Doctor of Education
Nurse Educator Specialization
Locations: Online
Formats: Online
Program duration: The program can be completed in as few as 3 years or less based on transfer credit and prior learning experience. The average time to degree is 4.33 years for students who have graduated within the last 3 years.*
*The program can be completed in as few as 3 years or less depending on individual progress, traditional vs. accelerated pathway, credits transferred, prior learning experience, and other factors. The average time to degree is 4.33 years for students who have graduated within the last 3 years.
Overview of the Nurse Educator Specialization
Prepare to teach the next generation of nurses and directly affect the future of nursing with a Doctor of Education with a specialization in Nurse Educator. This program offers practical theory and application within nursing education for experienced nurses who seek to train the next generation of clinicians. Delivered online, the EdD with a specialization in Nurse Educator degree allows you to complete the program around your busy schedule and at your own pace. While USAHS does not offer Title IV for any term in which an accelerated learning course is taken with a full term “Anchor” course, other financing alternatives may be available. You’ll be guided and mentored by faculty and doctoral advisors who are dedicated to helping you succeed.
Help future nurses understand the role of nursing in an interprofessional setting. Drill down to better understand how best to educate nursing students as you complete four Nurse Educator specialization courses. Gain practical experience through residencies and flexible course offerings. When you graduate with your EdD with a specialization in Nurse Educator, you’ll be prepared to take your career to the next level.
Who Is the Nurse Educator Specialization Designed For?
If your professional goals involve teaching the next generation of nurses and being a leader in the future of nursing, choose the Doctor of Education (EdD) with a specialization in Nurse Educator.
This program is designed for those who want to teach in nursing education. Choose to go into an academic full-time/tenure position. Enhance your career mobility. Teach part-time and continue to practice in a clinical setting. Stay in the nursing space or lead programs and lead in hospital settings with your Doctor of Education.
Leverage your nursing experience and knowledge to elevate your career by teaching nursing and helping develop new nurses who will benefit from your skill and expertise. In our Nurse Educator specialization, you will also enjoy the flexibility of course offerings that can fit around your busy schedule.
What You’ll Learn in the EdD with Specialization in Nurse Educator Program
The Doctor of Education (EdD) with a specialization in Nurse Educator includes courses in current best practices and trends in teaching nursing and training new nurses. Our program also allows you to develop a project/dissertation in your area of passion in the nursing profession. Examples of student project/dissertations include:
- Theory of planned behavior and intention to care for elderly in nursing
- Impact of blended learning on NCLEX scores
- Predictors of academic success in first semester nursing students
- Improving clinical safety through structured clinical debriefing among nursing students
- Nursing graduates’ perception of transition to practice programs
- Hospital/nurse training improvements to improve patient care
View the curriculum for the Nurse Educator specialization of the EdD degree.
Faculty in the Nurse Educator Specialization
By earning our Doctor of Education with a specialization in Nurse Educator, you’ll learn from faculty members who have published numerous peer-reviewed articles. Contributing faculty are also published professionals and experts in the field.
Current faculty research subjects include healthcare education, technology, interprofessional education, clinical leadership, community health, healthcare policy, telehealth, and educational training in healthcare.
Engage in Networking and Interprofessional Learning
Join a high-quality Doctor of Education with a specialization in Nurse Educator program focused on cross-disciplinary learning. Integrating interprofessional education (IPE) coursework and clinical simulation activities, our program prepares you to communicate and collaborate effectively with team members across disciplines. This helps you prepare to teach nursing in the real world, broaden your skillset as a nursing education professional, and ultimately help provide better health outcomes for patients.
Opportunities with the EdD Nurse Educator Specialization
As the national shortage of nurses—particularly RNs—continues, nurse educators are in high demand. Nursing schools are having to turn away prospective nursing students, in part, due to lack of nursing teaching faculty. According to a survey by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, in October 2022, a total of 2,166 full-time faculty vacancies were identified in baccalaureate and/or graduate programs across the country. The data show a national nurse faculty vacancy rate of 8.8%. Most of the vacancies (84.9%) were faculty positions requiring or preferring a doctoral degree.
When you graduate from our program, your skills and education will be in high demand. Your EdD with a specialization in Nurse Educator will prepare you for a career position such as: Adjunct professor/professor, Assistant professor, Academic leader, Nursing instructor in higher education, Nursing instructor in a clinical or hospital setting.
Other Specializations for the Doctor of Education Degree
Executive Leadership Specialization
Prepare for executive leadership roles in healthcare and interprofessional education in this flexible program designed to empower innovative healthcare education leaders. Learn more
Athletic Training Specialization
Study emerging topics such as cultural competency and evidence-based injury prevention in this specialization designed for athletic trainers who want to pursue a teaching role. Learn more
Teaching and Learning Specialization
Enhance your career offerings in teaching in a traditional or online classroom, including developing curricula and gaining deep insights into generational learning. Learn more
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