2024-2025 Education and Career Guide

Each year, American Nurse Journal curates a range of content relevant to nursing careers and education. And this year is no different. You’ll find an article about the nurse faculty shortage with suggestions for addressing it, another on the role of shared governance in training and supporting nurse leaders, and another how mentorship—when implemented appropriately—can engage and motivate nurses of all races and ethnicities. Other topics featured in this year’s Education and Career Guide include home health nursing, leadership pitfalls, and U.S. Navy nursing.

Shared governance

Shared governance provides clinical nurses with a voice and opportunities to engage within an organization. It allows them to step into leadership roles to strengthen the inpatient, ambulatory, or direct patient care units in which they work.

Navigating the crossroads of nursing faculty practice

As nursing and academia have evolved, so too has the definition of faculty practice. It can include clinical practice, scholarship, clinical research, education, consultation, leadership and administration, preceptorship, policy advocacy, and quality improvement management. It also may refer to the…

Does money matter?

Takeaways The nurse faculty shortage must be addressed to meet the healthcare needs of the public. The salary gap between academic nurse educators and clinical practice nurses likely contributes to the nurse faculty shortage. Additional investments are necessary to recruit…

U.S. Navy nursing: Service beyond the shore

USN nurses share their deployment experiences. Takeaways Prospects for serving as a U.S. Navy nurse that involve sea duty include aircraft carriers, amphibious assault ships via fleet surgical teams, hospital ships, expeditionary units. Military nursing is a team sport that…

Home health nursing

Patient-centered care focused on self-sufficiency Takeaways Only 11% of RNs work in home health. Home health continues to grow because of its association with shortened hospital stays, better treatments to manage chronic conditions, and the growing population of adults 85…

Nurse leadership: Pitfalls and solutions

Consider these solutions to three common mistakes. Takeaways Creating success in any role isn’t just about learning and applying new skills; it’s also about avoiding missteps. Missteps can create stress and leave new leaders feeling stuck or as though they’re…

Diversity Research Scholars: A path to finding our voice

Nurses of color and those from other marginalized groups face several barriers to pursuing career advancement, including racial discrimination, few role models, and lack of support. However, exposure and mentorship can serve as a mechanism to address the mismatch between…