The nursing faculty shortage: Is there hope?

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Workforce Development

Background:

• A significant shortage of nursing faculty exacerbates the general nursing shortage.
• This deficit impacts the capacity to educate the necessary number of nurses, jeopardizing public health in the U.S.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the effectiveness of solutions implemented over the last decade to address the nursing faculty shortage.
• To propose novel strategies to mitigate the ongoing crisis in nurse educator recruitment and retention.

Main Methods:

• Review of implemented strategies: expansion of graduate/certificate programs, recruitment initiatives, and retirement deferral.
• Proposal of new solutions: accelerated degree pathways, recruitment of advanced practice nurses, career image enhancement, national certification, and healthcare partnerships.

Main Results:

• Some previously implemented initiatives show signs of success.
• The linkage between the general nursing shortage and the faculty shortage strengthens the case for policy and funding.

Conclusions:

• Continued implementation of existing and novel solutions is crucial.
• Maintaining a culture of hope among current faculty is essential during this transitionary period.