Resourcing nursing education through collaboration

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Healthcare Workforce Development

Background:

• The current nursing shortage is intrinsically linked to a deficit in nursing faculty.
• This faculty shortage poses a significant barrier to educating the next generation of nurses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the critical need to address the nursing faculty shortage.
• To advocate for innovative strategies to increase nursing educator resources.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent position statements from key nursing organizations (American Association of Colleges of Nursing, National League for Nursing).
• Analysis of recommendations for nurse educator preparation and retention.

Main Results:

• The nursing faculty shortage must be resolved to effectively manage the broader nursing shortage.
• Specific actions recommended by professional organizations aim to bolster the nursing educator pipeline.

Conclusions:

• Creative and rigorous research and development strategies are essential for securing adequate nursing educator resources.
• Purposeful collaboration between academic and practice-setting educators is vital for the future of nursing education.