Strategy: Benefits of Becoming a Nursing Faculty Member

Target audience: Deans, Directors of Nursing, Faculty, Mentors, Human Resources personnel

Purpose: To assist deans, directors, faculty, mentors and human resources personnel in recognizing the benefits of joining the nursing faculty to enable them to encourage potential candidates in the pursuit of a faculty position.
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Process:  

• Monetary Benefits
• Point out that base salary is usually based on a 10 month position
• Overload and work during summer months are paid in addition to base salary
• Regular holidays, weekends, and summers off
• Flexible hours, to a degree
• Most districts offer excellent benefit packages including retirement

• Professional Growth
• Reach out to many students and still practice nursing - the best of both worlds! 
• Create the next generation of nurses and influence quality of care by sharing expertise
• Experience the opportunity to teach new material or develop new curriculum. 
• Take advantage of opportunities for professional development - sabbatical leave.
• Work with high tech simulation equipment 
• Work with strong independent yet flexible group of faculty members
• Experience a common bond; strong work ethic; a group of faculty who challenge each other to think yet are grounded in reality. 
• Work with a focused group of people who are very outcome driven however they find the process of getting to the out-come very important. 
• Join a team of faculty who think through the plan before implementing. (This is what makes us unique)
• Network with nurses, educators, administrators and others with whom you may not have had an opportunity to interact
• Affect patient care in your community, instill a love for nursing, and help alleviate the nursing shortage!
• Live your dream…Fulfillment for people who have an interest in teaching and learning; the “natural teachers.”

• Personal Benefits
• Rewarding to see graduates at work
• Students have a fresh and eager attitude
• Nursing students tend to be a group that really want to succeed, so classroom mgmt is not typically an issue
• Hours/ schedule; more conducive to a normal family life.
• Stress is predicable and controllable in comparison to direct patient care.
• Respect and prestige of being a college instructor
• Current faculty indicate that the most positive aspect of their role is the interaction with students. Students seem to “imprint” on their nursing instructors and look upon them as role models for the type of nurse they would like to be.

References:  Journals, links to websites

Activity developed by:      Mary O’Connor, RN, MSN
Regional Health Occupations Resource Center

Reviewed by:

Sharon Johnson, RN, PhD, FNP
Santa Rosa Community College

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