Nursing Faculty Workload: Balancing Fiscal Responsibility and Faculty Satisfaction

Nursing faculty and nursing program administrators share the goal of equitable faculty workload. Faculty teaching assignments and other academic workload can affect productivity and faculty satisfaction.

Models for workload calculation need to account for multiple factors including mission, faculty position and rank, faculty expertise, and financial resources. The nursing faculty shortage, organizational structure, and fluctuations in student volumes further complicate achievement of a balanced workload model.

A task force identified existing parameters for workload and assessed faculty satisfaction and teaching assignment preferences at a Midwest metropolitan university college of nursing.

A new workload model was developed and accepted. The work highlighted course load expectations, financial realities, and negotiations between nursing faculty and nursing program administrators.

Lessons learned suggest considering the academic year overall rather than each semester separately and reaffirm the importance of continual, clear communications between nursing faculty and nursing program administrators.