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Funding in higher education: where does nursing fit?
Phyllis N Horns1, Phyllis S Turner
1School of Nursing, East Carolina University, 5th Street, Greenville, NC 27858, USA. hornsp@ecu.edu
Summary
Higher education funding models often neglect nursing education's unique clinical learning needs, impacting resource allocation. Nursing leaders must advocate for equitable budgeting to address these critical disparities.
Area of Science:
- Higher Education Administration
- Nursing Education Finance
Background:
- Traditional higher education funding formulas are ill-suited for clinical disciplines like nursing.
- Current models fail to recognize the substantial costs and complexities of nursing clinical education, including patient safety and liability.
- There is a significant lack of recent nursing literature and benchmark data on educational funding issues.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the inadequacy of existing resource allocation systems for nursing education.
- To underscore the need for nursing administrators to understand higher education finance.
- To advocate for nursing education leaders to actively engage in budget processes and educate stakeholders.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of existing resource allocation systems in higher education.
- Review of nursing literature concerning funding over the past decade.
- Identification of data gaps for nursing program administrators.
Main Results:
- Existing funding models do not adequately address the specific financial requirements of nursing education, particularly clinical components.
- Limited data and benchmarks are available for nursing program administrators regarding financial management.
- A gap exists in the understanding and communication of nursing education's financial needs among university administrators and legislators.
Conclusions:
- Nursing education requires specialized funding considerations due to its clinical demands.
- Nursing administrators and leaders must enhance their financial literacy and actively participate in budget advocacy.
- Educating university administrators and state legislatures about the unique financial needs of nursing education is crucial for equitable resource allocation.