MSN - Nurse Educator Track

Take a High-Level Approach to Improving Care

Learn leadership tools and techniques that support superior patient care.

The online Master of Science in Nursing - Educator Track provides nurses with the opportunity to work toward becoming a Certified Nurse Educator through experiential learning as well as rigorous classroom practice.

Top 5 in the Nation
U.S. News & World Report (2023)

Launch School of Nursing

Format

Online

Program Length

2.5 Years

Credit Hours

Important Dates

Next Start Term: Fall

Cost

Tuition Per Credit Hour: $750
Credit Hours to Complete: 38
Approximate Cost: $28,500

Curriculum

Course Descriptions

Learn to Teach in Classroom, Simulation, Clinical and Online Settings

Saint Xavier's online MSN Nurse Educator track provides nurses with the opportunity to work toward becoming a Certified Nurse Educator through experiential learning as well as rigorous classroom practice. Specializing as a nurse educator can offer you greater career flexibility and the chance to pass on your hard-earned knowledge to future generations of nurses.

What You Will Learn

You'll graduate with new teaching and learning strategies and the ability to adapt them to different nursing settings, such as hospitals and schools of nursing. You'll hone your teaching skills by preparing, presenting and evaluating actual classes during a guided practicum, giving you valuable hands-on experience.

The curriculum also addresses topics including:

Educational theory for adult learners
Curriculum design
Curriculum evaluation
Lesson planning
How to create course objectives
Student evaluation techniques

SXU's online MSN - Nurse Educator program provides you with high-impact learning experiences throughout the program. You'll collaborate with other students on projects and papers and take writing-intensive courses that help improve your written communication and reporting skills.

Then you'll build experience in a clinical practicum. You will work with an MSN-prepared preceptor in advanced nursing practice to develop in-depth knowledge and expertise in a clinical specialty. You will also work with expert nursing faculty to gain hands-on experience in designing, teaching and evaluating educational activities for students. You'll graduate with a mix of classroom and clinical experience to provide you with the skills and knowledge you need to be an effective instructor from day one.

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Graduate Admission

773-298-3053
Email: graduateadmissionFREESXU

Become a Certified Nurse Educator

This 38-credit-hour program is available 100-percent online. This means you can advance your nursing career without putting it on hold, and graduate in fewer than two and a half years.

Upon completion of the MSN Nurse Educator program, students are eligible to sit for the Certified Nurse Educator exam. Passing the exam grants nurses the designation of Certified Nurse Educator (CNE), which brings more job opportunities, greater earning potential, and the ability to influence the next generation of nurses.

As a CNE, you will have the skills and knowledge to meet the diverse needs of learners in various positions, including:

Nursing school faculty member
Continuing nurse education specialist
Nursing staff development officer
Community health educator

If you have a sincere interest in improving patient care quality and safety through educating others, a commitment to applying the principles of evidence-based practice to clinical problems, and a real passion for helping nursing students achieve their full potential, the MSN Nurse Educator track is a perfect fit. As a student, you can look forward to academic coursework that develops critical reasoning and an understanding of ethics, professionalism, and integrity. Together, these foundational skills will help you develop the skills you need to reach your full potential in nursing education.

A Top 5 Ranked Nursing Program

Saint Xavier University is a Center of Excellence (COE) in Nursing Education as designated by the National League for Nursing (NLN).

To achieve COE status, a nursing school must demonstrate sustained excellence in faculty development, nursing education research, or student learning and professional development.

Currently, SXU is one of about 80 institutions in the United States to receive this distinction and one of eight schools to be re-designated four times.

The baccalaureate degree program in nursing and master's degree program in nursing at Saint Xavier University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).

Because of the rigorous standards necessary to earn and maintain accredited status, CCNE-accredited nursing schools like SXU's School of Nursing give prospective students greater confidence in the education they will receive. Earning a nursing degree from a CCNE-accredited program will also assure employers of the value of your education.

Ranked No. 5 in the Nation for Best Online Graduate Nursing Program (2023) by U.S. News & World Report.

These distinctions help give you confidence in the professional nursing development you will experience as a student at Saint Xavier University, and they will demonstrate the full value of your degree to employers, peers, and patients.

Student testimonial

"After an incredibly positive undergraduate experience, I feel fortunate to return to Saint Xavier for my graduate studies. I believe that Saint Xavier empowers nurses to become leaders within their respective units, to use critical thinking and make decisions based on theoretical knowledge and evidence-based practices, and to act with kindness and respect to each patient entrusted into our care. The support that is exhibited by professors and staff at Saint Xavier has been nothing short of impressive. During this unprecedented time of COVID-19, SXU was able to seamlessly keep students on track and utilize new technology to provide experiences that enhanced learning and helped students meet learning objectives. I am proud to be a two-time SXU graduate."
Karie Gadzik '14, BSN, RN, CCRN |'21, MSN in Nursing Education |Ambulatory Nurse Associate - Women's Health, UChicago Medicine

Are You a Good Match?

As a student, you can look forward to academic coursework that develops critical reasoning and an understanding of ethics, professionalism, and integrity. Together, these foundational skills will help you develop the skills you need to reach your full potential in nursing education.

Employer Assistance

A 20% clinical partner tuition discount can be taken advantage of by students enrolled in SXU's graduate program who are employed (40 hours per pay period) in a clinical setting where our undergraduate students participate in clinicals.

Nurse Faculty Loan Program

The NFLP is a loan forgiveness program that prepares and trains nurse educatorsto fill faculty vacancies and increases the number of trained nurses entering the workforce.

Learn more

"Can Nurse Educator Students Get Their Loans Forgiven?"

Read Article

Tabitha Quina, RN, CNE speaks about her experience in the program.

MSN Online Information Sessions

Find an upcoming MSN session.

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Meet the Faculty

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