Finding Innovative Strategies to Enhance Adjunct Faculty Support and Retention

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Higher Education Pedagogy

Background:

• Increasing reliance on adjunct faculty in nursing programs to meet workforce demands.
• Variability in support and resources provided to adjunct faculty across different nursing programs.
• Development of a specific adjunct teaching model by a midwestern university for its online postlicensure nursing programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose innovative strategies for enhancing adjunct faculty support and retention in nursing programs.
• To address the growing need for effective adjunct faculty integration and management.

Main Methods:

• Implementation of a structured adjunct teaching model.
• Integration of onboarding, orientation, and mentorship processes.
• Focus on enhancing support systems for adjunct educators.

Main Results:

• Enhanced adjunct faculty support was observed following the implementation of the new model.
• Significant improvement in overall adjunct faculty retention rates.
• Positive impact on adjunct faculty job satisfaction.

Conclusions:

• Continued demand for nursing adjunct faculty necessitates innovative support strategies.
• Onboarding, orientation, and mentorship are vital for adjunct faculty job satisfaction and retention.
• The developed model offers a framework for improving adjunct faculty experiences in online nursing education.