Root Cause of Nursing Shortage?

More and more people are showing interest in nursing degree programs these days, but there is a small problem - a growing shortage of nursing educators. In response to the recent article, "Root Cause of Nursing Shortage? No Class," in the Connecticut Business News Journal, the underlying cause can be attributed to the lack of funds to adequately compensate nursing educators.

I personally don't blame nurses for not wanting to go back for their advanced degrees in order to teach. There is no incentive to do so when salaries for newly graduated nurses are on par with nursing educators who need advanced degrees in order to teach. In addition, the availability and accessibility of university locations in order to earn those advanced degrees is severely lacking.

Because the cost of living is high these days, people have to work full time which is not conducive to furthering a nurse's education. In other words, there are a number of factors that are contributing to this nursing professor shortage. Thankfully, there are several nursing legislative acts coming up in Congress that will hopefully help in addressing the nursing shortage - both in front of the classroom and behind the desks.

These legislative acts - which cover everything from funding for recruitment to loan forgiveness for nursing students seeking advanced degrees - will certainly plug a leak in the dam, but will it necessarily turn the tide back in healthcare's favor? Only time will tell, but time may be a luxury that we all do not have. With additional online opportunities to earn an advanced nursing degree, perhaps this might help even the odds a bit. While it won't take care of the clinical rotations and lab work, the access to online education is a plus. If more hospitals could provide a facility and personnel-sharing program in order to cover the lab portion of earning an advanced degree, this can only further help the situation of boosting those earning an advanced degree.

The next issue is making a teaching position more attractive to nurses with advanced degrees. Educators are notoriously underpaid, regardless of the field of study, yet we rely on them to educate and train our nurses. The first reaction is to pay them more money. The only problem is: where would the money come from? Raise local taxes? Compensate by offering better benefits than they would find in other nursing positions? There must be some happy medium that can address all of these issues. Let's just hope that the "powers that be" can figure it all out soon.

Full article: Root Cause of Nursing Shortage? No Class

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