Is the answer already in the classroom?
The nursing shortage alarm continues to ring, and without educators ready to prepare future nurses, we remain at an impasse. Many factors contribute to the shortage, including salary discrepancies, workload, scholarship demands, and an overall shortage of RNs. Despite these challenges, we must rise to the challenge to serve our communities. Could the nurse practitioner (NP) workforce offer a solution?
The NP role, one of the fastest-growing professions in the United States, is expected to increase 40% from 2023 to 2033. This impressive expansion, combined with the National Organization of Nurse Practitioners Faculties’ reaffirmed commitment to establishing the doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree as the entry-level requirement for nurse practitioner education as early as 2025, presents a promising solution to the shortage.
As of 2023, 41,831 DNP students were enrolled in 433 programs nationwide, a number expected to increase. When comparing this number of students to the 1,977 vacant full-time nursing faculty positions, the opportunity for promising faculty candidates seems likely. We must identify exceptional NP students and engage them in discussions about potential future roles in education while they’re still in the classroom.
Not entirely new, this idea has long been practiced with PhD candidates. DNPs excel in clinical practice and evidence-based care, making them ideal candidates for guiding entry-to-practice students. If we can capture DNP students’ interest in academic roles while in school, programs could include critical preparation and mentorship. Offering education electives or school-based educational certificate programs can provide students with key knowledge and competencies related to clinical and classroom teaching, evaluation, and curriculum. By emphasizing the scholarly role of the NP and educator, we could mentor students in publishing capstone projects as a way to build their publication portfolio and support transitioning into an academic career.
Taking this approach doesn’t detract from the fact that nursing education is itself a specialty. By highlighting this fact through the integration of nursing education courses, we can also attract those with a passion for clinical work and its advancement as well as for teaching the next generation of nurses. Schools can consider residencies and mentorship programs for new NP educators to help ease the transition into academia.
As DNPs who’ve recently transitioned from clinical practice into academia, we required support from experienced faculty. We’ve always integrated scholarship, service, and teaching into our nursing careers, but learning how to juggle the trifecta in academia takes time. Through our school’s nurse faculty fellowship program, which meets weekly across two semesters, we received orientation to administrative tasks, teaching platforms, and curriculum mapping. We also learned how to write and evaluate exams and developed our unique teaching philosophy and expectations. The program offers an opportunity to ask questions, celebrate successes, and reflect on areas for improvement. Leaders who support the fellowship understand the needs of new faculty and can help address concerns to improve retention.
Formal mentorship offers another opportunity for support. Mentorship enhances job satisfaction, decreases burnout, and potentially benefits the mentor by reigniting their passion for nursing and contributing to a positive work environment.
Nursing continues to evolve. We just need to overcome this shortage through creative approaches within all the areas where we’re flourishing!
The authors work at Rutgers University School of Nursing in Newark, New Jersey. Ashley Pianko is a clinical instructor. Carol D’Innocenzio is an assistant professor.
References
American Nurses Association. Benefits of mentorship in nursing: Why it’s essential. May 19, 2023. nursingworld.org/content-hub/resources/nursing-resources/benefits-of-mentorship-in-nursing
Byrne C, Keyt J, Fang D. Special Survey on Vacant Faculty Positions for Academic Year 2023-2024. American Association of Colleges of Nursing aacnnursing.org/Portals/0/PDFs/Data/Vacancy23.pdf
National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties. Reaffirming the doctor of nursing practice degree: Entry to nurse practitioner practice by 2025. April 2023. cdn.ymaws.com/www.nonpf.org/resource/resmgr/dnp/04_12_23_reaffirming_the_dnp.pdf
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Occupational employment and wages, May 2022: Nurse practitioners. bls.gov/oes/2022/may/oes291171.htm
