banner-1-grapics

NLN Core Competencies for
Academic Nurse Educators

Strengthening the Future of the Nursing Workforce

Nurse educators play the essential role of preparing the next generation of nurses who will be responsible for transforming and advancing the future of the nursing profession. The NLN Core Competencies of Academic Nurse Educators guide nurse educators to design curricula that position graduates for practice the ever-dynamic health care arena. 

Academic Nurse Educators 

Defined and described in 2005, the competences demonstrated by the academic nurse educator have stood the test of time. These competencies related to academic nurse educators functioning in the full scope of the role. Educational environments may direct specific task statements over others, but the competencies remain the same.

  1. Facilitate Learning
  2. Facilitate Learner Development and Socialization
  3. Use Assessment and Evaluation Strategies
  4. Participate in Curriculum Design and Evaluation of Program Outcomes
  5. Function as a Change Agent and Leader
  6. Pursue Continuous Quality Improvement in the Nurse Educator Role
  7. Engage in Scholarship
  8. Function within the Educational Environment
Academic Clinical Nurse Educator

In 2018, competencies related to the role of the academic nurse educator were developed. These competencies are described for the academic nurse educator that is responsible for facilitating learning primarily in the clinical setting, reports to an academic program of nursing education, and has input into the assessments of nursing learner clinical performance.

  1. Function within the Education and Health Care Environments
    1. Function in the Clinical Educator Role
    2. Operationalize the Curriculum
    3. Abide by Legal Requirements, Ethical Guidelines, Agency Policies, and Guiding Framework
  2. Facilitate Learning in the Health Care Environment
  3. Demonstrate Effective Interpersonal Communication and Collaborative Inter-professional Relationships
  4. Apply Clinical Expertise in the Health Care Environment
  5. Facilitate Learner Development and Socialization
  6. Implement Effective Clinical and Assessment Evaluation Strategies 
Novice Academic Nurse Educators

In 2020, the competencies related to the roles and functions of a novice academic nurse educator were identified. Novice, as defined by literature, is a nurse educator with less than two years of experience in the role. Although the competencies are the same as the educator in the full scope of the role, the task statements related to the competencies are leveled down to general expectations to novice educator functions, which are not the same as the nurse educator with experience who functions within the full scope of the role.

  1. Facilitate Learning
  2. Facilitate Learner Development and Socialization
  3. Use Assessment and Evaluation Strategies
  4. Participate in Curriculum Design and Evaluation of Program Outcomes
  5. Function as a Change Agent and Leader
  6. Pursue Continuous Quality Improvement in the Role of Nurse Educator
  7. Engage in Scholarship
  8. Function within the Educational Environment