Scholarship Recipients' Perspectives on Full-Time Employment as a Nurse Educator Following Graduation

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Health Workforce Development

Background:

• The Cohen Scholarship program in Maryland seeks to increase qualified nurse educators.
• A critical shortage of nursing faculty exists, impacting healthcare education.
• Scholarship recipients commit to serving as nurse educators post-graduation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the career decisions of recent Cohen Scholarship graduates.
• To identify factors influencing the adoption of faculty roles among these graduates.
• To understand barriers preventing graduates from entering academic nursing positions.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study design.
• Analysis of career decision-making processes.
• Exploration of facilitators and barriers to faculty roles.

Main Results:

• Graduates' career choices are significantly influenced by their decision-making processes.
• A primary barrier identified is the substantial salary disparity between clinical practice and academic roles.
• This salary differential strongly discourages graduates from pursuing faculty positions.

Conclusions:

• The Cohen Scholarship program faces challenges in retaining graduates in nurse educator roles.
• Addressing the salary gap is crucial for the program's success in alleviating the nurse faculty shortage.
• Policy interventions may be needed to incentivize academic careers for nurse educators.