By 2011 Florida will need an estimated additional 41,584 RNs. While nursing schools are encouraged by the increased interest and number of applications, they can do little to remedy the looming nursing shortage. Compounding the issue are regional and national accreditation standards that have introduced higher standards for faculty educational preparation. To be responsive to the states nursing workforce needs, nursing schools need assistance in creating a pipeline for future nurse educators, and assuring that current faculty are not lost from the faculty pool because of their educational preparation level.
The SUCCEED Grant is a collaborative project between Nova Southeastern University (NSU), Broward Community College (BCC) and Barry University (BU). Using the online Masters of Nursing program designed at NSU, the hope is to increase the number of qualified faculty this year by expanding the education of those qualified nursing faculty members who are currently employed, so they can continue teaching tomorrows nurses. Additionally, the project will create a conduit for new nursing faculty to meet the states future nursing workforce needs.
Dr. Diane Whitehead, Nursing Department Chair, NSU College of Allied Health and Nursing
NSU will continue to support each project partners unique educational program so that a seamless, accelerated path for current and new faculty is created. Broward Community College will continue to educate AND nurses who will be mentored to become faculty by faculty at BCC, Indian River, Palm Beach and Edison Community Colleges, as well as NSU and BU. These future faculty members will enter the RN to BSN program at NSU along with future faculty from throughout the state via the online RN to BSN program.
Graduates, especially those working full-time in hospitals and interested in part-time adjunct clinical faculty positions at community colleges, will complete the MSN online through NSU or on campus at BU. Promising MSN graduates will be mentored to continue their preparation for university-level nursing education through BUs Ph.D. nursing program.
Mentoring is key to establishing a successful pipeline of nursing faculty for Florida. Nova Southeastern University and Barry University program directors mentor future faculty through meetings at BCC, mentoring of MSN students at NSU who are faculty members at community colleges, a faculty development conference at NSU, and the “shadow” program wherein future faculty spend a day with a current faculty member.
Qualified faculty from each project site will serve as adjunct or guest faculty for the other sites, serving as guest lecturers, preceptors, faculty or dissertation/thesis committee members. A project coordinator (PC) at each site is responsible for advertising and recruiting students into the project. PCs provide support by advising, securing faculty, and coordinating courses. All three schools fully participate in all aspects of the recruitment and retention activities related to the overall project.
Nursing schools must engage in creative, collaborative approaches to produce and retain nursing faculty. Joint ventures sharing faculty, resources, and teaching-learning strategies and offering programs across all areas of Florida will create more responsive and supportive programs to attract and prepare our states future nurse educators who are essential in relieving the nursing shortage.
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