The Instructor II / Assistant Professor of Nursing Role: Shaping Nursing Education
For nurses and nurse educators ready to move into teaching, the Instructor II / Assistant Professor of Nursing role is a chance to shape the future of healthcare. The Assistant Professor of Nursing role combines classroom and clinical instruction, preparing students with both the theory and the hands-on skill that modern nursing demands. Here is what the position involves and what it means for nursing education.
- The role pairs classroom teaching with clinical instruction in real healthcare settings.
- Core subjects include Medical-Surgical Nursing, Mental Health, and Pediatric Nursing.
- It requires an active RN license plus an MSN, or a BSN with 12+ graduate credits toward one.
- Simulation labs and online platforms are central to how the teaching is delivered.
- Strong nurse educators improve patient outcomes and help ease nursing shortages.
What the Assistant Professor of Nursing role involves
A nursing faculty role that delivers both classroom and clinical instruction within a nursing education program. The position teaches core nursing subjects, supervises hands-on clinical training, and contributes to course preparation, student advisement, and departmental development.
The defining feature of the role is its dual nature, bridging theory and practice so students are ready for the real situations they will face:
- Classroom instruction: teaching core subjects such as Medical-Surgical Nursing, Mental Health, and Pediatric Nursing so students are prepared for a range of real-world scenarios.
- Clinical instruction: guiding students through hands-on training in real healthcare settings, building critical thinking, technical skill, and composure under pressure.
- Beyond teaching: course preparation, student advisement, and departmental development round out the role.
| The role at a glance | Detail |
|---|---|
| Setting | Universities, colleges, and nursing programs |
| Instruction | Classroom and clinical |
| Core subjects | Medical-Surgical, Mental Health, Pediatric Nursing |
| Required license | Active RN license in good standing |
| Required degree | MSN, or BSN with 12+ graduate credit hours toward an MSN |
| Teaching methods | Simulation labs and online learning platforms |
Innovation and technology in nursing education
The role calls for innovative teaching and a willingness to keep pace with how nursing education is evolving. The National League for Nursing has championed simulation and technology-enhanced learning as core to preparing today’s nurses. In practice, that looks like:
- Simulation-based learning: simulation labs let students practice procedures and decision-making in a controlled environment, improving readiness without risk to patients.
- Student advisement: mentoring students through their education, addressing concerns and helping them navigate the challenges of nursing school.
- Online learning platforms: online lectures, assignments, and assessments add flexibility, helping students balance studies with other commitments.
Qualifications and standards
The position holds educators to a high bar, reflecting standards set by bodies like the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Candidates must meet two core requirements:
- An active RN license in good standing, which signals the practical experience essential to teaching clinical skills. Specific licensure requirements vary by state and institution.
- An MSN, or a BSN with at least 12 graduate credit hours toward an MSN, which ensures a deep grounding in nursing theory and practice.
That pairing of academic preparation and active licensure is exactly what makes a nurse educator effective. An advanced degree brings the theoretical depth, while a current license reflects the hands-on experience needed to teach clinical practice credibly.
Why the role matters for healthcare
The Assistant Professor of Nursing role is pivotal because it shapes the future of healthcare by producing well-trained, competent nurses. That has a direct effect on care quality and on the staffing pressures facing health systems:
- Better patient outcomes: well-trained nurses deliver higher-quality care, so programs that balance theory and practice send graduates into the field ready to perform.
- Easing shortages: expanding and strengthening nursing education helps mitigate the shortage of qualified nurses, a pressure the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics continues to track across the profession.
The impact of these educators extends well beyond the classroom, influencing patient outcomes and helping address the shortages facing modern healthcare.
The Assistant Professor of Nursing role: frequently asked questions
The role provides both classroom and clinical instruction in nursing. Classroom teaching covers subjects such as Medical-Surgical Nursing, Mental Health, and Pediatric Nursing, while clinical instruction guides students through hands-on training in real healthcare settings. The role also includes course preparation, student advisement, and departmental development.
Candidates typically need an active RN license in good standing, plus either a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) with at least twelve graduate credit hours completed toward an MSN. Specific licensure requirements vary by state and institution. The combination of academic preparation and practical licensure is what allows the educator to teach both theory and clinical skills.
These roles are found at universities, community colleges, and nursing schools that run pre-licensure or graduate nursing programs. Wherever a nursing program operates, faculty are needed to deliver both classroom and clinical instruction and to prepare students for careers across the healthcare field.
Nursing educators shape the future of healthcare by producing well-trained, competent nurses. That directly improves patient care quality and helps address nursing shortages, ensuring healthcare systems stay staffed with capable professionals, particularly in specialized areas.
Alongside traditional classroom and clinical instruction, the role uses simulation-based learning in lab settings, where students practice procedures and decision-making safely, and online learning platforms for lectures, assignments, and assessments that add flexibility and accessibility.
Hiring nursing faculty, or exploring the role?
Roles like the Instructor II / Assistant Professor of Nursing sit at the intersection of higher education and healthcare, and finding educators who bring both academic depth and clinical experience takes a focused search. Excelon Associates recruits nursing and allied-health faculty for institutions across the country.
If you are an institution hiring nursing faculty, or a nurse educator exploring your next opportunity, reach out. You can browse current openings or see examples of the roles we recruit for on our sample job descriptions page.
Hiring nursing faculty or healthcare leaders?
Excelon Associates recruits nursing educators, allied-health faculty, and healthcare leaders nationwide. Headquartered in Asheville, NC, serving clients nationally and internationally since 2007.