Program Development and Improvement the Term Paper

" (Nursing Job Cafe, 2013, p.1) the average salary for a practicing nurse with an advanced degree is $80,000, but a nursing faculty member makes about $50,000." (Maryland Statewide Commission on the Crisis in Nursing, 2005, p.2) the starting salary for a full-time faculty member at a school of nursing is reported to be "…approximately equal to that of a new graduate from an associate-degree or baccalaureate nursing program beginning as a full-time staff nurse. Given the additional education (master's degree in nursing at minimum) and the experience required for a faculty position, this disparity in salary seems inequitable." (Maryland Statewide Commission on the Crisis in Nursing, 2005, p.2) According to Edwards (2011) the estimated cost to replace a registered nurse "…is 1.2 to 1.3 times a nurses annual salary ($40,000 to $65,000)" Edwards reports that the average cost to replace a specialty nurse "is significantly more." (2011) in addition, nursing units with low turnover of nurses are found to be much more likely to have "fewer patient falls than nursing units experiencing higher turnover. Also, workgroup cohesion and relational coordination had a positive impact on patient satisfaction, while increased workgroup learning led to fewer occurrences of severe medication errors." (Edwards, 2011).

Recruitment and retention of nursing staff includes the following:

(1) Establishment and maintenance of competitive salaries to make the nursing position a viable career option;

(2) Ensure that nursing salaries reflect education and experience level;

(3) Implement scheduled increases in salaries

(4) Ensure benefits package is comparable to similar institutions in the region;

(5) Ensure that the workload of nursing faculty compare to those of other professions in the institution;

(6) Make sure it is possible to negotiate workload to increase salaries;

(7) Ensure faculty members have the chance to provide input into their workload responsibilities;

(8) Ensure faculty members have autonomy and flexibility in their work;

(9) Enable trust and effective communication;

(10) Assess faculty satisfaction on a regular basis;

(11) Ensure methods of determination are in place to assess the faculty's need for professional development;

(12) Ensure that the institution and faculty support educational research;

(13) Recognize faculty for innovation and excellence in scholarship, service, and teaching.In addition to the listed requirements for faculty retention, the institution should have an ongoing design and development initiative to address changes within the institution and the population that the institution serves and in assessing the requirements of the nursing practice and the needs of nursing staff.

References

Causes, Effects, and Suggestions for Resolution (2005) Maryland Statewide Commission on the Crisis in Nursing. Retrieved from: http://www.mbon.org/commission/nsg_faculty_shortage.pdf

Clinical Nurse Job Description (2013) Saint Louis University. Retrieved from: http://www.slu.edu/jobs/job_description.php?d=1050jd

Edwards, C. 2011) Work Environmental Factors Affecting Staff Nurse Retention. Retrieved from: http://cardinalscholar.bsu.edu/bitstream/123456789/195014/1/EdwardsJ_2011-3_BODY.pdf

National League for Nursing Healthful Work Environment Tool Kit (nd) National League for Nursing. Retrieved from: http://www.nln.org/profdev/HealthfulWorkEnvironment/toolkit.pdf

Nursing Faculty Shortage

Spine Search -- Clinical Research Nurse (2012) Nursing Job Cafe. Retrieved from: http://www.nursingjobcafe.com/jobs/nursing/academicfacultyresearch/257885/academicfacultyresearch-nursing.html?a_aid=Indeed&utm_source=indeed&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=cpc&utm_source=Indeed&utm_medium=organic&utm_campaign=Indeed.....