Nursing faculty shortage, how to meet the demand?
Nursing faculty are in high demand across the nation. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the existing nursing shortage, and the need for nursing faculty to educate more nurses is greater now than ever. Every year, nursing schools in Washington turn away over 800 qualified nursing students due, in part, to the shortage of nursing faculty.
A collaborative effort conducted by Washington state nurse leaders, including the Action Now! Initiative and nursing union representatives, led to a $40 million increase in legislative funding for nurse educator salaries across the state. The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) recently allocated that legislative funding to SBCTC nursing education programs throughout Washington state. The additional funding allows for up to a 26.5% increase (which may vary from program to program) in nurse faculty salaries and provides opportunities for bedside nurses to combine their love of direct patient care with nursing education.
Previously, it was common for nurses to experience a significant cut in pay when shifting from the bedside to the classroom. But now, this legislative funding to increase faculty salaries makes it feasible for nurses to pursue a career in nursing education while maintaining—and perhaps even increasing—their annual salary. Nursing education is filled with rewards: educators influence a future generation of nurses, have flexible schedules with summers and holidays off, and experience increased quality time with family.
In the state of Washington, nursing faculty in pre-licensure registered nurse or RN to BSN programs are required to have a minimum of a master’s degree in nursing or a related field. Several different types of master’s degree programs exist to support nurses who desire to earn a graduate degree to pursue a career in nursing education. Program options include nursing informatics, nurse administration, nurse executive, public health, education, and generalist programs that cover a broad range of nursing topics.