The Florida Agency for Workforce Innovation recently cited healthcare as the top field for employment in Florida from August 2009 – August 2010 as more than 22,000 new jobs were added, the largest single block of the state’s general employment gain of nearly 37,000 new jobs. Paradoxically, the Florida Center for Nursing estimates that the current shortage of RNs could increase to 52,000 by 2020, with South Florida as the geographic area with the most critical need.
Looking ahead, both the opportunities in nursing and the shortage of nurses create a real Catch 22 for nurse educators. One of the most immediate challenges is to find qualified nursing faculty. In order to teach, the minimum requirement is a master’s degree and often salaries for instructors are less than those earned by licensed nurses when employed in the service side of the field.
The second major challenge facing nurse educators is to find facilities where students can complete required clinical rotations, especially for rotations in pediatrics, obstetrics and psychiatry, which are considered specialties.
Due to the current economy, hospitals have downsized their staffs the same as other businesses have, and often don’t have the personnel required to assist with outside student rotations. In Palm Beach County, for example, there are an increasing number of community hospitals catering to outpatient treatments, thus decreasing the number of facilities where students can complete clinical training.
In order to meet these challenges, nursing colleges and schools are using high-technology simulation labs with realistic "manikins." Training with "manikins" can count for up to 25 percent of a student’s clinical rotation credits. Nothing, however, comes close to the training students receive when working with real patients.
As Dean of Nursing, my mission is to work with my counterparts to create viable solutions to these challenges as well as seek partnerships in the community including sites that can function as alternatives to hospitals, such as clinics and same-day surgery centers.
As a board member of the Nursing Consortium of Florida, I continually work with other nurse educators to find solutions. There are wonderful opportunities in the field of nursing and the good news is that our graduating students are well-trained and well-prepared. The goal is to make sure that we continue to provide educational opportunities for students to become qualified nurses to meet the needs of our communities.