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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Barbara J. Leonard, PhD, Jayne A. Fulkerson, PhD, and Diane Rose, MS. School of Nursing, University of Minnesota, 5-160 Weaver Densford Hall, 308 Harvard St. S.E., Mpls., MN 55455 0342, 612 624 2147, leona001@umn.edu

MCH nurses are vital to caring for the nation's infants, children and adolescents. A shortage of pediatric nursing educators has important consequences for the preparation of the next generation of MCH nurses. A web-based survey of administrators and pediatric nursing faculty from U.S. schools of nursing with bachelors and advanced degree programs was conducted to assess perceptions of pediatric nursing faculty shortage, and implications and solutions to such a shortage. Deans (n=191) and pediatric faculty (n=237) from schools of nursing responded to the survey. Institutions are representative of the 660 schools of nursing across the U.S. Fifty percent of deans and 70% of pediatric nursing faculty members reported a shortage of pediatric nursing faculty. Large, public institutions (total school student enrollment over 15,000) expressed the most concern. The educational impact of the shortage reported included increased faculty workload, difficulty getting appropriate clinical practice settings, elimination of acute care clinical experiences, and reduction in pediatric content in curricula. Expected retirements of the current workforce (72% were over 45 years of age) without an increase in replacements will deepen the shortage in the coming decade. Pediatric faculty members focused on the need for competitive salaries (particularly compared to clinical salaries) and active mentoring programs as important factors in recruitment and retention of new faculty. Recommendations for stemming the decline in availability of pediatric nursing are provided.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the MCH nurse educator shortage in U.S.
• Discuss the implications of the shortage for the MCH workforce. 3 Discuss key factors responsible for the shortage of MCH faculty members.
• Articulate five remedies for recruitment and retention of MCH nursing educators.

Keywords: Education, Maternal and Child Health

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered