Assistant Professor, Nursing
An Assistant Professor of Nursing provides classroom and clinical instruction across areas including nursing skills practicum, simulation, medical-surgical nursing, mental health, and pediatric nursing. This is a sample job description from Excelon Associates that you can adapt as a template for your own hire.
What does an Assistant Professor of Nursing do?
An Assistant Professor of Nursing provides classroom and clinical instruction in areas including, but not limited to, nursing skills practicum, simulation, medical-surgical nursing, mental health, and pediatric nursing. The role pairs formal course teaching with hands-on clinical and simulation supervision.
Beyond teaching, the position prepares and plans courses, evaluates student work, advises students, and contributes to curriculum development and department work. It is a faculty role within the healthcare education space, typically offered with hybrid learning options across associate-degree, RN, and LPN programs.
Medical-surgical (med-surg) nursing is the care of adult patients with a broad range of medical and surgical needs, one of the largest nursing specialties. Simulation teaching uses realistic clinical scenarios in a lab so students practice safely before patient care. An AAS (Associate of Applied Science) is a common entry credential offered alongside RN and LPN programs.
What does the Assistant Professor teach?
Key responsibilities of an Assistant Professor of Nursing
- Deliver formal course teaching hours, with preparation and planning aligned to course objectives.
- Handle clinical and simulation teaching alongside classroom instruction, with clinical supervision at a small student-to-instructor ratio.
- Prepare and correct examinations and other student work assignments.
- Focus on med-surg specialties, with flexibility to teach across other nursing areas as needed.
- Schedule student conferences to review individual student progress.
- Assist in student academic advisement, and provide appropriate assistance to part-time faculty.
- Assist in student recruitment, job placement, or transfer placement where needed.
- Participate in selecting course texts, instructional equipment, and learning resources.
- Contribute to the development, evaluation, and revision of course objectives, instructional strategies, and systems for evaluating student learning.
- Serve on departmental, divisional, campus, and college-wide committees, and attend faculty meetings and institutional events.
What qualifications does the role require?
- Current, unencumbered state RN license and a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN).
- Or a current, unencumbered state RN license and a BSN with at least twelve graduate credit hours completed toward an MSN.
- Strong preference for candidates with a background in adult medical-surgical nursing.
- Assistant professor appointments typically expect substantial nursing experience; programs are often willing to train experienced RNs in teaching methods.
Why is the Assistant Professor of Nursing role important?
Nursing faculty train the next generation of nurses at a time of sustained workforce demand. The quality of their classroom and clinical instruction directly shapes whether graduates are safe, competent, and ready for licensure and practice from their first shift.
Because nursing is learned at the bedside as much as in the classroom, an assistant professor who can teach theory and supervise clinical and simulation work with equal skill is what turns a program into a reliable pipeline of capable nurses.
A hiring note from Excelon
The nursing faculty shortage is real, and the best clinical RNs can often earn more at the bedside than in the classroom. Through our healthcare practice, we look for candidates with strong med-surg experience and the right degree credentials who are drawn to teaching, and we flag that many programs will train a great clinical nurse in pedagogy, which widens the pool considerably.
Nursing is learned at the bedside as much as in the classroom, so a professor who can do both is the whole program.
Related sample job descriptions
Assistant Professor, Nursing: frequently asked questions
What does an Assistant Professor of Nursing do?
An Assistant Professor of Nursing provides classroom and clinical instruction across areas such as nursing skills practicum, simulation, medical-surgical nursing, mental health, and pediatric nursing. The role prepares and teaches courses, evaluates student work, advises students, and contributes to curriculum and department work.
What qualifications does the role require?
This sample role requires a current unencumbered RN license and a Master of Science in Nursing, or a BSN with at least twelve graduate credit hours completed toward an MSN. A background in adult medical-surgical nursing is strongly preferred.
Does the role include clinical and simulation teaching?
Yes. Faculty may handle both clinical and simulation teaching alongside classroom instruction. Clinical supervision commonly follows a small student-to-instructor ratio so students get close oversight in patient-care settings.
Can experienced RNs without teaching experience apply?
Often yes. Many programs are willing to train experienced registered nurses in teaching methods, so strong clinical RNs who meet the degree requirements can move into a faculty role even without prior teaching experience.
Why is this role important?
Nursing faculty train the next generation of nurses at a time of sustained workforce demand. The quality of their classroom and clinical instruction directly shapes whether graduates are safe, competent, and ready for licensure and practice.
Hiring an Assistant Professor of Nursing?
Excelon Associates places nursing faculty, instructors, and health-professions academic leaders at colleges and universities across the United States through our healthcare recruitment practice. Retained executive search since 2007, headquartered in Asheville, NC, with offices in Boca Raton and Delray Beach, FL.
More Sample Job Descriptions
Templates you can adapt for your own roles.