On-Boarding Adjunct Faculty in Nursing Programs

On Boarding Adjunct Faculty in Nursing Programs

 Background:

Rising enrollments in schools of nursing have increased the demand for qualified nursing faculty. Nursing faculty are essential to prepare future nurses who will provide expert healthcare that meets the needs of individuals who seek care.

The lack of sufficient numbers of qualified nursing faculty to prepare nursing students for entry into the field of nursing is of national and international concern. In the midst of a nurse faculty shortage, many academic institutions are relying on adjunct faculty to fill the gap.

Recruiting expert clinicians and preparing them as adjunct clinical teachers is one approach to addressing the faculty shortage. Adequate training for this new role is paramount to promoting job satisfaction and decreasing attrition.

Purpose:

Beginning with the interview process, a potential adjunct faculty undergoes a holistic interview approach to ascertain if an organizational fit is compatible.

In the model presented, adjunct faculty participate in a holistic interview process and receive a four hour orientation to the university. Topics covered are: Quality Safety and Education for Nurses (QSEN Competencies), Clinical Reasoning information, Technology Strategies and Examples of common clinical scenarios. In addition, faculty are oriented to the culture of the university as well as the demographic composition of the nursing class.

Methods:

All adjunct faculty receive the four hour orientation. All faculty are required to attend a monthly adjunct faculty meeting during the semester.

Results:

The take away message for nursing schools is this method works for adjunct faculty. The author is happy to share methods to engage adjunct faculty with other universities and program coordinators/directors.

Implications:

The increasing number of adjunct faculty and their need for orientation to the faculty role presents a challenge to schools of nursing and departments of nursing. The University of San Diego approach is to embrace, educate, and mentor the adjunct faculty.