Online Degrees: A Strategy for Increasing Diversity in Nursing Faculty

The problem explored in this study focused on the attitudes of nurse educators toward online degrees in relation to hiring practices. With the proliferation of online courses and degrees, research has shown that the acceptability of online degrees has become a concern for graduates of online programs seeking jobs and for potential employers. A quantitative study was conducted by surveying a sample of nurse educators who were active participants in the hiring process. This study was narrowed to include only nurse educators serving on hiring committees, working in baccalaureate or graduate degree programs, and teaching in Texas. The most typical type of participant was a female between the ages of 55 and 64 years who had been in the nursing profession for 21 or more years with 1 to 5 years in their current positions as nurse educators. The study was guided by four research questions (RQs) that inquired about the nurse educators’ general perceptions of hiring practices, their perceptions of a traditional versus an online nursing education, their perceptions of the accreditation status of their educational institutions, and whether the nurse educator shortage affects their hiring decisions. An online survey was sent via SurveyMonkey to nurse educators in the state of Texas inviting them to participate in this study. Results of the study indicate that nurse educators with an online academic credential had more positive perceptions of online degrees than nurse educators without an online credential, increases in the perceived value of accreditation of online education institutions were correlated with an increased perceived value of an online academic credential, and the nursing shortage was associated with the hiring of online applicants.