What Attracts Nurse Faculty & What Keeps Them in Education? Preliminary findings Jane D. Evans BSN RN MHA University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences College of Nursing

Problem The nurse faculty shortage is growing and threatens to make the nurse shortage worse. For example: In 2004, 11,300 qualified applicants were turned away from nursing schools primarily due to faculty shortages.

In 2005, the number exceeded 32,000! Strategies to correct the nurse faculty shortage appear thus far to have been inadequate.

Factors in the faculty shortage Average age of educators is 50.5 years Fewer nurses are choosing education careers Opportunities in other fields are drawing students and nurses away Clinical practice is more lucrative Increased workplace pressures make nursing education less attractive

An intense focus on nurse faculty recruitment and retention is desperately needed.

No work has been published that singularly and specifically addresses nurse faculty members’ beliefs about recruitment and retention.

I. A phenomenological pilot study of educators’ beliefs II. A synthesis of the literature on nurse educator recruitment and retention Preliminary studies

a)describe what attracts nurses to become educators b)describe factors that keep them in their positions as educators c)list strategies that nurse educators believe are most effective in recruiting and retaining nurse educators. Specific aims

I. Phenomenological pilot study Purposive, non-probability sample –3 university based nurse faculty members –2 PhD, 1 MNSc –2 women, 1 man; mean age 55.3 years –Mean years teaching, 18 –Teaching BSN & MSN students –IRB approved informed consent

Pilot study Methods –Semi-structured interviews –Opened with ‘How did you come to be a nurse educator? –Audiotaped and transcribed –Ethnograph software to facilitate sorting, coding, and content analysis.

Pilot study Methods –Verbatim transcriptions were checked for accuracy. –Transcripts were read many times. –A codebook of definitions was developed.

Pilot study Analysis & Rigor -Transcripts were read and reread, and compared for content and recurring themes. -Relevant concepts were isolated, and themes identified. -Process repeated until no new concepts emerged.

Pilot study Analysis & Rigor - Codes, definitions, and themes were reviewed by a panel of nurse researchers. –An expert in qualitative methodology served as consultant. –All steps and decisions were fully documented.

Pilot study: Findings Three themes emerged: -Ideas to recruit and retain -workplace and compensation enhancement -marketing nurse education

Pilot study: Findings Three themes emerged: Mentoring -a mentoring environment - help and guidance from others - role modeling - long-term connections with other nurses

Pilot study: Findings Three themes emerged: Obstacles to recruitment and retention -Salary -failure to encourage and facilitate nursing education careers -lack of role models -lack of focus on teaching -failure to consider individual needs -role strain.

Pilot study findings -Mentoring was identified by all respondents as an aspect of nearly every factor. Its importance was stressed, “How much further would we be down the road if everybody mentored more?”

Pilot study implications –Research needed: promoting effective mentoring mentoring as a recruitment/retention strategy which recruitment and retention strategies are effective? explore obstacles that impede the increase of nurse educators.

II. Literature Synthesis A detailed and integrated review of research studies on topics related to the recruitment and retention of nurse faculty.

Literature Synthesis Search mechanisms –CINAHL –PubMed –OVID –Google Scholar –Reference lists –Asked experts (Luparell & Rosseter)

Literature Synthesis Search terms: Nurse educator, nurse shortage, nurse faculty, faculty satisfaction, job satisfaction, recruitment, retention, attitudes, perceptions, perspectives, career opportunities

Inclusion criteria Research reports: included some assessment of nurse educator recruitment and/or retention described factors associated with recruitment and/or retention particularly of new nurses particularly concerning the nurse educator’s perspective.

Exclusion criteria Research reports –Conducted before 1988 –Outside US and Canada –Bearing no relevance

Data Evaluation 4 qualitative studies 3 mixed methods 6 quantitative studies Evaluated for rigor and relevance Excluded only if no relevance (n=5)

Data Analysis Content analysis –Sorted and coded –Tabulated for display Constant comparison –Patterns, themes, clusters –Frequencies –Logic –Negative case –Relationships –Plausibility

Findings Regarding the recruitment & retention of nurse faculty: –No work has been done focusing on nurse educators’ beliefs –Money is a big issue, but not the only issue –Experience makes a difference in perceptions –Nurse’s education takes longer and starts later –No consistent focus on developing nurse educators –Role strain and risk of burnout go up with teaching level, down with experience and tenure

Literature synthesis… Implications –Short- & long-term strategies are needed to relieve the nurse faculty shortage –Research on the nurse educator’s perspective on recruitment & retention is recommended

A nationwide online survey of nurse educators on their beliefs about effective recruitment & retention strategies. What’s next?