A Pilot Faculty Fellows Pipeline Program: Developing Nurse Educators in South Carolina

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Workforce Development

Background:

• A critical shortage of nurses and nurse faculty exists, particularly in the Southeastern United States.
• This deficit impacts the capacity to educate sufficient nurses to meet state and national healthcare demands.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce the Nurse Faculty Fellow Pipeline Program (NFFPP) at the University of South Carolina (USC) College of Nursing.
• To address the urgent need for qualified nursing faculty to bolster the nursing workforce.

Main Methods:

• The NFFPP offers a 1-2 year fellowship for Doctor of Nursing Practice and Doctor of Philosophy students.
• Fellows receive intensive coaching, mentored teaching, pedagogical training, and scholarship development.
• Participants are compensated with a competitive salary and health insurance, dedicating four days weekly to faculty preparation and one day to doctoral studies.

Main Results:

• The pilot program successfully prepares doctoral students for nursing faculty positions.
• Fellows gain essential skills in teaching, scholarship, and professional development.

Conclusions:

• The NFFPP is a successful initiative in its second year.
• The program is poised to contribute to an increased number of doctorally prepared nurse educators, alleviating faculty shortages.