By: Mariah Taylor – Becker’s Clinical Leadership
There is a key driver behind the nationwide shortage of nurses: a severe nurse faculty shortage. To solve both shortages, more systems and nursing programs are creating formal venues to enlarge the nurse educator pipeline.
Like the nurse shortage, universities and nursing programs are facing a nurse faculty shortage that has reduced their capacity to accept and train students. Too few nurses are pursuing advanced degrees and becoming educators in the field, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.
So systems are developing programs that boost interest and remove barriers for nurses who want to teach.
These programs — many of which launched in the last year — range in commitment and scale. Here are a few examples:
For Cleveland-based MetroHealth, bedside nurses are offered guest lecture opportunities in nursing schools.
Cleveland Clinic and Cleveland-based University Hospitals are partnering with three other systems and organizations to launch a summer nursing faculty boot camp.
Chicago-based Rush University College of Nursing has created a new nurse educator certification program.
Baltimore-based University of Maryland Medical System launched the Academy of Clinical Essentials, which embeds nursing students in immersive, semester-long clinical rotations with bedside nurse instructors.
Marion-based Indiana Wesleyan University revamped its nurse educator program to be more accessible, shorter and flexible.
