The University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Nursing has launched the Nurse Educator Certificate Capstone Program, which will help prepare nurses to sit for the National League for Nursing (NLN) Certified Nurse Educator Examination. The program is geared toward nurses who are not currently students and already hold an advanced degree.
The Nurse Educator Certificate Capstone Program prepares nurses to be educators within academic or practical work environments. The nurse educator role is recognized by NLN as a specialty area of practice.
“This is specialized education that can be used in any practice setting,” says Mara Eisch, faculty program director. “The certificate will help meet the need for nurse educators who can translate new knowledge into practice and provide more relevant competency-based education to nurses in school and on the job.”
Advancing the science of nursing education
The Nurse Educator Certificate Capstone Program will appeal to working, master’s-prepared nurses who are currently teaching and would like to improve their skills, as well as those who’d like to begin their teaching careers.
The program consists of two three-credit nurse educator courses and a three-credit teaching practicum experience. Students take the courses primarily online, with regularly scheduled in-class sessions. Some students will complete the certificate over three semesters within a calendar year, while others will longer, depending on their needs.
“The courses have all been created to provide flexibility,” says Eisch. “For example, the practicum is completed at a site that is near the student’s home location. This minimizes how much time is spent driving to the practicum and maximizes the time available to prepare for and complete it.”
The UW–Madison School of Nursing prepares nurses to practice as full partners with other healthcare professionals and to participate in shaping policy that affects patient outcomes. The Nurse Educator Certificate Capstone Program is rooted in evidence-based nursing education and reflects a commitment to advancing the science of nursing education.
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