgment, leadership and advocacy. However, as a benefit of the collaboration between the SON and the University’s International Institute for Innovative Instruction, the MSN-Nurse Educator program combines comprehensive advanced nursing theory and practice with industry-leading instructional design strategies and techniques. Through your choice of focus area courses, you’ll learn to assess educational needs and design tailored curricula, engage diverse learners, and integrate research findings into teaching practices. 

Get hands-on clinical experience

Through the practicum and the capstone course, you’ll apply your knowledge in a healthcare or academic environment, refining your teaching abilities and developing your own philosophies. You’ll integrate the responsibilities of a nursing educator within a real-world context, incorporating key concepts covered throughout the MSN-Nurse Educator program. 

The 80-hour practicum provides an opportunity for you to focus on a specific population of interest or a particular clinical role. Under the guidance of an experienced nurse educator, you’ll engage in educational activities that unite pedagogy, instructional design, curriculum development and assessment of learner outcomes. 

The capstone course provides opportunities for weekly discussions and reflection on practicum learnings. In addition to presenting your experiences on leadership, mentorship and collaboration, you’ll also learn from other students in the course.

Read more >

Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)

The Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Master of Science in Nursing, post-graduate APRN certificates, and Doctor of Nursing Practice programs at Franklin University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (http://www.ccneaccreditation.org).

 

Future Start Dates

Start dates for individual programs may vary and are subject to change. Please request free information & speak with an admission advisor for the latest program start dates.

Summer 2024
July
1
Recommended Register By:
Jun 21
Fall 2024
August
19
Recommended Register By:
Aug 9
Fall 2024
September
30
Recommended Register By:
Sep 20
Spring 2025
January
6
Recommended Register By:
Dec 27
Spring 2025
February
17
Recommended Register By:
Feb 7

Your Best Value MSN Nurse Educator Program

Choose Franklin’s MSN Nurse Educator program and you’ll get more for your money while you make the most of your time. Complete your degree in as few as 21 months.

Affordable Tuition

$598
PER CREDIT HOUR

Affordable tuition rates for the accredited MSN Nurse Educator program provide value and quality.

Automatic Smart Start Scholarship

$24,790
Total Tuition
$2,000
Automatic Scholarship
$22,790
Tuition with Scholarship

Franklin’s competitive tuition rate and our Smart Start Scholarship puts your degree within reach.

Lower Fees

Save thousands of dollars in fees by choosing Franklin over other leading programs for your MSN Nurse Educator program.

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Source: Internal research of leading programs (May 2022)

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Tuition Guarantee

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Curriculum & Course Descriptions

37 Semester Hours
Major Area Required
NURS 612 - Role of the Master's Prepared Nurse (3)

This course assesses the various roles of the master's prepared nurse. The influence of the health care delivery systems, health care policy, diversity, ethics, quality, safety, theory, evidence based practice, and information systems on the role of the master's prepared nurse will be explored.

NURS 650 - Population Focused Care (3)

Theories, principles, and strategies of population-based health care are used to design, implement, and evaluate services and plans of care to promote, maintain, and restore health in a defined population. Students focus on population aggregates in structured or unstructured settings across service environments. Strategies to evaluate outcomes and costs are emphasized. Prerequisite NURS 612 or 613.

NURS 693 - Evidence Based Practice & Quality Improv (3)

This course will explore and analyze methods to improve nursing practice and health outcomes. Collaborative efforts and ethical concerns are considered. Emphasis is placed on critically evaluating evidence-based practice and quality assurance initiatives.

NURS 646 - Advanced Physical Assessment (3)

This course builds upon the student?s previous health assessment knowledge offering more advanced health assessment content to provide the foundation for advanced professional nursing roles. This course emphasizes knowledge of health assessment, including physical, psychosocial, spiritual health assessment, risk assessment, and functional assessment in diverse populations in the promotion of health and prevention of disease. To maintain a nursing focus on patient responses to health, illness, or the threat of illness, the nurse must exhibit effective communication and client teaching, which is incorporated throughout the course. The importance of effective documentation and health record keeping is included.

NURS 647 - Integrated Concepts of Disease Management (4)

This course is designed to refine and further develop nursing knowledge and skills related to pathophysiology and pharmacology across the lifespan. The curriculum focuses on developing advanced knowledge and skills that nurse leaders and educators require for direct and indirect care in non-advanced practice roles. Students will explore the principles of pathophysiology and pharmacotherapeutics related to disease management and patient education. Students will examine how these concepts apply to diverse patient populations and the interprofessional team approach to care. (This course does not satisfy the requirements for a nurse practitioner).

