7: THE ROLE OF THE EDUCATOR ■ 183now deleting their educational tracks, if they had one to begin with, in compliance with
the original intent of the practice or clinical doctorate and CCNE standards (CCNE,
2013). CCNE accreditation standards are based on the AACN’s Essentials of Doctoral
Education for Advanced Nursing Practice (AACN, 2006) and state (2013):
All DNP programs incorporate The Essentials of Doctoral Education for
Advanced Nursing Practice (AACN, 2006) and additional relevant professional
standards and guidelines if identified by the program. (p. 13)
AACN’s (2006) The Essentials of Doctoral Education for Advanced Nursing Practice
states:
The DNP Essentials delineated here address the foundational competencies
that are core to all advanced nursing practice roles. However, the depth and
focus of the core competencies will vary based on the particular role for which
the student is preparing. For example, students preparing for organizational
leadership or administrative roles will have increased depth in organizational
and systems’ leadership; those preparing for policy roles will have increased
depth in health care policy; and those preparing for APN roles (nurse practi-
tioners, clinical nurse specialists, nurse anesthetists, and nurse midwives) will
have more specialized content in an area of advanced practice nursing. (p. 8)
Despite this clear depiction of the DNP vision, DNP graduates are entering aca-
demia in substantial numbers, especially to teach in DNP programs (Smeltzer et al.,
2015). They are filling a gap and may be no more prepared to be in a faculty role than
their PhD colleagues. The 3.2% increase in PhD doctoral student enrollment may yield
students with a foundational master of science in nursing (MSN) in nursing education,
but the numbers are too lean, especially accounting for the upcoming faculty retirements
(AACN, 2016a) and the projected need for nurse educators. Another consideration is
that many colleges and universities offer MSNs in nursing education, but the quality
of MSN nurse educator programs is variable. There is a wide variety of differences in
the number of practicum hours, practicum productivity, and preceptor qualifications.
It may be problematic that many MSN educator programs have been moved online
and are educating learners for in-class or clinical teaching roles. Online learning can be
enhanced if the nurse educator students’ practicum hours are rich with role-modeling,
quality learning experiences, and exposure to multiple teaching–learning methodolo-
gies. There are as few published specific standards for the nurse educator education as
there are for other advanced nurse practice roles, not only for practicum hours but also
for core curriculum inclusions.
The NLN Nurse Educator Shortage Fact Sheet (n.d.) further describes the need for
nurse educators and the doctoral preparation of current nurse educators. The fact sheet
discusses the problems of aging faculty, low compensation, and long work hours, yet
the conclusion is weak and calls the nursing shortage a “critical public policy priority”
(p. 6). AACN’s ( 2016b) Nursing Faculty Shortage Fact Sheet describes the current shortage
in terms of aging faculty and compensation, but does not discuss preparation for nurse
educators. The AACN fact sheet concludes with a report of 12 financial scholarships
granted over the past 10 years, which may be a start in resource allocation but much
more is needed.
AACN (2006) also compares nurse educators to academic educators in other
disciplines:
As in other disciplines (e.g., engineering, business, law), the major focus of
the educational program must be on the area of practice specialization within