Occupation · SOC 25-1072
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.
Median wage
$79,940
$47,950–$130,040
Projected growth
+16.7%
Faster than average
Annual openings
1,530
per year
Employed (US)
74,250
Job Zone 5
Typical preparation
Extensive preparation
Stackable credential programs
1,749 mapped
Core skills
InstructingSpeakingLearning StrategiesReading ComprehensionActive ListeningWritingJudgment and Decision MakingMonitoring
Knowledge areas
Medicine and DentistryEducation and TrainingPsychologyEnglish LanguageBiology
Technology & tools
Computer based training softwareData base user interface and query softwareCalendar and scheduling softwareWord processing softwareInformation retrieval or search software
Representative tasks
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.Demonstrate patient care in clinical units of hospitals.Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.Keep abreast of developments in the field by reading current literature, talking with colleagues, and participating in professional conferences.Plan, evaluate, and revise curricula, course content, course materials, and methods of instruction.Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.Advise students on academic and vocational curricula and on career issues.Collaborate with colleagues to address teaching and research issues.Maintain regularly scheduled office hours to advise and assist students.Mentor junior and adjunct faculty members.Coordinate training programs with area universities, clinics, hospitals, health agencies, or vocational schools.Maintain a clinical practice.Select and obtain materials and supplies, such as textbooks and laboratory equipment.Serve on academic or administrative committees that deal with institutional policies, departmental matters, and academic issues.Participate in student recruitment, registration, and placement activities.Compile bibliographies of specialized materials for outside reading assignments.Participate in campus and community events.Supervise undergraduate or graduate teaching, internship, and research work.Conduct research in a particular field of knowledge and publish findings in professional journals, books, or electronic media.Perform administrative duties, such as serving as department head.Conduct faculty performance evaluations.Write grant proposals to procure external research funding.Act as advisers to student organizations.Provide professional consulting services to government or industry.
Competency framework
Skill expectations by proficiency level.
emerging
Course syllabi and instructional handouts — draft and organize under faculty mentorship for undergraduate nursing courses at an accredited postsecondary institution.Classroom discussions on foundational nursing topics — initiate and facilitate with structured prompts under the guidance of a senior nursing instructor.Student laboratory assignments and basic clinical exercises — evaluate and record grades using departmentally prescribed rubrics in a supervised academic setting.Pharmacology and community health lectures — prepare and deliver introductory presentations to undergraduate nursing cohorts with advisor review prior to delivery.Clinical education needs of student cohorts — assess using standardized checklists and observation protocols under the direction of an experienced faculty preceptor.Examinations and quizzes aligned to course objectives — compile and administer using approved question banks within an established nursing education program.Patient care demonstrations in hospital clinical units — assist senior nursing faculty in modeling basic procedures for student observers in supervised settings.Medical software and electronic health record training platforms — navigate and demonstrate to students under institutional IT and faculty support.Active listening and social perceptiveness — apply during initial student advising sessions to identify learning gaps in a postsecondary nursing program environment.Word processing and course management software — use to prepare and distribute course materials and correspondence within a structured academic department.
developing
Student laboratory and clinical performance — supervise and evaluate routinely across multiple sections of a nursing program, providing formative feedback with limited oversight.Undergraduate and graduate nursing lectures on topics such as mental health nursing and pharmacology — prepare and deliver independently, adapting content to varied learner levels.Classroom and seminar discussions — moderate with growing confidence, redirecting off-topic exchanges and incorporating evidence-based scenarios in a postsecondary nursing classroom.Comprehensive examinations — compile, administer, and grade independently, applying item analysis to refine question quality across successive course offerings.Patient and client teaching needs in clinical placements — assess using multiple methods including direct observation, standardized tools, and student self-reports in affiliated hospital units.Homework assignments, case studies, and clinical simulation handouts — design and revise based on student performance data and emerging nursing practice standards.Time management and instructional coordination — balance teaching, grading, and clinical supervision responsibilities across a full semester course load.Learning strategies tailored to diverse nursing student populations — select and apply based on documented learner needs within classroom and lab environments.Multimedia educational software and presentation platforms — integrate into nursing lectures and lab demonstrations to enhance clinical reasoning skill development.Written and oral student feedback on laboratory and clinical work — provide using criterion-referenced standards aligned with NCLEX competency expectations.
