Nurse educators who teach undergraduate students must obtain their education through a regionally accredited college or university. The M.S.N. degree prepares them to teach undergraduate students. Educators who plan on teaching master's level courses or higher need to obtain their doctorates. A typical nurse educator program requires students to complete 36 to 40 credit hours. Students usually learn the scholarly, theoretical side of the field so that they can implement theory in conjunction with their own practical knowledge. Course work generally involves studies in areas such as scientific writing, health care informatics, leadership and advanced practice, human resource management, principles of teaching applied to nursing, innovative methods for teaching health care and clinical teaching.
Nurse educators must be practicing nurses to enroll in most nurse educator programs. Most states require testing before nurses are approved to work in the field. The National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) is the standard examination nationwide for obtaining a nursing license. Each state determines the eligibility standards that allows nursing students to sit for the exam. The North Carolina Board of Nursing mandates that students simply complete a board-approved nursing program or, if outside the United States, one that is comparable to board-approved programs and can be verified as such. Nurses must also pass a criminal background check.
Continuing education requirements for nurses and nurse educators vary greatly by state. In North Carolina all nurses, whether they are nurse educators or practicing nurses, must complete all continuing education requirements within two years of licensure. They must also meet a minimum of 30 contact hours during that time, which they can satisfy by taking the appropriate number of refresher courses. Many community colleges in the state offer these courses.
Nurses must also demonstrate ongoing competency in their field. In 1998, the state nursing board decided that the NCLEX determined only entry-level competency and that nurses also must demonstrate ongoing competency throughout the continuing education period, either through a self-directed and documented effort on their part or an evaluative process determined by the nursing board and the nurse's employer.