Factors Influencing the Recruitment and Hiring of Early Career Nurse Faculty
Date
2019-05
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Abstract
The nursing faculty and subsequent nursing shortages have plagued the profession for decades with little progress made in altering the trajectory of the problem (AACN, 2005; IOM, 2010; NLN, 2017). Primary influences on the faculty shortage include later entry into faculty roles, the aging of faculty, and early retirements, and a logical solution is to recruit nurses to faculty roles earlier in their careers. The purpose of this study was to examine factors relating to recruitment strategies and hiring practices used by administrators of undergraduate, prelicensure nursing programs for early career nursing faculty. This study contributes new knowledge about administrators’ perspectives on hiring well-qualified young nurses for faculty roles and the most effective recruitment strategies for that demographic.
A cross-sectional, descriptive survey design was used. The sample consisted of 80 nursing program administrators from eight Midwestern states. The survey tool was developed by the researcher based on the literature and consisted of 15 questions regarding hiring practices for open faculty positions and recruitment methods that were evaluated for how effective they could be, their frequency of use, and how effective they have been if used.
Results of the study showed that nursing program administrators have a strong desire to hire well-qualified young nurses for faculty roles but that this population is not applying for open faculty positions as frequently as older nurses. The strategies that have been most effective for early career nurse faculty recruitment are recruiting individuals recommended by current faculty, the direct recruitment of individuals, and engaging in direct conversations encouraging a future faculty role. These results demonstrate the need for intentionality in recruiting potential candidates for academic careers and the importance of shedding a positive light on nursing education and the faculty role. Administrators, faculty, and all other stakeholders within nursing education must take ownership in putting these methods into action.
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Keywords
Nursing, Higher education, Health education, Deans, academic, Early career nurse faculty, Hiring, Nursing faculty, Nursing shortage, Personnel recruitment
Citation
Sladky, K. A. (2019). Factors influencing the recruitment and hiring of early career nurse faculty (Doctoral dissertation). Bryan College of Health Sciences, Lincoln, NE.