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Nurse Educator, Post-Graduate Certificate

Learn Skills to Educate Diverse Learners in Academic and Healthcare Settings
  • 3-4

    Can be completed in three or four semesters

  • 12

    Credit hours

Program Overview

Become an Educational Leader

The purpose of the Post-Graduate Nurse Educator Certificate program is to educate baccalaureate-prepared registered nurses who have a graduate degree, or are currently enrolled in a graduate degree program, in nursing or a health-related area critical to nursing to function in the nurse educator role.

Through fully online didactic courses and a practicum experience, the certificate program will teach nurses evidence-based curriculum design, delivery, and evaluation skills to educate diverse learners in institutions of higher learning and a variety of healthcare contexts.  

The 12-credit curriculum can be completed in three or four semesters. Completion of the program will enable nurse educators in the state of North Carolina to meet the North Carolina Board of Nursing requirements and enable graduates to meet the education requirement for specialty certification examinations.

Accreditation

The University of North Carolina Wilmington, Master’s Degree in Nursing and Post-graduate Certificate in Nursing Programs, are pursuing pre-accreditation candidacy status from the National League for Nursing Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (NLN CNEA), located at 2600 Virginia Avenue, NW, 8th Floor, Washington, DC 20037; phone 202-909-2487. Interested parties are invited to submit third party comments in writing directly to NLN CNEA (cneaaccreditation@nln.org) no later than April 23, 2025.

Learn To

Analyze the role, competencies, and responsibilities of the nurse educator across a variety of academic and health care settings.

Design health care-centered curricula and programs based on assessment evidence and grounded in educational theory and evidence-based practices for the identified learner and health care content.

Develop learner-centered, innovative curricula using evidence-based practices for teaching and learning and technology to accommodate diverse learners.

Facilitate learning of diverse adult learners using various evidence-based practices specific to the learning environment.

Develop an evidence-based assessment/evaluation plan aligned with the learning objectives and educational outcomes to determine effectiveness of the education.

Formulate a continuous/quality improvement plan grounded in evaluation data with consideration of health care trends, societal needs, and creativity/innovation.

Integrate the role of interprofessional collaborative partners in the curriculum process to ensure optimal outcomes of diverse populations.

Create a professional development plan for life-long learning and continued socialization in the nurse educator role.

Graduates of this program may become a:

Be responsible for designing, implementing, evaluating, and revising educational programs for nurses. (Source)

Possess strong leadership and communication skills and have outstanding theoretical and clinical knowledge. (Source)

Additional information:

Support working registered nurses through experiential learning. (Source)

Support the development of new staff to help alleviate staff turnover. (Source)

Assess learning needs, competencies, strengths, and opportunities to improve the critical thinking, interpersonal, and technical skills of working nurses. (Source)

Help nurses engaged in lifelong learning to develop and maintain their competencies, advance their professional nursing practice, and facilitate their achievement of academic and practice career goals. (Source)

Required Courses

A table showing required courses required for the Post-Graduate Nurse Educator Certificate program.
NSG 519 Nurse Educator Role and Evidence-based Education Foundations 
NSG 527 Evidence-based Curriculum Design and Development Across Settings 
NSG 528 Evidence-based Assessment and Curriculum/Program Evaluation  
NSG 594 Practicum for the Nurse Educator Role  
SEE THE FULL CURRICULUM

Admission Deadlines & Requirements

Information: Nurse Educator - Post-Graduate Certificate

Apply Now

  • Complete applications are reviewed for admission by the program as they are received.
  • All application and supporting documents must be received by the published deadline.

Coordinator

Location/Delivery Method

  • Distance Education - Online - Asynchronous (instructional materials made available on the Internet and available 24 hours a day every day-not time-dependent slots). 
    Note:  Final course Practicum Experience - The applicant will identify their own practicum site and preceptor, and will need to be available for required number of hours on-site with preceptor for mentoring.

Deadlines (11:59 p.m. EST)

  • Spring 2025
    • December 1, 2024

Transcripts

  • One official transcript is required from each U.S. post-secondary institution attended. Refer to the Getting Started page for international transcript instructions.  

Test Scores

  • None required

Recommendations

  • None required

Additional Requirements

  1. Upload Supplemental Documents After Submission
  2. Previous Graduate Work: Students who are taking graduate work elsewhere must be in good standing at that institution to be eligible to take graduate work at UNCW.
  3. Eligibility:
    Active, non-restricted licensure or eligibility for licensure as a professional registered nurse in North Carolina is required unless:
    • The student’s active, non-restricted license is from a compact state that is the student’s primary state of residence (fixed permanent and principle legal residence) https://www.ncsbn.org/compacts.htm.
    • The student is distance-based, will not be practicing in North Carolina while enrolled in school and has an active, non-restricted licensure or eligibility for licensure in their primary state of residence.
  4. Degree Requirements: Must have a nursing degree from a nationally accredited program and a completed graduate degree in nursing or related field OR enrolled in BSN-DNP or BSN-PhD program.
    • Option 1A - Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), or Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD) or equivalent doctorate in nursing from a nationally accredited program.
    • Option 1B - Baccalaureate degree in nursing from a nationally accredited              program and a Master’s degree in a related field.
    • Option 2 - Baccalaureate degree in nursing from a nationally accredited program   and enrolled in a BSN-DNP or BSN-PhD nationally accredited program and completed half (~35 credits) of program.
  5. GPA: Strong academic record:
    • Option 1A - Minimum of 3.0 GPA in graduate degree in nursing.
    • Option 1B - Minimum of 3.0 GPA in baccalaureate degree in nursing.
    • Option 2 - Minimum of 3.0 GPA on completed BSN-DNP or BSN-PhD program courses.
  6. Personal Statement: One-page double-spaced statement describing:
    • Career goals.
    • The decision to pursue the nurse educator certificate.
    • Teaching experiences.
  7. Additional Items: Additional items may be requested as needed. Items include but are not limited to letters of recommendation, a personal statement, and standardized test scores.
  8. Transfer Status: Students enrolled in the MSN Nurse Educator program cannot transfer to the Post-Graduate Nurse Educator Certificate program. Students must apply to the Post-Graduate Nurse Educator Certificate program and withdrawal from the MSN Nurse Educator program.
  9. Federal Financial Aid: Non-federal loans are available for this program.  Admitted students may apply through the UNCW Scholarship Application to be considered for additional scholarships.  Please consult your Financial Aid Counselor for further details.
  10. Visa Sponsorship:  This program does not qualify for visa sponsorship.

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This program information can also be found in our Student Handbook (PDF), which is intended for print purposes. If you need it in another format, please contact the School of Nursing at 910.962.3200 or chhs@uncw.edu.