UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Nurse educators have a critical role in helping to address the country’s nursing shortage by choosing a career path in teaching.
For National Nurses Week, May 6-12, Penn State is recognizing nurse educators who have graduated from its doctoral program and are now on its faculty teaching future nurses.
Ashley Clark, of Morrisdale, is an assistant teaching professor with the Penn State Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing. She graduated with her Master of Science in Nursing from Penn State in 2012, and in 2018, she completed the Doctor of Nursing Practice, which is offered online through Penn State World Campus. She began her teaching career in 2012 in a practical nursing program and began teaching in the undergraduate nursing program at Penn State in 2013.
“Teaching future nurses gives me the ability to give back to the profession,” Clark said. “It is my responsibility to prepare future nurses with the necessary skills to be able to provide high-quality care to patients and populations in a constantly evolving health care environment.”
Clark’s nursing career started as a certified nursing assistant in a long-term care facility. She started her Registered Nurse (RN) career in a rehabilitation facility where she assisted patients recovering from neurological conditions. She then transitioned to a medical/surgical unit in an acute care facility where she worked as a staff nurse, which sparked her interest to become a nurse educator.
Getting a doctoral degree online
After Clark graduated with her master’s in nursing, she decided to get the doctoral degree to further her knowledge to help her meet the challenges of nursing education and practice.
“I knew that an advanced nursing degree from Penn State would assist me to acquire a greater understanding of how to continue to fulfill my role as an academic educator, transformational leader, and expert advanced practice nurse,” she said.
The Doctor of Nursing Practice program requires students to complete a project as part of its curriculum. Clark chose a project on overcoming barriers to nurse bedside shift report that was implemented in a clinical setting.
“This project also allowed me in my role as an academic educator to translate both the processes and results to students that I taught in classroom and clinical settings,” she said.
Teaching future nurses
Clark teaches undergraduate courses in the General Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program at University Park and the RN to BSN program that is offered online through World Campus. She said teaching gives her the opportunity to grow and be challenged.
“Teaching future nurses was not always something that I thought about pursuing. I tell future nurses, ‘You never know where nursing will lead you,’” she said. “I have taught nursing students at the facility where I began my nursing career, and I currently teach students on the medical/surgical unit that I worked as a staff nurse. As a nurse, it’s important to find your passion, and sometimes that takes time. As an academic educator, I have found my passion as I am constantly challenged but rewarded at the same time.”
The need for nurses and nurse educators
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the number of positions in the field of nursing to grow through 2031, with increasing demand for Registered Nurses (RNs), Advanced practice Registered Nurse (APRN), Nurse Practitioners, Nurse Anesthetists, among others.
However, a study published in 2022 in Health Affairs showed that the number of RNs decreased by more than 100,000, the greatest drop over the past four decades.
“Nurse educators are integral to the future health and wellness of our world. Without our nurse educators, who guide and inspire the next generation to find and nurture their passion, the nation’s nursing shortage cannot be lessened,” said Rae Brown, associate dean for undergraduate education at the Nese College, who is also a teaching professor and certified nurse educator.
“Mentoring is such a critical component to setting our aspiring nurses up for success, and nurse educators fulfill that calling with each cohort they teach.”
Penn State offers a comprehensive selection of nursing programs in residence at the University Park campus, at 11 Commonwealth Campuses and online through Penn State World Campus.