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What are the requirements for admission to the Nurse Educator role?
Answer: Admission requirements for the Nurse Educator role are the same as for other MSN role options offered by the School of Nursing at ODU.
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Do I need to take statistics?
Answer: Successful completion of an undergraduate statistics course is a pre-requisite for admission to the graduate nursing program. This course can be transferred from any university or community college.
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Should I take the GRE or the MAT test?
Answer: Admission to ODU for graduate study requires that students submit evidence of satisfactory scores on either the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or the Miller Analogy Test (MAT). It does not matter which test you take; however if it has been a while since you were enrolled in a formal education program that had a math component, then you might want to choose the MAT test. Advance preparation is advised to ensure your success on either of these tests. Study guides for both tests may be found in any bookstore. The scores required for admission are: 1000 total on two sections (verbal and quantitative) of the GRE, and 400 or better on the MAT.
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When is the application deadline?
Answer: The application deadline for the Nurse Educator program is June 1st for admission the following fall semester. Applications are reviewed when they are complete and as the Graduate Nursing Office receives them.
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Once admitted, when can I begin taking classes?
Answer: Regardless of when you receive notice of admission, all students admitted to the graduate nursing program begin classes in the fall semester only.
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Is the Nurse Educator program offered completely online?
Answer: The Nurse Educator program is offered completely online with the exception of internship courses. Courses are delivered via Blackboard, the University course management system.
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How much work is involved in an online course?
Answer: For each credit hour of course work, it is recommended that you study 3-6 hours per week. The amount of time devoted to online activities such as chats, discussions, conferencing, library literature searches, etc. depends on the course. Some courses have weekly requirements while some courses have activities scheduled at intervals.
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Can I work full-time while enrolled in the Nurse Educator program?
Answer: Students that choose to enroll full-time in the Nurse Educator program generally find that they are not able to maintain full-time employment while taking a full course load. We advise that you consider a PRN work schedule. Students that choose to follow the part-time schedule may find it possible to maintain full-time employment during the first year in the program However, most concede that they do need to cut back some on their work schedule in order to fulfill internship course requirements during the second year of study.
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How are the internship experiences coordinated?
Answer: The nurse educator/faculty internships require that you work with an experienced faculty member who has primary teaching responsibility in an entry level nursing program (Diploma, Associate, or Baccalaureate). NURS 634 (Internship I) is focused on classroom instruction, while NURS 649 (Internship II) is focused on clinical instruction. Students are expected to complete a minimum of 80 internship hours each semester; this equates to approximately 8 hours or 1 day/week. It should be noted that the total hours completed by students often exceed this minimum requirement. It is generally recommended that students adjust their work schedules to be free one day per week to enable completion of the internship activities. The days and times of internship experiences depend upon the class and clinical schedule of the faculty member serving as your preceptor/mentor and the curriculum schedule at the school where you interning. Planning for internship placements begins in the spring semester. The role coordinator will provide information to assist students in identifying potential internship sites in their home region. Final placement is dependent upon the approval of the role coordinator and program director at the internship site.
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Do I have to complete the internships if I am already employed in a teaching position?
Answer: Yes, all students must complete both internship courses, even if employed in a teaching position in an entry-level nursing program while enrolled as a student in the Nurse Educator Program. For students with prior teaching experience, we encourage internship placements in a school different from where you are employed, and we suggest that you work with a different type of program. For example, if you teach in a LPN program, then we recommend that you intern with faculty teaching in an Associate or Baccalaureate program, or if you teach in an Associate degree program then you might consider an internship with a Baccalaureate program or a different Associate degree program.
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What if I cannot find an internship site?
Answer: The role coordinator will work with students having difficulty finding an internship site. Every attempt will be made to find a placement that will provide a valuable learning experience.
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This program seems focused on the preparation of academic educators, and I really want to work in staff development. Will the course work be relevant for a nurse who wants to be an institutional staff educator?
Answer: Because of the critical shortage of nursing faculty in academic programs, this curriculum is focused on preparing faculty to teach in entry-level programs. However, many staff development educators have completed the program and find that they are able to easily apply the theory and concepts learned to that educational practice setting.
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Will this program prepare me to take the Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) Exam offered by the National League for Nursing?
Answer: While the Nurse Educator curriculum at ODU does not teach to the CNE test blueprint, student will find that most of essential knowledge, skills and competencies required for the exam are incorporated into program courses. Students who have taken the exam after completing this program and working for two years in an academic setting (a requirement for certification) have been successful in passing the exam.
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What is required to earn a Post-Master's Nurse Educator certificate?
Answer: The post-master's certificate program is available to students who have already earned the MSN degree in another practice area, but want to teach in a school of nursing. The 15-credit program is completed in one year, and requires students to take the following courses: NURS 634 (classroom instruction internship), NURS 636, NURS 644, NURS 645, NURS 649 (clinical instruction internship) and NURS 654 (Please refer to curriculum guide and University Catalog for the names and descriptions of courses).
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Is the School of Nursing accredited?
Answer: Schools of Nursing have the option of being accredited by either the National League of Nursing - Accreditation Commission (NLN-AC), or the Collegiate Commission on Nursing Education (CCNE) that is affiliated with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN). Both groups are valid, respected and fully recognized by the Department of Education in Washington, DC. ODU School of Nursing is fully accredited by the CCNE.