proficient
Complex, non-routine student clinical performance issues — assess and resolve autonomously, applying advanced judgment to determine remediation pathways within an accredited nursing program.Full-scope nursing courses spanning pharmacology, mental health, and community health — design, deliver, and continuously improve across undergraduate and graduate levels without supervisory input.Critical thinking and inductive reasoning — model explicitly in case-based classroom discussions, guiding students to synthesize clinical evidence and patient data in postsecondary nursing seminars.Clinical education program needs — evaluate comprehensively using mixed-method assessments, adjusting curriculum to align with current healthcare system demands and accreditation standards.Patient care demonstrations in hospital clinical units — lead independently, adapting technique instruction in real time to address varied student readiness levels during clinical rotations.Examination development and psychometric review — direct the full cycle from item writing through post-hoc analysis, ensuring validity and reliability across nursing licensure preparation courses.Complex problem solving in curriculum delivery — identify systemic instructional deficiencies and implement evidence-based solutions within a postsecondary nursing education context.Medical and health informatics software platforms — teach and evaluate student competency in using clinical decision-support and electronic health record systems in simulation lab environments.Interdisciplinary coordination with hospital and community health partners — manage to ensure clinical practicum placements meet accreditation and learning outcome requirements.Systems evaluation of program-level student outcomes — conduct using institutional data, NCLEX pass rates, and employer feedback to drive iterative curriculum improvement.
advanced
Nursing education program vision and strategic curriculum framework — establish and lead across undergraduate and graduate levels, aligning offerings with national nursing accreditation standards and workforce priorities.Faculty development initiatives in clinical and didactic instruction — design and mentor nursing faculty cohorts in evidence-based pedagogy, clinical supervision, and assessment practices.Program-wide clinical education partnerships with hospital systems and community health agencies — negotiate and sustain to ensure high-fidelity learning environments for all students.Institutional and accreditation review processes — lead, compiling outcome data, authoring self-study reports, and representing the nursing program before bodies such as ACEN or CCNE.Scholarship of teaching and learning research in nursing education — conduct and disseminate, contributing peer-reviewed findings that advance postsecondary nursing pedagogical practice.Comprehensive examination and assessment policy — set at the program level, establishing standards for grading, remediation, and progression that faculty across the department implement.Organizational resource allocation and academic scheduling — direct to optimize faculty teaching loads, clinical site assignments, and simulation lab utilization at an institutional scale.Policy recommendations on graduate nursing curriculum — develop and advocate for at the college and professional-organization level, influencing regional and national nursing education standards.Complex ethical and professional conduct issues involving students and clinical partners — adjudicate with authoritative judgment, applying institutional policy and nursing codes of ethics.Culture of continuous improvement and inclusive excellence in nursing education — cultivate across the department, integrating diverse clinical perspectives and equitable instructional practices into all program activities.
Also known as
39 alternate job titles map to this occupation.
Nurse EducatorProfessorNursing Faculty MemberRegistered Nurse Instructor (RN Instructor)Practical Nursing InstructorRegistered Nurse Teacher (RN Teacher)Vocational Nursing InstructorNurse InstructorNursing Assistants TeacherNurse, InstructorPractical Nursing TeacherInstructorContinuing Education InstructorClinical Nursing ProfessorAssociate ProfessorLecturerAdjunct InstructorGeneralist Nurse (Army 66N)Advanced Nursing ProfessorNurse Corps Officer (Army 66)Nursing Assistant ProfessorClinical Nursing InstructorClinical Specialist, Nursing (Navy 0925)Nurse Aide InstructorFaculty MemberNursing ProfessorNurse's Aides TeacherNursing InstructorRegistered Nursing Professor (RN Professor)Nursing Assistant InstructorClinical InstructorArmy Public Health Nurse (Army 66B)Adjunct Clinical Nursing InstructorAssistant ProfessorPsychiatric/Behavioral Health Nurse (Army 66C)SC - Nurse Corps - General (Navy 290)Emergency/Trauma Nurse (Navy 0906)CPR Instructor (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Instructor)Adjunct Nursing Instructor