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Clinical instructor vs instructor nurse

The differences between clinical instructors and instructor nurses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 2-4 years to become both a clinical instructor and an instructor nurse. Additionally, a clinical instructor has an average salary of $84,613, which is higher than the $68,098 average annual salary of an instructor nurse.

The top three skills for a clinical instructor include patients, direct patient care and clinical practice. The most important skills for an instructor nurse are BSN, professional development, and MSN.

Clinical instructor vs instructor nurse overview

Clinical InstructorInstructor Nurse
Yearly salary$84,613$68,098
Hourly rate$40.68$32.74
Growth rate12%12%
Number of jobs87,15250,341
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 48%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age4646
Years of experience44

What does a clinical instructor do?

A clinical instructor is responsible for instructing and evaluating the clinical training of health sciences students. Clinical instructors identify each student's potential and areas of improvement to adjust the teaching approach as needed. They conduct lectures and training in the classroom and health care facilities, testing the students' knowledge by performing actual clinical duties and medical procedures under their supervision. A clinical instructor monitors students' progress, creating comprehensive strategies to enhance interactive learning. A clinical instructor must have extensive knowledge of the medical industry, as well as excellent communication skills to respond to the students' inquiries and concerns during training.

What does an instructor nurse do?

Nurse educators are instructors in the medical field. Usually, they are a registered nurse with additional education in the area of teaching. They serve as an educator, teaching different courses to nursing students. They also develop lesson plans and instructional materials such as syllabi or course outlines, assess student learning, and give exams.

Clinical instructor vs instructor nurse salary

Clinical instructors and instructor nurses have different pay scales, as shown below.

Clinical InstructorInstructor Nurse
Average salary$84,613$68,098
Salary rangeBetween $46,000 And $155,000Between $43,000 And $107,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CAWashington, DC
Highest paying stateCaliforniaNorth Dakota
Best paying companyOhioHealthUniversity of Mississippi Medical Center
Best paying industryHealth CareHealth Care

Differences between clinical instructor and instructor nurse education

There are a few differences between a clinical instructor and an instructor nurse in terms of educational background:

Clinical InstructorInstructor Nurse
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 48%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common collegeDuke UniversityDuke University

Clinical instructor vs instructor nurse demographics

Here are the differences between clinical instructors' and instructor nurses' demographics:

Clinical InstructorInstructor Nurse
Average age4646
Gender ratioMale, 25.9% Female, 74.1%Male, 12.3% Female, 87.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 7.1% Unknown, 4.9% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 11.3% White, 66.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%Black or African American, 7.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 11.2% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage16%16%

Differences between clinical instructor and instructor nurse duties and responsibilities

Clinical instructor example responsibilities.

  • Manage, direct, and teach ADN nursing students in the clinical setting in Tulsa hospitals.
  • Experience with ER & ICU patients, set up and perform portable exams.
  • Provide clinical instructions/teaching for the BSN program
  • Educate accelerate BSN students on an inpatient pediatric floor with hands-on instruction
  • Establish strong rapport with patients through effective therapeutic communication and delivery of compassionate level of patient care.
  • Review and demonstrate methods of obtaining accurate health history information for wellness or illness base encounters with patients across the lifespan.
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Instructor nurse example responsibilities.

  • Assess clinical education deliver to patients and clients utilizing a variety of health education delivery methods.
  • Serve as clinical instructor in Med-Surg, TCU and ICU settings.
  • Provide clinical instruction in community health nursing in the downtown Orlando area to first year BSN students.
  • Provide program syllabus per requirements.
  • Develop courses and assist in syllabus development.
  • Specialize in medical-surgical, fundamentals and pediatrics.
  • Show more

Clinical instructor vs instructor nurse skills

Common clinical instructor skills
  • Patients, 22%
  • Direct Patient Care, 6%
  • Clinical Practice, 4%
  • Pediatrics, 3%
  • Medical Surgical, 3%
  • Clinical Supervision, 3%
Common instructor nurse skills
  • BSN, 14%
  • Professional Development, 11%
  • MSN, 9%
  • Student Learning, 7%
  • CPR, 5%
  • NCLEX, 5%

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