How to hire a practical nursing instructor

How to hire a practical nursing instructor, step by step

Here's a step-by-step practical nursing instructor hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a practical nursing instructor job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new practical nursing instructor
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The practical nursing instructor hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

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   Hiring the perfect practical nursing instructor also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of practical nursing instructors and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Practical Nursing Instructor	Description	Hourly rate
   Practical Nursing Instructor	Postsecondary teachers instruct students in a wide variety of academic and career and technical subjects beyond the high school level. They also conduct research and publish scholarly papers and books.	$21-65
   Nursing Faculty	Nursing faculty members are professionals who are responsible for providing education and instructional materials about topics that are related to the nursing profession. These professionals must maintain communication with the Director of Nursing to discuss the progress and concerns of their nursing students... Show more	$21-43
   Nursing Program Coordinator	A Nursing Program Coordinator typically works at universities and community colleges where they are in charge of coordinating nursing programs. Although the extent of their responsibilities depends on their employment institution, it usually includes conducting research and analyses, liaising with internal and external parties, working together with directors in developing curriculums, and overseeing committee works... Show more	$21-43

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Patient Care
   • Pediatrics
   • Course Content
   • Clinical Sites
   • Professional Development
   • Clinical Practice
   • Course Materials
   • Classroom Lectures
   • Mental Health
   • Med/Surg
   • State Board
   • Teaching Methodologies
   • Clinical Rotations
   • Curriculum Development

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Cover the fundamental concepts of chemistry and biology including cell biology, metabolism, microbiology, genetics, evolution and histology.
   • Develop narrate PowerPoint presentations for simulation debriefing to assess students ability to effectively communicate with other team members using ISBARR.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your practical nursing instructor job description is a great way to entice the best and brightest candidates. A practical nursing instructor salary can vary based on several factors:

   • Location. For example, practical nursing instructors' average salary in georgia is 50% less than in massachusetts.
   • Seniority. Entry-level practical nursing instructors earn 67% less than senior-level practical nursing instructors.
   • Certifications. A practical nursing instructor with a few certifications under their belt will likely demand a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for a prestigious company or an exciting start-up can make a huge difference in a practical nursing instructor's salary.

   Average practical nursing instructor salary

   $79,190yearly

   $38.07 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level practical nursing instructor salary

   $45,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

4. Writing a practical nursing instructor job description

   A job description for a practical nursing instructor role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a practical nursing instructor job description:

   Practical nursing instructor job description example

   Louisiana Delta Community College (LDCC) seeks an individual to serve as a Practical Nursing Instructor at the Bastrop Campus. The successful applicant must be a registered nurse licensed in Louisiana with the qualifications listed below who will teach both didactic practical nursing courses and supervise students in the clinical setting.
   1. Teaching
   
   * Teach a load of 15 credit hours per semester.
   * Plans, develops, and uses effective teaching methods and materials which assist students in meeting course objectives, are appropriate for students with diverse educational and experiential backgrounds and learning styles, and engage the students in learning.
   * Classes may be day, afternoon, evening, and/or weekends
   * Maintain regular office hours, grade records
   * Respond to requests for information in a timely manner
   * Attend and participate in faculty meetings
   * Design and develop curriculum within state and accreditation body guidelines
   * Provide support for associate faculty
   * Assist in assessment and placement of students in appropriate classes
   * Participate in student recruitment, placement, advisement, and serve on college committees
   * Identify student learning outcomes: develop processes and tools for assessment; incorporate results in order to modify instruction and materials in coordination with colleagues
   
   2. Professional Development
   
   * Maintains high standards of competence in the discipline(s) and teaching methodologies through professional development activities.
   * Reviews, evaluates, reflects, and revises program curricula and teaching methods through a self-evaluation process of self- reflection.
   * Meets or exceeds professional standards, state-mandated guidelines, requirements of business/industry, and higher education, as appropriate to the discipline(s).
   
   3. Service
   
   * Actively participates in college meetings and/or committees, task forces, and councils
   * Participates in college-related activities such as registration, community education, and recruitment of students, student retention, and faculty selection
   * Participates in college activities for students/student organizations to aid in retention
   * Participates in business and community activities that foster goodwill and promote the mission and values of the college
   * Participates in activities required to maintain program and college accreditation standards
   * Participates in setting departmental goals, in developing college budgets that support the goals, and in planning for achieving those goals.
   * Promotes and maintains departmental affiliation agreements and other partnerships
   * Other duties as assigned
   
   Minimum Qualifications
   
   A practical nurse instructor shall be a registered nurse with three years of nursing experience. At least one of these three years must have been as a medical-surgical hospital staff nurse providing direct patient care. An applicant for nurse instructor must have practiced as a nurse for a minimum of six full-time months during the three years immediately preceding application.
   
   The successful candidate must also be service-oriented, promote excellence, and embrace a commitment to professionalism. Applicants should have demonstrated commitment to the philosophy and mission of Louisiana Delta Community College. Applicant should also demonstrate sensitivity to the needs of students, faculty, and staff from a variety of backgrounds.
   
   Supplemental Information
   
   In addition to completing an online application, a cover letter, resume and transcripts must be attached online for full consideration.
   
   Louisiana Delta Community College (LDCC) is an equal-opportunity, Title IX institution and pledges to recruit, select and promote diversity by providing equality of opportunity in higher educations for all persons, including faculty and employees with respect to hiring, continuation, promotion, and applicants for admission, enrolled students and graduates without discrimination or segregation.
   
   The College is interested in candidates who have the communication skills and cross-cultural abilities to maximize their effectiveness with diverse groups of colleagues, students, faculty, and community members. All employment decisions are made on a non-discriminatory basis. LDCC prohibits discrimination and harassment based on sex, race, color, age, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, citizenship, pregnancy or maternity, protected veteran status, work-related injury or any other status protected by applicable national, federal, state or local law. This nondiscrimination policy covers admissions, employment, and access to and treatment in College programs, services, and activities, A pre-employment background screen is required for all employees and the College participates in the Federally-mandated E-Verify program.
   
   LCTCS and its colleges are EEO/AA/ADA Employers

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right practical nursing instructor for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your practical nursing instructor job on Zippia to find and attract quality practical nursing instructor candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as k12jobspot, learn4good, serious teachers, teachingjobs.com.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   To successfully recruit practical nursing instructors, your first interview needs to engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. You can go into more detail about the company, the role, and the responsibilities during follow-up interviews.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new practical nursing instructor

   Once you have selected a candidate for the practical nursing instructor position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's also important to follow up with applicants who do not get the job with an email letting them know that the position is filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new practical nursing instructor. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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