NLN-CNE Exam Information and Guideline
NLN Certified Nurse Educator 2025
Below are complete topics detail with latest syllabus and course outline, that will help you good knowledge about exam objectives and topics that you have to prepare. These contents are covered in questions and answers pool of exam.
Number of Questions: 150 multiple-choice questions (130 scored, 20 unscored pretest questions).
Time Allotted: 3 hours (180 minutes).
Delivery Method: Computer-based testing at approved testing centers.
Passing Score: Determined using a criterion-referenced method; the exact passing score is not publicly disclosed.
Domain 1: Facilitate Learning
- Implement a variety of active teaching and learning strategies appropriate to:
- content/concepts
- setting
- learner attributes and needs
- learner outcomes
- method of delivery
- Use teaching and learning strategies based on:
- educational theories
- evidence-based practices related to education
- Modify teaching strategies and learning experiences based on consideration of learners’:
- diversity
- social determinants of learning
- physical health
- psychosocial health
- economic stability
- physical environment
- social environment
- self-motivation
- past clinical, educational, and life experiences
- Use technologies to support the teaching-learning process
- Communicate effectively to convey ideas in a variety of contexts
- Model reflective thinking practices
- Create opportunities for learners to develop clinical judgment
- Ensure a positive and safe learning environment
- Model attributes that facilitate learning
- caring
- confidence
- patience
- integrity
- respect
- flexibility
- resilience
- enthusiasm
- Develop and maintain effective working relationships with healthcare and education partners
- Apply concepts of evidence-based practice in nursing to guide teaching
Domain 2: Facilitate Learner Development and Socialization
- Identify learner attributes and needs based on consideration of learners':
- diversity
- social determinants of learning
- physical health
- psychosocial health
- economic stability
- physical environment
- social environment
- self-motivation
- past clinical, educational, and life experiences
- Facilitate access to various resources to support diverse learners
- Assist learners to identify and develop a plan to meet professional goals
- Facilitate learners’ self-reflection, goal setting, and socialization to the role of the nurse
- Engage learners in thoughtful and constructive self and peer evaluation
- Promote professional development of learners
Domain 3: Use Assessment and Evaluation Strategies
- Design and apply formative and summative evaluation strategies
- Implement evidence-based assessment and evaluation strategies in these learning domains:
- cognitive
- psychomotor
- affective
- Evaluate available methods for learner assessment and evaluation
- Create assessment methods to evaluate outcomes
- Implement evaluation methods that are congruent with learner and learning outcomes
- Analyze assessment and evaluation data
- Apply assessment and evaluation data to enhance the teaching-learning process
- Inform learners about assessment and evaluation criteria
- Provide timely, constructive, and thoughtful feedback to learners
Domain 4: Participate in Curriculum Design and Evaluation of Program Outcomes
- Provide input for the development of nursing program standards and policies regarding:
- admission
- progression and retention
- graduation
- Demonstrate knowledge of curriculum development including:
- developing program outcomes and/or competency statements
- writing content objectives and course outcomes
- selecting learning activities and clinical experiences consistent with course outcomes
- designing evaluation strategies consistent with course and program outcomes
- Design the curriculum to reflect:
- institutional philosophy and mission
- current nursing and healthcare trends
- community, clinical partners, and societal needs
- nursing principles, standards, theory, and research
- educational principles, theory, research, and innovation
- use of technology
- mode of educational delivery
- Lead the development of curriculum design
- Lead the development of course design
- Design program evaluation that promotes continuous quality improvement
- Implement the program evaluation plan
- Analyze results of program evaluation
- Revise the curriculum based on evaluation of:
- program outcomes
- learner needs
- societal and health care trends
- stakeholder feedback
- learners
- agency personnel
- accrediting agencies
- advisory boards
- community
- clinical partners
- Implement curricular revisions using change theories and evidence-based strategies
- Evaluate the program evaluation plan
Domain 5: Function as a Change Agent and Leader
- Evaluate organizational effectiveness to determine needed change
- Adapt to changes created by external factors
- Create a culture for change within the nursing program and institution
- Design, implement, and evaluate strategies for change
- Model principles of diversity, equity, and inclusivity when advocating for change
- Serve as a leader to promote nursing and nursing education
- Facilitate interprofessional education and collaboration to impact health and educational outcomes
