Filling a void: An examination of academic nursing administrators' perceptions of organizational support

Introduction: Organizational support from executive administration can inhibit or foster success in a nursing program and impacts academic nursing administrators' effectiveness and longevity. Academic nursing administrators have expressed concerns about a lack of support and dissatisfaction with the role, therefore choosing to retire early or leave the position. Purpose: This study investigated academic nursing administrators' perceptions of organizational support and examined if differences existed among graduate, baccalaureate, and associate degree nursing program administrators. Methods: A quantitative, cross-sectional survey was utilized to examine 502 academic nursing administrators' perceptions of organizational support using a 10-item instrument measuring perceived organizational support. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: Academic nursing administrators' perceived their organization to be modestly supportive with a mean of 5.2 (SD = 1.32) on a 1-7 scale (n = 502). Additionally, perceptions of organizational support did not vary by program type, suggesting academic nursing administrators had similar levels of perceived organizational support among all types of programs. Conclusions/implications for practice: Organizational support is of paramount importance to the success, satisfaction, and longevity of academic nursing administrators. This study adds to the literature specific to perceived organizational support among academic nursing administrators and provides opportunities for future research.