What is Nursing Professional Development Specialist?
Not only is a Nurse Educator a Registered Nurse but they are educators, as well. As teachers, they typically will develop the lesson plans, teach classes, evaluate and execute educational programs, supervise student clinicals, and lead the next era of nurses as mentors and role models. The NPDS helps to mold excellent nurses and lifelong learners.
The Nurse Educator embodies multiple roles. Not only do they educate future nurses but they also maintain their nursing practice and care for patients. They may write grants and proposals, conduct research, and help to maintain stringent nursing standards. Nurse Educators must stay current with the latest trends in healthcare, even if they are not performing as a nurse. Nursing Professional Development Specialists often move to administration roles such as managing the entire nursing program, developing continuing ed programs, or authoring textbooks.
NPDS Salary and Job Outlook
Because there is a nursing shortage in the United States, as a Nursing Professional Development Specialist, you will be in high demand. There are also continuous vacancies within educational institutions due to retiring teachers. Registered Nurse employment on a whole is expected to grow by 6% through 2031. The demand for Nurse Educators is high making it a competitive field but those with advanced degrees and prove to be the most capable will find their job hunt to be relatively effortless.
In 2022 Nursing Professional Development Specialists earned an annual average salary of $84,180.
Ref: http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes251072.htm