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Nurse educator vs instructor nurse

The differences between nurse educators and instructor nurses can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a nurse educator, becoming an instructor nurse takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an instructor nurse has an average salary of $68,098, which is higher than the $67,983 average annual salary of a nurse educator.

The top three skills for a nurse educator include patients, BLS and BSN. The most important skills for an instructor nurse are BSN, professional development, and MSN.

Nurse educator vs instructor nurse overview

Nurse EducatorInstructor Nurse
Yearly salary$67,983$68,098
Hourly rate$32.68$32.74
Growth rate6%12%
Number of jobs537,80350,341
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 46%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Average age4446
Years of experience24

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 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.

Nurse educator vs instructor nurse salary

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

Nurse EducatorInstructor Nurse
Average salary$67,983$68,098
Salary rangeBetween $47,000 And $97,000Between $43,000 And $107,000
Highest paying CityJersey City, NJWashington, DC
Highest paying stateRhode IslandNorth Dakota
Best paying companyGradyHealthUniversity of Mississippi Medical Center
Best paying industryPharmaceuticalHealth Care

Differences between nurse educator and instructor nurse education

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

Nurse EducatorInstructor Nurse
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 46%Bachelor's Degree, 47%
Most common majorNursingNursing
Most common collegeDuke UniversityDuke University

Nurse educator vs instructor nurse demographics

Here are the differences between nurse educators' and instructor nurses' demographics:

Nurse EducatorInstructor Nurse
Average age4446
Gender ratioMale, 10.7% Female, 89.3%Male, 12.3% Female, 87.7%
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, 7.3% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.4% Asian, 11.2% White, 65.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage9%16%

Differences between nurse educator and instructor nurse 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.
  • Show more

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

Nurse educator vs instructor nurse skills

Common nurse educator skills
  • Patients, 19%
  • BLS, 8%
  • BSN, 7%
  • Professional Development, 6%
  • CPR, 5%
  • Educational Programs, 5%
Common instructor nurse skills
  • BSN, 14%
  • Professional Development, 11%
  • MSN, 9%
  • Student Learning, 7%
  • CPR, 5%
  • NCLEX, 5%

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