About the Program

The online M.S. in Nursing Leadership with a concentration in Nurse Educator prepares nurses for teaching roles in academic settings and professional development services of healthcare agencies.

Graduates will be able to:

• Integrate, translate, and apply knowledge from nursing and other disciplines to provide high-quality, safe, culturally sensible, and ethically-based advanced-level nursing practice.
• Foster caring relationships through communication techniques and various modalities that meet the needs of diverse audiences.
• Develop collaborative strategies with stakeholders to evaluate and advocate for population-focused health priorities, implement sociocultural responsive plans, and advance equitable health policy change.
• Integrate, promote, and advance ethical scholarship to advance health and promote best practices.
• Contribute to creating evidence-based structures, policies, and processes that promote quality improvement and a just culture of safety.
• Facilitate effective healthcare experiences and outcomes by partnering with interprofessional teams.
• Participate in initiatives that address health equity and improve care delivery and/or outcomes within systems, communities, and populations.
• Describe and use technology to improve safety, efficiency, and outcomes and understand ethical and legal boundaries.
• Model and assume accountability for professional expectations of communication, therapeutic relationships, evidence-based practice, and ethical behaviors. 
• Develop a commitment to self-care, personal health, and well-being and develop a capacity for nursing leadership.

Format

The M.S. in Nursing Leadership: Nurse Educator Concentration is a blended program with online classes and in-person components. While most courses are available 100% online, three courses require in-person work and/or study.

NUR 531 is a lab that requires students to be on-site at the University of Maine in Orono, Maine, for two days during the summer semester.

NUR 567 and NUR 569 are practicums that may be completed at a qualifying organization geographically convenient to the student.

Throughout the program, you’ll work with an advisor to develop a program of study to meet your goals.

Nursing is a highly in-demand career. The United States is currently experiencing a serious nursing shortage, and one reason is that many universities must turn away applicants due to a lack of nurse educators to train these future nurses.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual wage for nursing instructors and teachers was $86,530 in May 2023, higher than the median annual wage for all occupations of $48,060.

After earning your degree, graduates can take the National League for Nursing Nurse Educator Certification- Novice exam.

Notable Companies Employing Alumni

• Maine Community College System
• University of Maine System
• Northern Light Health
• Maine Health System
• Maine General Hospital
• Acadia Hospital 
• St. Joseph’s Hospital
• Dorothea Dix Hospital 
• Penobscot Community Health Center