Who Will Fill Their Shoes? Nursing Faculty Shortage

 The nursing shortage, we're all aware of it and most of us feel the effects of it. Do we realize it doesn't only impact frontline nursing staff but also those who are meant to educate nursing students? Those who are meant to develop outstanding nurses and leaders in nursing? 

Schools of nursing are finding it harder and harder to find qualified faculty to teach the growing number of graduate and undergraduate students. Qualified nursing school applicants are being turned away by the thousands due to the lack of faculty (Feldman, Greenburg, Jaffe-Ruiz, Kaufman, & Cignarale, 2015). How do we combat this shortage of nursing faculty? How do we make quality education more readily available to those who are qualified yet being turned away? This issue in nursing education deserves our research and attention to move toward correcting the problem. Let's explore what contributes to this shortage and what evidence there is out there to combat the impact it has on the nursing shortage as a whole.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Students will explain the impact of the nursing faculty shortage on healthcare and the field of nursing.
2. Students will identify contributing factors to the nursing faculty shortage.
3. Students will describe how the nursing faculty shortage will impact the future of nursing if change is not brought about.
4. Students will identify at least one nursing theory that can be used to implement change to work toward reducing the nursing faculty shortage.

How are we to find this many nurse educators? 

In this module we will look into the research that proves what is contributing to the nursing/nursing faculty shortage. We will examine how this problem is impacting local colleges and universities. With any issue we must also look into what is being done to correct the problem. We examine ourselves to determine what we can do personally to help combat this issue. Lastly, we will study some previously proposed initiatives and evaluate their effectiveness. 

Think on these things:

Why is the nursing shortage so great?

What research is out there that reflects what is being done about the issue?

How can I work toward combating the issue?

How does the research prove the effectiveness of the proposed initiatives?

Use the following link to review recent research related to the faculty shortage and various policy and advocacy strategies: http://www.nln.org/advocacy-public-policy/issues/faculty-shortage

Follow this link to gain some perspective as to how we may develop the large number of needed nursing facutly as well as nursing staff: https://www.healthline.com/health-news/where-are-we-going-to-find-1-million-new-nurses-in-the-next-five-years-092815#1

This video proves how the faculty shortage impacts those hoping to gain entrance into the program of their dreams, specifically in Tennessee: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPvdWISVoAg

Even former President Barack Obama addressed the nursing faculty shortage and showed favor to increasing the educational opportunities provided to American nurses: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2R6vRn0p9I

Think About It - Talk It Out

Think of your experience as a nurse. How has the nursing shortage impacted you personally? How have you witnessed the shortage impacting your peers and fellow nurses? Describe your experience in nursing school. Was the faculty shortage evident in your school or did it seem nonexistent? What seemed to go well in your nursing education to make you a better nurse? What could have happened differently to help you become a better nurse?

As a second point of discussion you will split into small groups. Each group member will be from different states/areas. You will research the faculty shortage in your state and present the statistics that you find to your group. Use these questions to guide your discussion:

What is the average age of nurses in your state? 

How many qualified students are turned away in your state?

How many nurses are prepared at the associate, baccalaureate, and graduate levels?

How has the nursing shortage impacted your area/community?

Each student should reply to at least one student and compare and contrast the differences that are noted between states. Discuss possible solution/initiatives that would be valuable to each state/community.

Now, Look It Up - Consider/Ponder

Now is the time to watch the videos offered to you. Look over the websites offered to you to gain insight into the faculty shortage and what it means for the future of nursing. Then, take it upon yourself to research the faculty shortage in your state. Consider what schools are most impacted (major universities, private schools, technical/community colleges). Use the library to find relevant research (within 5-8 years) related to faculty shortage and how it will impact nursing. Also consider how long the shortage may last and what that may also mean for the field of nursing. Are there any theories in nursing that can be used in the correction of this issue? What did the nursing leaders before say/predict about this very problem?

How Did You Do?

In the following tab we will reflect on our research and the knowledge we have gained. 

Self-Reflection

Self-reflection allows us to look inwardly, evaluating the knowledge we have had previously and the knowledge we have recently gained.

Write a 2-page paper describing the impact the nursing faculty shortage has on the health care field. What were some preconceived notions you had prior to your research? What do you now feel are some of the major contributing factors to the nursing faculty shortage? How can you get involved and become an active agent in the correction of this problem (legislature, career/educational advancement, etc)? Identify one nursing theory that can be used to correct the identified problem and describe how it can be used in your personal practice. Use 2 relevant resources to prove competence and understanding of the issue.

Quiz

Follow this link to take a short quiz that will determine understanding of the issue:

https://sarahpayne2.typeform.com/to/ijz4nF

Thank you for exploring the topic of the nurse faculty shortage. Moving forward, let's be mindful of strategies we can use in our everyday practice to combat the impact of the nursing shortage, as well as the nursing faculty shortage.

Feldman, H. R., Greenberg, M. J., Jaffe-Ruiz, M., Kaufman, S. R., & Cignarale, S. (2015). Original Article: Hitting the Nursing Faculty Shortage Head On: Strategies to Recruit, Retain, and Develop Nursing Faculty. Journal Of Professional Nursing, 31170-178. doi:10.1016/j.profnurs.2015.01.007