Nurses represent the largest segment of the healthcare workforce in the United States. The demand for registered nurses (RNs) will increase, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, which predicts a much-faster-than-average job growth rate for RNs through 2028. A nationwide shortage of RNs in clinical care already exists. Add an insufficient supply of nurse educators, and the problem becomes worse. Nurses who complete a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program focused on nursing education may be the key to easing the faculty shortage, which can help boost the number of RNs ready for employment.
Why Is the Nursing Faculty Shortage a Problem?
The problem exists because a large number of RNs including those in academia are reaching retirement age. The shortage of nursing faculty is negatively impacting the enrollment capacity of nursing schools. According to the AACN fact sheet, 10,788 eligible applicants were denied acceptance into MSN programs. The consequence is fewer nursing graduates, leaving unfilled vacancies in the nursing workforce.
In the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) report, Special Survey on Vacant Faculty Positions for Academic Year 2018-2019, found a total of 1,715 full-time faculty vacancies across the country. The vacancy rate for nursing schools with full-time openings is 10.4%. And, there is a full-time vacancy rate of 7.8% for nurses with an MSN.
What Are the Causes of the Nursing Faculty Shortage?
The major cause of the shortage is the age of faculty. The AACN report, 2016-2017 Salaries of Instructional and Administrative Nursing Faculty notes that the average ages were 55.5 for professors, 56.4 for associate professors and 50.6 for assistant professors. So, a surge of faculty retirements is expected over the next 10 years. Other factors contributing to the declining number of nursing faculty are:
- Nursing schools with budget constraints that hinder hiring new nurse educators
- Schools having difficulty recruiting nurses for teaching positions
- Limited classroom space and clinical sites needed for real-life preparation
- Job competition from clinical nursing jobs
- Lower salary than other fields of nursing
What Can Be Done to Alleviate the Shortage of Nurse Educators?
The AACN is addressing the shortage by collecting data about vacancy rates, forming strategies to come up with solutions and using its resources to secure federal funding for faculty development programs. Additionally, the AACN is supporting the expansion of NursingCAS to include graduate programs. NursingCAS is a centralized application service for RNs in the U.S. It was created to ensure that all vacancies in nursing schools are filled.
Statewide initiatives are also being implemented to curb the nurse and faculty shortage. For instance, Hawaii, Maryland and Colorado are offering tax credits to teachers.
Nursing schools are partnering with hospitals to come up with new models that allow nursing staff to teach, and the institutions are providing initiatives such as fellowships and loan forgiveness.
How Can RNs Help Solve the Crisis?
Nurses with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) can help alleviate the faculty shortage by considering a career in nursing education. Enrolling in an online MSN with a Nursing Education Concentration is a practical step in this direction. By earning an MSN in nursing education, RNs can go on to prepare a new generation of nurses for healthcare careers, thereby helping alleviate the nurse shortage.
The demand for medical care will continue to rise, especially since the patient population is skewing older and manifesting multiple chronic health conditions. As nurse educators begin to leave or retire from the workforce, there is a need for more faculty to prepare nursing students for healthcare careers. To prevent a shortfall, public and private organizations in the healthcare industry must develop incentives to attract and encourage nurses to pursue careers in academia.
Learn more about NKU’s online Master of Science in Nursing – Nursing Education Concentration program.
Sources:
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Outlook Handbook – Registered Nurses
American Association of Colleges of Nursing: Nursing Faculty Shortage
Lippincott Nursing Education Blog: Nursing Faculty Shortage: A Real Crisis?
Becker’s Hospital Review: Nursing Schools Reject Thousands of Applicants Amid Shortage
Daily Nurse: Nurse Educators’ Vital Role in the Future of Nursing
RegisteredNursing.org: Is Nursing Education Contributing to the Nursing Shortage?
American Association of Colleges of Nursing: Nursing Fact Sheet
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Employment Outlook for Bachelor’s Level Occupations
