The US Doesn’t Have The Faculty To Train The Next Generation Of Nurses
Projections show the U.S. will need about by 2030.
Despite a national , over in 2020, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
This was to a shortage of nursing professors and a limited number of clinical placements where nursing students get practical job training. include a shortage of experienced practitioners to provide supervision during clinical training, insufficient classroom space and inadequate financial resources.
Although the 80,000 for students who apply to multiple nursing schools, it clearly suggests that not all qualified students are able to enroll in nursing school.
I am a nurse researcher, and founding director of , an office at the University of South Florida that focuses on the well-being of the health care workforce. I’ve found that the nursing shortage is a complex issue that – but chief among them is the shortage of faculty to train future nurses.
Growing Demand For Nurses
There are not enough new nurses entering the U.S. health care system each year to meet the country’s . This can have serious consequences for and .
Nationally, the number of jobs for registered nurses is .
Some states project an even higher demand for registered nurses because of their population and their needs. Florida, for example, will need to over the next decade.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates there will be about for registered nurses each year over the next decade to meet the demands of the growing population, and also to replace nurses who retire or quit the profession. This means the U.S. will need about by 2030.
In addition to a shortage of registered nurses, there is also a shortage of nurse practitioners. Nurse practitioner is identified as the in the next decade, after wind turbine technicians, with a projected increase of 52.2%. Nurse practitioners have an advanced scope of practice compared with registered nurses. They must complete additional clinical hours, earn a master’s or doctoral degree in nursing, and complete additional certifications to work with specific patient populations.
The salary of a nurse with an advanced degree is much higher in clinical and private sectors than it is in academia.
The Covid-19 pandemic has exacerbated the . Despite these problems, student enrollment in nursing schools .
The pandemic has not turned people away from wanting to pursue a career in nursing. However, without enough nursing faculty and clinical sites, there will not be enough new nurses to meet the health care demands of the nation.
Need For More Nursing Faculty
Currently, the national . This is slightly improved from the . More than half of all nursing schools . The highest need is in nursing programs in .
Nursing education in clinical settings requires smaller student-to-faculty ratios than many other professions in order to maintain the safety of patients, students and faculty members. Regulatory agencies recommend at least one faculty member to engaged in clinical learning.
The faculty shortage is also affected by the fact that many current nursing faculty members are . The percentage of full-time nursing faculty members increased from roughly 18% in 2006 to nearly 31% in 2015.
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing reports the of doctorally prepared nurse faculty members at the ranks of professor, associate professor and assistant professor were 62.6, 56.9 and 50.9 years, respectively.
Another factor that contributes to the nursing faculty shortage, and the most critical issue , is compensation. The salary of a nurse with an advanced degree is much higher in clinical and private sectors than it is in academia.
According to a survey by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, the , across settings and specialties, is $110,000. By contrast, the AACN reported in March 2020 that the in nursing schools was just under $80,000.
Fixing The Faculty Shortage
Innovative strategies are needed to address the nursing faculty shortage. The was a start. The act provides funding for nursing faculty development, scholarships and loan repayment for nurses, and grants for advanced nursing education, nursing diversity initiatives and other priorities.
The Build Back Better Act that in November 2021 includes funding to help nursing schools across the country recruit and retain diverse nursing faculty and enroll and retain nursing students. The act is now before the U.S. Senate.
In addition to national strategies, individual states are addressing the shortage at the local level. Maryland, for example, awarded over to 14 higher education institutions with nursing programs in Maryland to expand and increase the number of qualified nurses.
Finally, offering faculty salaries comparable to those in clinical settings may attract more nurses to use their expertise to train and expand the next generation of health care workers.
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