Description/Overview: It is well known that there is a critical world shortage of nurses and other health care workers (HCW). According to the World Health Organization (WHO) 2.3 million additional doctors, nurses and midwives are needed worldwide and an absolute shortage of HCW is experienced by 57 countries (2007). Africa, which bears 24% of the global burden of disease, has only 3% or the global work force and 37 of the African continent’s countries experience an absolute shortage (WHO, 2007). Although there are multiple causes for this shortage, one common reason across both developing and developed countries is the nurse faculty shortage. The purpose of this symposium is to present some of the root causes of the nurse faculty shortage in both developed and developing countries and discuss strategies that have been taken to ameliorate the nurse faculty shortage. In addition, symposium presenters will discuss how the WHO/PEPFAR scale up efforts for global medical, nursing and midwifery education may impact their country. Examples from Africa, Australia, Thailand, and the US will be presented. Symposium presenters will: identify the extent of the nurse faculty shortage in their country or region, discuss the root causes, strategies that have been implemented and identify those strategies that seem to be working. The final presenter will discuss a government strategy aimed at enhancing the number of nurse faculty in the US.

Learner Objective #1: Discuss root causes of nurse faculty shortage in developed and developing countries

Learner Objective #2: Identify potential strategies for ameliorating the nurse faculty shortage in developed and developing countries.