The Bologna Process: The Impetus that can Relieve the Global Nursing Faculty Shortage

Friday, 26 July 2013: 10:35 AM

Charlene C. Gyurko, PhD, RN, CNE
Department of Nursing, Purdue University North Central, Westville, IN
Deena A. Nardi, PhD, APRN, BC, FAAN
Doctor of Nursing Practice Program, University of St. Francis, Joliet, IL

Learning Objective 1: The learner will become familiar with factors that are associated with the migration of nurse educators.

Learning Objective 2: The learner will be able to understand the implications that the Bologna Process has in maintaining capacity of nursing faculty from a global perspective.

Purpose:

The nursing faculty shortage is due to a confluence of factors, including: the global migration of nurses, an aging faculty, reduced younger faculty hiring pool, decreased satisfaction with the faculty role, lack of funding and poor salaries, a seeming persistent devaluation of faculty by nursing education programs, increased dependence upon contingent faculty, and overall reduction in F.T.E. faculty positions.

Methods:

A systematic review of the global nursing faculty shortage was performed and analysis of the the information revealed that recruitment and retention is critical to increasing the global capacity of the nursing professions’ education infrastructure as well as the global migration of nursing faculty and nurses. Global migration continues to have a negative effect on the capacity of nursing faculty in many developing countries where financial incentives to leave the faculty role for more direct patient care positions, curriculum that teaches for export to more developed countries, increased student attrition, and diminishing resources create a serious education-service gap that are motivating drives that cause nursing faculty to seek employment elsewhere.

Results:

With the implementation of the Bologna Process, the European Union (EU) is beginning to take the burden of the global nursing faculty shortage into its own hands. 

Conclusion:

This paper will examine the economic, social, and educational factors that contribute to the global shortage of nursing faculty as well as the implications for change that are being brought about by the Bologna Process.