Most people have come to appreciate that you don’t have to go to a physical classroom, office, or store to get what you need from those places. With the internet, you can shop, get educated, and work virtually.
Now, nursing is one of those occupations in which you would think that an online classroom wouldn’t work, but you’d be wrong. In light of recent health concerns, more and more nursing students have taken to studying online.
It is more convenient for many people and also provides a flexible learning environment. This provides great opportunities for nurse educators. Up next, you’ll learn everything you need to know about how to teach online nursing classes from home.
What Is an Online Nursing Teacher?
Online nursing teachers are sometimes called nurse educators. They should be able to take online nursing students through rigorous educational experiences while having fun in the process.
Learning online shouldn’t feel like a chore, and a skilled nurse educator knows that. Online education shouldn’t feel like something you have to work fast to get through, rather an experience that will enrich your life.
Also, teaching nursing online is an evolving process that calls for commitment from the students and the nurse educator.
Evolution of Online Nursing
When online nursing had just been introduced, universities worked hard to balance technology limitations with student needs and demands of degree programs.
Advanced technology like wireless connections, faster internet speeds, and real-time teamwork opportunities have all played a big role in universities overcoming earlier challenges.
Therefore, if you want to work as a nurse educator, it should be much easier. Although there still may be challenges, they are much fewer.
Why Online Nursing Education?
Easier Face-to-Face Connections
Today, online learning and teaching don’t have to be solitary endeavors. Advanced technology has introduced video conferencing tools like VoiceThread, GoToMeeting, and others that allow real-time collaboration.
You get a chance to help students all over the world using these tools, which can make your work fun and fulfilling.
Greater Student Collaboration
Online learning promotes student collaboration through discussion boards where students can freely discuss with their fellow students and teachers.
Discussion boards let nursing students reflect on their nursing topics and voice problems to their teacher.
Access Superior Quality
Having faculty members with advanced degrees is not enough. Online nursing requires highly educated faculty members that have embraced online learning plus the technology that comes with it.
You know you will have to use different software, apps, and other technology to help students learn well.
Roles of Nurse Educators
Nurse educators are not just teachers but also role models for the next generation nursing professionals. They go beyond classroom and clinical preparation.
For instance, some nurse educators serve on boards, maintain a clinical scholarship, secure research funding, and secure practice-based and academic research.
Other nurse educator responsibilities include grading assignments, presenting at professional conferences, volunteering in communities, mentoring students, and attending faculty meetings.
Qualities of a Good Nurse Educator
Evaluation and Testing Skills
A good nurse educator should possess testing and evaluation skills that include student testing, assessment procedures, and feedback measures.
Personal Attributes
As a nurse educator, you should have strong interpersonal attributes that include strong interpersonal and communication skills that cultivate an accessible and approachable learning environment.
Curriculum and Course Development Skills
You should be able to develop a syllabus that offers a broad spectrum of information that links with the topic.
In other words, you should be able to create your course program in a way that helps your nursing students understand each topic you are teaching them.
How to Apply
If you have the above qualities and are a qualified nurse yourself, then you might want to apply as a nurse educator. The median salary for this position as of 2017 is $69,130 annually.
You can look online at various job boards like Glassdoor, Indeed and LinkedIn to find job opportunities in this field.
Bottom Line
Nursing is an area within the medical field that is always full of eager students, and these days these eager students need help online.
If you are a qualified nurse and have technical skills, an online nurse educator job could be for you.