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Nursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary

Demonstrate and teach patient care in classroom and clinical units to nursing students. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

See majors and colleges
Other titles employers use

Assistant Professor · Associate Professor · Clinical Nursing Instructor · Faculty Member · Instructor · Lecturer · Nurse Educator · Nursing Instructor

Inside the work

What you would actually do.

6 responsibilities that define the role, before job titles and workplaces change the details.

  • Evaluate and grade students' class work, laboratory and clinic work, assignments, and papers.
  • Supervise students' laboratory and clinical work.
  • Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
  • Assess clinical education needs and patient and client teaching needs using a variety of methods.
  • Compile, administer, and grade examinations, or assign this work to others.
  • Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as pharmacology, mental health nursing, and community health care practices.

Who it suits

Would this work hold your attention?

This career often appeals to people drawn to helping, analytical and creative work.

Analytical
Investigating questions, testing ideas, and solving problems
Creative
Making, designing, writing, or performing without one set answer

Skills and strengths

What you would get good at.

Compare the skills the work relies on, the subjects behind it, and the abilities that make it easier to learn.

Core skills

  • Instructing
  • Speaking
  • Learning Strategies
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Active Listening
  • Writing

Subjects to know

  • Medicine and Dentistry
  • Education and Training
  • Psychology
  • English Language
  • Biology

Useful strengths

  • Oral Comprehension
  • Written Comprehension
  • Oral Expression
  • Written Expression
  • Speech Clarity

Working day

Picture yourself doing it.

These measures show how much of the day involves people, movement, conversation, and hands-on work.

How this job scores on four measures of working conditions, out of five
MeasureOut of 5What that means here
Close to other people3.6 Shared rooms, but not shoulder to shoulder
On your feet3.1 Up and down through the day
Talking face to face4.6 Continuous — the job is conversations
Working with your hands3.0 Little of the day

Preparation

How people prepare for this work.

Employers usually ask for a doctorate or a professional degree. Other routes may also lead into the field.

  • A master's degree 50%
  • A doctorate or professional degree 45%
  • A four-year degree 5%

Tools of the work

Technology you may use.

  • Word processing software
  • Electronic mail software
  • Presentation software
  • Medical software
  • Spreadsheet software
  • Office suite software
  • Computer based training software
  • Information retrieval or search software

Opportunity near you

See where this work is growing.

Choose a state to compare the size of the field, annual openings, and expected hiring change.

Selected stateCalifornia
People doing this work
8,500
Job openings each year
750
Expected hiring change, 2022–2032
23.2%
Compare every available state
State People doing it Job openings each year Expected change
California 8,500 750 23.2%
Texas 8,480 760 24.3%
Florida 7,350 670 27.6%
New York 7,120 130 21.7%
Pennsylvania 4,790 410 16.5%
Ohio 4,150 360 15.9%
Illinois 3,680 320 15.7%
Michigan 3,090 270 17.5%
New Jersey 2,980 260 20.2%
North Carolina 2,880 260 25.2%
Tennessee 2,200 210 34.1%
Alabama 2,000 180 22.7%
Washington 1,960 230 31.5%
Georgia 1,800 160 22.4%
Arizona 1,790 160 20.9%
Colorado 1,730 160 36.2%
Indiana 1,610 140 20.1%
Missouri 1,540 130 19.4%
Maryland 1,480 140 29.8%
Wisconsin 1,460 130 22.7%
Connecticut 1,320 120 24.5%
Utah 1,180 110 37.2%
Kansas 1,150 100 19.8%
Minnesota 1,130 100 17.7%
Iowa 1,050 100 25.0%
South Carolina 1,050 100 26.5%
Massachusetts 970 90 27.6%
Oklahoma 870 80 16.0%
Kentucky 830 70 18.6%
Mississippi 830 70 22.1%
Oregon 820 70 22.4%
Arkansas 770 70 18.5%
Nebraska 690 60 3.0%
Louisiana 660 60 22.2%
Puerto Rico 590 50 28.3%
New Hampshire 580 50 18.4%
Nevada 530 50 26.2%
Idaho 510 50 27.5%
Maine 450 40 12.5%
Delaware 400 40 29.0%
West Virginia 350 30 16.7%
South Dakota 330 30 22.2%
New Mexico 320 30 28.0%
Rhode Island 290 30 20.8%
Montana 250 20 25.0%
North Dakota 250 20 13.6%
Wyoming 170 20 30.8%
District of Columbia 160 10 14.3%
Alaska 80 10 14.3%

Career to college

Build a path toward this work.

Start with a related major, then compare colleges where students complete that field.

CareerNursing Instructors and Teachers, Postsecondary
Most direct field Nursing Related field Health Professions Education, Ethics, and Humanities

Where to study

Colleges with strong activity in these fields.

Start with program size, admission, and likely cost. Open a college for the full picture.

UT

Western Governors University

Degrees each year
7,786
Admit rate
Not reported
Annual cost after aid
$13,000

Program entryFirst-year program admission

Open college TX

The University of Texas at Arlington

Degrees each year
2,652
Admit rate
81%
Annual cost after aid
$13,000

Program entryApply after enrollment

Open college OH

Ohio University-Main Campus

Degrees each year
1,396
Admit rate
85%
Annual cost after aid
$19,000

Program entryApply after enrollment

Open college NC

University of North Carolina Wilmington

Degrees each year
789
Admit rate
74%
Annual cost after aid
$17,000

Program entryApply after enrollment

Open college FL

University of Central Florida

Degrees each year
734
Admit rate
40%
Annual cost after aid
$10,000

Program entryApply after enrollment

Open college IN

Indiana University-Indianapolis

Degrees each year
626
Admit rate
81%
Annual cost after aid
$11,000

Program entryApply after enrollment

Open college TN

East Tennessee State University

Degrees each year
588
Admit rate
87%
Annual cost after aid
$16,000

Program entryDirect to major

Open college TX

The University of Texas at Tyler

Degrees each year
582
Admit rate
92%
Annual cost after aid
$13,000

Program entryApply after enrollment

Open college

Compare every college offering registered nursing, nursing administration, nursing research and clinical nursing

Keep exploring

Careers with something in common.

Compare paths that use similar training and strengths.

Health Specialties Teachers, PostsecondaryRegistered NursesHealth Education SpecialistsComputer Systems AnalystsNurse Practitioners