5 Key Courses in a Master’s in Nursing Education Program

Master's in Nursing Education Courses

• Foundations of Nursing Education
• Professional Presence & Influence
• Pathopharmacology
• Policy, Politics, and Global Health Trends
• Application of Technology

So you're interested in pursuing your Master's in Nursing Education? Congratulations! This field is an incredibly rewarding one for those who can stay at the forefront and be current in their knowledge. The best programs will have courses designed to get you at the top of your nursing game in order to stand out for a professorship at the institution of your choosing. These courses will not only focus on nursing practice, but on the teaching of it as well. Variations on the below are acceptable as long as you make sure all are touched on during your studies.

Resource: 30 Best Affordable Online Master's in Nursing Education

Foundations of Nursing Education

Most nurses are aware that Florence Nightingale is considered the "mother" of nursing practice, but few know that she was the inspiration behind the Nightingale schools that sought to spread her teachings. These programs were mostly practical nursing that focused on at-the-bedside education with few lectures. In order to move forward in nursing, it's essential to understand our background and where we came from.

Professional Presence & Influence

With your Master's in Nursing Education, you will have the resources and ability to publish research and other papers in professional publications. Some schools require professors to publish a certain number of papers per year or two. Whether it is a requirement or not, it is recommended as a lack of publication can damage one's career. Publications are also a significant aspect of the hiring process.

Pathopharmacology

As a nurse with a Bachelor's in the Science of Nursing, you were expected to be familiar with medications and their usual side effects. A masters degree comes with higher requirements; you now are expected to understand the deeper pharmacokinetics of medications, their interaction with a patient's organs, and the rarer advertise side effects that they may cause. In addition, nurses with their Master's in Nursing Education should be prepared to explain these details confidently to their students. This is a course in which it's important to have a strong understanding!

Policy, Politics, and Global Health Trends

New presidents mean new attitudes about healthcare, and those attitudes trickle down to the everyday bedside capabilities of our health facilities and nurses. New rules and rates for student loans may slash the ability of many of your students to pay for their education. Your job as their professor is to be aware of the policies, advise students of their effects, and point out where healthcare is going.

Application of Technology

Technology is more important to the field of healthcare now more than ever before. As we move toward the need for a national, if not global, system of healthcare records, there will be new challenges for nurses in coordinating in-hospital as well as aftercare. Each institution where nurses work already has its own system. What will this next decade bring? As Forbes.com states, "from surgical robots to 'smart hospitals,' the digital transformation is revolutionizing patient care in new and exciting ways." Telehealth, more holistic health practices, and much more will be covered in this course.

These five courses will form the essential knowledge of the Master's in Nursing Education degree. They are designed to keep a nurse up-to-date on key hot buttons in the field and to allow her to communicate it effectively to others. By focusing on nursing education for a masters degree, it becomes possible to achieve these goals and educate the minds of the upcoming generations of nurses.