National Advisory Council on Nurse Education and Practice (NACNEP) recently sent the report Preparing Nurse Faculty, and Addressing the Shortage of Nurse Faculty and Clinical Preceptors to the U.S Congress and the Heath and Human Services Secretary. CEO Donna Meyer as member of NACNEP said, “This is an extremely needed report as we are in the midst of a faculty shortage that appears will only continue. Additionally, the impact of COVID is not yet known and could be an additional factor that impacts the faculty shortage. Two of the recommendations as noted in the report are essential for current and future faculty.

• The U.S. Congress, through the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education, should allocate specific funding to programs that promote an increase in the number of nurse faculty and clinical preceptors, and that support nurse faculty development by incorporating academic coursework in nursing education theory and pedagogy within graduate nursing curricula to prepare nurses to assume teaching positions as either faculty or preceptors upon completion
• The U.S. Congress should provide funding for the Health Resources and Services Administration to develop a nurse faculty residency program that emphasizes strategies to improve faculty recruitment, preparation, development, and retention.

Read the full report here.