Patterns of job search and mobility among nurse educators

This paper reports the results of a survey of job search and mobility among 790 faculty in baccalaureate and higher degree nursing programs in the South. The study examined activities which nursing educators carried out in seeking their present positions, the sources from which they gained information, and the characteristics which they considered most important in the decision to accept or leave a position. Slightly fewer than half of the educators actively sought their present position; the remainder were recruited by the institution or learned of the availability of the position by chance. The modal job search pattern was to contact the institution directly without knowing whether any opportunities were available, then to seek additional information via discussions with friends and colleagues, visits to the institution and review of documents. Salary, geographical location, administrative leadership style, and the school's reputation were the most important factors in choosing the present position. The decision to leave the previous job was related primarily to a desire for geographical mobility or career advancement and tended not to be motivated by dissatisfaction. Those planning to leave their present position rated salary location of the school and leadership style of the administrator as the most important determinants of their decision to leave. Implications of the findings for faculty recruitment and retention are discussed.