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Nurse educator vs clinical educator

The differences between nurse educators and clinical educators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a nurse educator and a clinical educator. Additionally, a nurse educator has an average salary of $67,983, which is higher than the $65,929 average annual salary of a clinical educator.

The top three skills for a nurse educator include patients, BLS and BSN. The most important skills for a clinical educator are patients, patient care, and excellent interpersonal.

Nurse educator vs clinical educator overview

Nurse EducatorClinical Educator
Yearly salary$67,983$65,929
Hourly rate$32.68$31.70
Growth rate6%6%
Number of jobs537,80360,065
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 46%Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Average age4444
Years of experience22

What does a nurse educator do?

A nurse educator is responsible for teaching aspiring professional nurses, designing courses according to the curriculum, and organizing activities to practice and enhance the students' knowledge. Nurse educators manage clinical activities and observe the students' performance in actual training. They must have excellent knowledge of the medical industry, as well as its practices, to respond to the students' inquiries and concerns accurately. A nurse educator identifies the students' strengths and weaknesses, develop comprehensive lesson plans, and strategizing various nursing programs.

What does a clinical educator do?

A clinical educator is primarily responsible for devising training programs for nurses and other health workers. They mostly coordinate with different departments and conduct skills assessments to determine areas that need improvement, develop various methods to make operations more manageable, and even organize certification programs. A clinical educator may also treat and handle patients, manage schedules, produce progress reports, and maintain an extensive record of all documentation. Moreover, as a clinical educator, it is essential to implement the medical facility's policies and regulations.

Nurse educator vs clinical educator salary

Nurse educators and clinical educators have different pay scales, as shown below.

Nurse EducatorClinical Educator
Average salary$67,983$65,929
Salary rangeBetween $47,000 And $97,000Between $44,000 And $96,000
Highest paying CityJersey City, NJNorwich, CT
Highest paying stateRhode IslandConnecticut
Best paying companyGradyHealthBoehringer Ingelheim
Best paying industryPharmaceuticalHealth Care

Differences between nurse educator and clinical educator education

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

Nurse EducatorClinical Educator
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 46%Bachelor's Degree, 51%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common collegeDuke UniversityDuke University

Nurse educator vs clinical educator demographics

Here are the differences between nurse educators' and clinical educators' demographics:

Nurse EducatorClinical Educator
Average age4444
Gender ratioMale, 10.7% Female, 89.3%Male, 19.4% Female, 80.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.7% Asian, 8.9% White, 65.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 10.8% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 9.0% White, 66.3% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage9%9%

Differences between nurse educator and clinical educator duties and responsibilities

Nurse educator example responsibilities.

  • Achieve instructor level for both BLS and ACLS, supporting needs of nursing staff to maintain competency.
  • Demonstrate clinical competency and compassion in providing care, using technology, administering medications, performing procedures, and managing emergencies.
  • Provide nursing education and clinical expertise to novice nurses entering ICU setting.
  • Assist with maintaining staff certification in ACLS and BLS, advocate keeping current with unit specific certifications.
  • Involve in program development for the cardiology and cardiovascular surgery departments.
  • Develop standardized patient care plans for medical diagnoses and oncology patients for use with the hospital computerize documentation system.
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Clinical educator example responsibilities.

  • Develop and manage customer training materials and deliver in-service and technical training programs for new and existing customers.
  • Provide case management with physicians recommendations and assistance navigating insurance such as Medicare, Medicaid and manage care.
  • Demonstrate clinical competency and compassion in providing care, using technology, administering medications, performing procedures and managing emergencies
  • Provide education within the community for cardiac health, CPR and ACLS.
  • Provide ACLS and BLS classes for staff, physicians, and community groups.
  • Design and present annual mandatory competencies, OSHA, and CPR classes to current professional staff.
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Nurse educator vs clinical educator skills

Common nurse educator skills
  • Patients, 19%
  • BLS, 8%
  • BSN, 7%
  • Professional Development, 6%
  • CPR, 5%
  • Educational Programs, 5%
Common clinical educator skills
  • Patients, 15%
  • Patient Care, 10%
  • Excellent Interpersonal, 10%
  • BLS, 7%
  • Educational Programs, 5%
  • Professional Development, 5%

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