Nursing faculty: one generation away from extinction?

Abstract

Concern over an impending shortage of qualified nursing faculty sparked a statewide survey of nurses with graduate degrees in one midwestern state. A return rate of 61 per cent yielded a sample of 288. In general, nursing faculty members were older than nurses with graduate degrees employed in other roles. Three fourths of the sample worked full-time in stable positions in which they intended to remain until retirement. Fewer than one third were nurse educators; one-third were hospital employees. Nearly half the sample had nonnursing graduate degrees despite local availability of two nursing master's programs. Noncompetitive academic salaries, desire for clinical practice, and rising expectations in higher education were factors deterring nurses with graduate degrees from pursuing faculty roles. Improved compensation, greater respect, closer proximity to work, more realistic expectations, and improved opportunity to continue clinical practice were viewed as incentives to entice practicing nurses into faculty roles. Recommendations for addressing these important challenges are summarized. The next generation of nurses depends on strategic planning now to build the pool of qualified faculty for the future.