Nurse Practitioner (NP) Program Faculty
A Nurse Practitioner (NP) Program Faculty member teaches, mentors, and guides students in a graduate NP program, combining advanced clinical experience with a commitment to nursing education. This is a sample job description from Excelon Associates that you can adapt as a template for your own hire.
What does a Nurse Practitioner (NP) Program Faculty member do?
A Nurse Practitioner (NP) Program Faculty member joins a graduate nursing education team to teach, mentor, and guide students within the NP program, with a focus on advanced practice in a defined specialty such as family practice, acute care, or pediatrics. The role suits an experienced NP who brings substantial clinical experience and a commitment to student success.
It balances classroom and lab instruction with clinical supervision, scholarship, and service. It is a graduate faculty role within the healthcare education space.
A Nurse Practitioner (NP) is an advanced practice nurse who diagnoses and treats patients, often independently. An APRN (Advanced Practice Registered Nurse) is the license category that includes NPs. A DNP (Doctor of Nursing Practice) is a practice-focused doctoral degree common among NP faculty.
What does the NP faculty member focus on?
Key responsibilities of an NP Program Faculty member
- Develop, implement, and assess program curriculum to ensure it meets current clinical standards and accreditation requirements.
- Provide engaging lectures, oversee hands-on lab activities, and supervise clinical experiences to foster student learning.
- Offer academic advising and professional development support to NP students, helping them reach their career goals.
- Participate in scholarly activities, including research, publications, and presentations, contributing to advancements in nursing practice and education.
- Engage in departmental committees, faculty meetings, and community initiatives aligned with the institution’s mission.
What qualifications does the role require?
- Doctoral degree in nursing (PhD or DNP) from an accredited institution.
- Current national certification as a Nurse Practitioner in the relevant specialty.
- Unencumbered RN and APRN license, or eligibility, in the state of practice.
- Minimum of three years of clinical practice as a Nurse Practitioner in the relevant specialty; prior teaching experience preferred.
- Expertise in curriculum design, online and in-person teaching, and educational technologies, with strong communication and interpersonal skills.
Why is the NP Program Faculty role important?
NP faculty train the advanced practice nurses who deliver primary and specialty care, often independently. The quality of their teaching and clinical supervision directly affects how prepared graduates are to practice safely, which matters even more as NPs take on a growing share of care.
Because the role demands both current clinical authority and teaching skill, the strongest faculty are practicing or recently practicing NPs who can translate real cases into instruction. They shape not just what students know but how they reason at the bedside.
A hiring note from Excelon
NP faculty searches compete directly with clinical practice, where an experienced NP can often earn more. Through our healthcare practice, we look for doctorally prepared, nationally certified NPs who genuinely want to teach, and we help programs make the case for a faculty career, since the candidates who can do both clinical work and instruction are the ones every program wants.
The best NP faculty shape not just what students know, but how they reason at the bedside.
Related sample job descriptions
NP Program Faculty: frequently asked questions
What does a Nurse Practitioner (NP) Program Faculty member do?
An NP Program Faculty member teaches and mentors students in a graduate nurse practitioner program. The role develops and assesses curriculum, delivers lectures and lab instruction, supervises clinical experiences, advises students, contributes scholarship, and serves on committees.
What qualifications does the role require?
This sample role requires a doctoral degree in nursing (PhD or DNP), current national certification as a Nurse Practitioner in the relevant specialty, an unencumbered RN and APRN license, and at least three years of clinical practice as an NP. Prior teaching experience is preferred.
What is an APRN?
APRN stands for Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, a category that includes nurse practitioners. NP program faculty typically hold an unencumbered APRN license alongside national certification in their specialty.
What specialties can this role cover?
NP programs span specialties such as family practice, acute care, pediatrics, and others. Faculty are typically certified and experienced in the specialty they teach, and a job description should name the specific specialty the position covers.
Why is this role important?
NP faculty train advanced practice nurses who deliver primary and specialty care. The quality of their teaching and clinical supervision directly affects how prepared graduates are to practice safely and independently.
Hiring NP Program Faculty?
Excelon Associates places nurse practitioner faculty, graduate nursing educators, and healthcare academic talent 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.