HCM 752 - Health Policy (4)

This course will explore the essential conceptual and analytical understanding of health policymaking and politics, including their impact on health administration and leadership. Selected policy issues will be explored through the application of political concepts and behavioral models, including a system model of policymaking. The emphasis will be on understanding the health leader?s approach to the policymaking system, become involved in it, and work through it to attain their objectives and those of their organization.

NURS 795 - MSN Capstone (4)

The purpose of this capstone course is to provide the student with the opportunity to examine the role of the master?s prepared nurse in a health care or education setting. Using a combination approach of seminar and precepted clinical experience, the student focuses on the integration and application of major concepts covered throughout the graduate nursing program and assists in preparation for comprehensive evaluation. The student is assigned to a health care or educational setting under the direction of an experienced master?s prepared nurse executive/educator/practitioner for the practicum portion of the course. Eighty (80) precepted clinical hours are required.

NURS 799 - MSN Practicum (1-4)

The MSN practicum experience provides students with the opportunity to receive academic credit for experience in an authentic work environment, which may be either external or internal to the University depending on the student?s preference. The student will have the option of precepted or non-precepted experiences that are approved by the faculty member.

IDPT 601 - Foundations of Instructional Design (4)

Learning theories and instructional design models are the two fundamental pillars for the field of instructional design. In this course, students will study the learning theories and philosophies that have formed, influence, and support this field. Students will also study instructional systems theories, models, and systematic approaches to instructional design. In this course, students will apply these theories, strategies, and instructional models to create a learning, instructional design, or training event in their chosen setting, whether business, government, healthcare, higher ed, industry, k-12, or other. At the end of this course, students will make a plan on how to prepare for an instructional design career.

At least 2 of the following courses:

IDPT 640 - Enhancing Learning With Technology (4)

In this course, students will apply design principles to create a learning event that includes the use of new and emerging technologies. Students will research collaboration and networking tools for their use and value in learning environments. Delivery platforms and software will also be explored for their impact on instructional strategies. Projects completed in the course will become part of the student's portfolio.

OR IDPT 645 - Learning Management Systems (4)

In this course, students will study the practices employed to manage and deliver instructional content in an online environment. Students will interact with a functional Learning Management System (LMS) to manage the design, development, delivery, and evaluation of reusable learning content.

OR IDPT 650 - Evaluation (4)

This course presents fundamental principles and practices for evaluating courses and programs, with a focus on formative and summative evaluation and criterion-referenced testing. Students will explore evaluation models and theories, create a learner satisfaction survey, create criterion-referenced tests, create grading rubrics, and work with a data set to interpret data and make recommendations to improve a course or unit of instruction. Projects completed in the course will become part of the student?s portfolio.

OR IDPT 715 - Theories and Applications for Managing Projects and Relationships (4)

Being able to successfully manage projects and relationships are paramount skills in the current workforce. In this course, students will study project management theories, tools, and technologies and apply them in their own discipline. By the end of this course, students need to develop a project management process and a plan to resolve relationship issues.

OR EDUC 613 - Leading Curricular & Instructional Alignment (4)

This course will focus on the tools that educators need to achieve deep alignment. Effective curriculum design and deep alignment are critical factors in maximizing student achievement. The purpose of the course is to strengthen the knowledge and skills of learners as instructional designers and managers by evaluating models for managing curriculum as they identify and research current and emerging issues in curriculum.

M.S. in Nursing-Nurse Educator Program Details

Nurse Educator Careers & Jobs

Nurse Educator

Nurse educators work at community colleges or at four-year institutions to teach aspiring nurses by developing curriculum, teaching courses and observing students in clinical environments.

Clinical Educator

 Clinical educators improve patient outcomes by instructing and assessing healthcare workers in healthcare environments.

Instructional Coordinator

Instructional Coordinators are responsible for the development and implementation of instructional programs.

Instructional Designer

Instructional designers focus on learning objectives, learning activities and assessments to create effective courses, curricula or training materials. 

Nurse Educator Employment Outlook

15%

From 2022-2032, jobs for Nurse Educators are expected to increase by 15%.

All Occupations

2022
5,957,812 jobs
2032
6,867,528 jobs
Show Details >

Nurse Practitioners

2022
273,522 jobs
2032
391,975 jobs

Medical and Health Services Managers

2022
523,847 jobs
2032
679,189 jobs

Nurse Anesthetists

2022
53,861 jobs
2032
63,224 jobs


Source information provided by Lightcast.

Nurse Educator Knowledge & Skillsets

Gain in-demand skills sought by employers with curriculum that teaches you:

The Clinical Experience

Meet Your [Clinical] Match

Clinical rotations play a critical role in preparing you to excel as nurse practitioner. Learn how we will support your search and what you can do to personalize the experience to meet your personal and professional needs. 

Info for Students

MSN Degree-Nurse Educator Track Frequently Asked Questions

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