Faculty practice: nurse educators' views and proposed models

Faculty practice is an issue that has been extensively debated, yet no consensus about its definition, purposes, or implementation has yet been achieved among nurse educators. This nationwide survey of a random sample of 909 AD and BSN educators was designed to elicit concepts of faculty practice and to find how and why faculty are implementing practice. Sixty percent of the sample are practicing nursing; the reason most frequently given was to maintain clinical skills. The 40% not practicing stated lack of time as the primary reason. Responses demonstrated no differences between AD and BSN educators regarding definition, implementation, and motivation for faculty practice. As a result of the survey, a definition of faculty practice has been formulated and conceptual models of faculty practice delineated. The models that have been developed are the Nurse-Researcher Model, Nurse-Clinician Model, and Nurse-Consultant Model.