Why We Became Nurse Educators: Findings From a Nationwide Survey of Current Nurse Educators

AIM The aimof the study was to identifywhat a national sample of nurse faculty believe will help build the faculty population. BACKGROUND The aging population contributes to the need for new nurses while reducing the number of experienced faculty. Retaining faculty and attracting younger faculty are essential. METHOD This descriptive study used an online survey. Nurse educators teaching at all levels (n = 940) were asked to rate the effectiveness of attraction, recruitment, and retention strategies. This article reports on responses to one of the survey's open-ended question; a content analysis was conducted to develop a narrative description about why respondents chose nursing education. RESULTS Respondents wanted to teach in a stimulating yet flexible work environment, hoped to influence the profession, had been influenced by educators, and sought change and challenge in their careers. CONCLUSION Faculty find nursing academia satisfying and rewarding, but noncompetitive compensation and unsatisfactory work environments can eclipse satisfiers.