What are the Prerequisites for a Master’s in Nursing Education?

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masters in nursing education Getting a Master’s in Nursing Education is a requirement for those who want to educate the next generation of nurses. This type of degree qualifies graduates to work in clinical settings as well as for colleges and schools that offer nursing degree programs. According to Payscale, the average salary for a nursing educator is around $67,400 a year and those working as nursing instructors earn more than $55,000 a year. Students applying to one of these programs will need to make sure that they meet all requirements and prerequisites.

BSN

The most common requirement for an MSN program is that the student has a BSN before enrolling. This is a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. While nurses can complete an associate’s degree and work as a nurse, many hospitals and facilities will now only hire those with a BSN. Students will need to take some prerequisite courses while in that program too, including those on working with patients and trends in the healthcare industry. Though some schools will accept students who did not take all prerequisites in college, those students will need to take those courses before beginning the MSN program.

Nursing License

Students usually cannot enroll in an MSN program without having a nursing license too. To get this license, nurses must graduate from an accredited program and then take the N-CLEX, which is a national licensing exam. The exam requires that students answer a series of questions on different fields in nursing. Once the test determines the student has the knowledge necessary to work as a nurse, it will shut down. Students may need to answer more than 200 questions before the test shuts off. Most schools ask for proof that a student has a valid nursing license that is in good standing.

Fieldwork

Nursing educators and instructors must have some fieldwork experience before beginning an MSN program too. Nurses typically do clinical fieldwork while in college, which allows them to develop a better bedside manner and to learn how to work with patients. Schools usually do not accept students into these programs unless they have clinical experience beyond the college level. Students taking classes in nursing school want to know that their professors have experience working with patients and working in different types of facilities. The amount of experience can range from a single year to a few years.

Other Prerequisites

Master’s in Nursing Education may have some other prerequisites and requirements in place too. A common requirement is a high score on the MCAT, which is a type of standardized test usually taken by those applying to medical school. Schools may accept a score on another type of standardized test like the GRE too. These schools will ask for a completed application that is usually available online. Other requirements can include a list of references or an official college transcript. The transcript shows the student’s grade point average, and a higher GPA can increase the chances of the college accepting the student. Though some nurses simply go to college, get a degree and get a license before working in the field, others go to graduate school because they want to work in specialized fields. Master’s in Nursing Education degree programs have requirements and prerequisites that all students will need to meet before applying or starting. Related Resources:

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