The lived experience of seeking tenure while practicing clinically: finding balance in academia

The purpose of this hermeneutic phenomenological research study was to assess the lived experience of seeking tenure while teaching and practicing at the bedside and to identify how a sense of balance was maintained throughout the process. Six nursing faculty were interviewed while actively seeking tenure or within 2 years after seeking tenure. Four themes were identified and will be discussed. The process of tenure is a stressful time for faculty and even more stressful when the faculty try to balance the demands for academe with clinical scholarship. These participants felt that their clinical practice was recognized or valued only when it was of benefit to the academic institution. In many institutions, creativity must be utilized to enhance the tenure portfolio.