Applications Open for UNM’s Health Professions Educator Certificate Program

To help close the nationwide and statewide shortages of healthcare educators, The University of New Mexico College of Nursing is offering a new Health Professions Educator Certificate program designed to help experienced healthcare professionals build the skills to teach the next generation.

“Healthcare professionals have a wealth of knowledge to share, but many have never been taught how to teach,” said Tamara Shannon, DNP, RN, CPNP-PC, CNE, director of the program. “This bridges that gap, providing the skills and support needed to become an effective educator while helping build the healthcare workforce New Mexico needs.”

The 12- to 16-credit certificate program is for nurses, physicians, physician assistants, physical and occupational therapists, pharmacists, dental hygienists and other healthcare professionals.

 

Meeting New Mexico's healthcare workforce needs requires investing in both the health workforce and the educators who prepare it.

 

- Shelly McLaughlin, MS, EMT-I, Interim Director, Student Academic Affairs, UNM Health Sciences

The program is mostly online and asynchronous – meaning students can set their own schedule – with a 200-hour teaching practicum that allows students to apply what they're learning in their own communities. Most students can complete the program in about a year, Shannon said.

The certificate is built for healthcare professionals who already have clinical expertise but haven't had formal education in how to teach it. Coursework covers educational design, teaching strategies, and program evaluation, along with advanced physical assessment, pharmacology, and pathophysiology content tailored to the educator role.

 

Healthcare professionals have a wealth of knowledge to share, but many have never been taught how to teach.

 

– Tamara Shannon, DNP, RN, CPNP-PC, CNE, Director, Health Professions Educator Certificate Program, UNM College of Nursing

Students also learn to apply research findings to improve healthcare education and to integrate technology and communication tools into their teaching.

“Meeting New Mexico’s healthcare workforce needs requires investing in both the health workforce and the educators who prepare it,” said Shelly McLaughlin, MS, EMT-I, interim director of Student Academic Affairs at UNM Health Sciences. “The Health Professions Educator Certificate Program helps grow that educator workforce, expanding our capacity to train future health professionals, retain expertise in New Mexico, and strengthen the pipeline of graduates who will serve our communities.”

For nurses in particular, the certificate offers a faster path to the Certified Nurse Educator exam. Completing the program can help nurses meet CNE eligibility requirements without first completing two years of prior teaching experience in an academic setting.

Applicants do not need a background in education to apply. The program is open to current healthcare professionals with a bachelor’s or graduate degree, as well as graduate students in healthcare professions programs who are interested in teaching and early-career educators.

Applications are now open for the first cohort, and full program details are available here. Applications will close on Jan. 15, 2027.