- Advocate for nursing, nursing education, and higher education
- Manage conflict effectively
Domain 6: Pursue Continuous Quality Improvement in the Academic Nurse Educator Role
- Participate actively in professional nursing and educational organizations
- Demonstrate a commitment to lifelong learning
- Use feedback gained from self, peer, learner, and administrative evaluation to improve role effectiveness
- Stay current with legal practices and ethical codes relevant to nursing and educational settings
- Remain informed with healthcare policy relevant to nursing and educational settings
- Seek mentors for professional development in the academic nurse educator role
- Engage in self-reflection and self-care to improve teaching practices
Domain 7: Engage in Scholarship
- Foster a culture of scholarly inquiry
- Demonstrate qualities of a scholar: integrity, courage, perseverance, vitality, and creativity
- Design and implement scholarly activities
- Disseminate the outcomes of scholarly activities
Domain 8: Function within the Organizational Environment and the Academic Community
- Analyze the impact of social, technological, economic, political, and institutional factors on nursing and higher education
- Apply knowledge of historical and current trends and issues to decision making in nursing and higher education
- Integrate the values of civility, collegiality, professionalism, and caring to build an organizational climate that fosters the development of learners and colleagues
- Demonstrate support of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives to align with the organization’s mission and vision
- Incorporate the mission and goals of the nursing program and the parent institution when managing issues
- Manage the teaching, scholarship, and service demands congruent with the requirements of the institutional setting
- Serve as a leader in governance and activities within the nursing program and/or the parent institution
- Use social media in a manner consistent with professional and institutional guidelines
- Provide input into the budgetary processes of the program and parent institution
- Maintain professional role boundaries as an educator
- Seek opportunities to mentor and support faculty colleagues to optimize role of an academic nurse educator
- Participate in the development of policies and procedures related to learners, faculty, and the educational environment
- Academic, professional, and community service opportunities
- Accreditation, regulatory standards, and policies
- Advisement and counseling strategies
- Change management strategies
- Characteristics and functions of various healthcare teams
- Characteristics of a safe and inclusive learning environment
- Characteristics of change agents
- Communication methods specific to audience and situation
- Community and societal needs
- Conflict resolution methods
- Constructive feedback techniques
- Critical and reflective thinking strategies
- Dissemination of information
- Educational principles, theory, and research
- Educational resources for supporting diverse learners
- Evidence-based teaching strategies specific to learner needs and outcomes
- Formative and summative learner evaluations
- Goal setting
- How to be an advocate
- Identification of personal attributes as a tool to facilitate learning
- Institutional philosophy and mission
- Integration of data into practice (i.e., clinical, educational)
- Interpretation of research literature
- Interprofessional education competencies
- Leadership behaviors in nursing education
- Learning and socialization needs of diverse learners
- Legal and ethical issues in healthcare and higher education
- Measures of organizational effectiveness
- Mentoring principles and methods
- Methods to assess and evaluate learning
- Methods to assess learner needs
- Methods to collaborate with interprofessional teams
- Methods to create collegial working relationships
- Methods to develop clinical judgment in the learner
- Methods to evaluate the learning environment
- Nursing and health care trends
- Organizational structure and governance
- Principles and methods of continuous quality improvement
- Principles and methods of curriculum design and revision
- Principles and methods of program evaluation
- Principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging
- Principles of ongoing professional learning
- Professional development activities
- Professional organizations that support ongoing professional learning
- Professional roles and boundaries
- Qualities of a scholar
- Quality improvement and evidence-based practice methodologies
- Research methodology
- Role modeling
- Role of professional nurse and nurse educator
- Self-care techniques
- Self-evaluation and reflection techniques
- Social determinants of learning
- Socialization process
- Spirit of inquiry
- Strategies to promote a culture of safety and quality
- Student success strategies
- Teaching, scholarship, and service demands
- Technologies and equipment to facilitate learning
- Technology trends in healthcare and higher education
- Test and item analysis
- Test development
- Variations of educational settings and delivery methods