Dialogue Reflection on: Faculty Compensation

Dialogue

Reflection on: Faculty Compensation
Submitted by: Peg Erdman, RN, MSN, CNE
Date Submitted: June 30, 2010

From the dates listed on the replys to this topic, I am late to the discussion. That being said, this is a vital issue which we seem to continue to discuss, but we accomplish very little. I have been teaching full time for the past 10 years. I was an adjunct for 5 years prior to this. Let me preface my comments with the statement that I love what I do. I know that I am supposed to be an educator, and am continuing my education to the doctoral level to ensure that I have both the practical and pedagogical background to truly teach well.

I took a $12,000.00 dollar cut in pay when I became a full time educator. I always hoped I would make up this shortfall, and get back on the right track. Needless to say, I never have. That nurse educators are underpaid is evident, and the fact that the specialty in nursing that will be in the shortest supply in the near future is educators is concerning. But most of us work in an academic environment where nursing programs are not valued to the extent that the schools of medicine and law are. Until our value to the college is proven, our pay for our services will suffer. Administrators are willing to pay more for an engineering professor because they have to compete with the market. Well, the same is true for nursing. Lets just stand together, and refuse to work for less. I have turned down 5 different job offers in the past year because the pay was not adequate. We all need to be doing this. Stop accepting jobs that dont pay you what you should be earning. If enough of us do this, the pay will go up dramatically, very quickly.

Reflection on: Faculty Compensation
Submitted by: Marilyn Frenn, PhD, RN, CNE
Date Submitted: January 14, 2010

As the NLN collects data, faculty salaries based on educational preparation need to be compared to market in the geographic area. Unless we have the data to demonstrate the need for faculty salary improvement, it will not happen. Nursing faculty salary data also need to be compared with those for other health professions faculty in the institution. I love what I do, but for the next generation to join us, we need to improve salaries. It has been said that AACN’s faculty salary data have depressed faculty salaries, so NLN could help rectify this by collecting and presenting data in a way that will help solve the problem.

Reflection on: Faculty Compensation
Submitted by: Kay Vorholt
Date Submitted: December 9, 2009

Considering the economic climate, educational institutions must keep competitive with sevice. Many choose service over education due to compensation. We will loose many talented persons within the next five years and will even be in a more severe faculty shortage than our current situation. The pending health care legislation will require mid level providers and many faculty may choose to return to service full time because of compensation.

Reflection on: Faculty Compensation
Submitted by: Beverly J. Howard, MSN, RN, FNP
Date Submitted: November 30, 2009

I have been a full-time nurse educator for the last 7.5 years, but am returning to the nurse practitioner role for salary reasons. I hope to continue as an adjunct instructor, but the almost $20,000/yr. raise was too much to turn down (and I make more than most nursing instructors here because I am nearing completion of my PhD). My program director understands, but the college administrators do not seem to be willing to offer competitive wages even when outside agencies provide funds to make up the difference. Administrators are worried that the instructors for subjects like English and History would be unhappy if nursing instructors were paid more.

Reflection on: Faculty Compensation
Submitted by: Carol Daisy, RN, PhD
Date Submitted: November 30, 2009

I agree that salary, while important, is not the only compensation. I work at a public university where my salary is comparable to other faculty at my rank who are in other departments. Few academicians get rich, although there are ways to improve ones income through writing, publishing, and speaking, as well as clinical practice. It takes time to achieve, but its possible. But I also enjoy a flexible schedule and the ability to work from home or office. There is a culture of collegiality among the nursing faculty as well as the opportunity to collaborate with faculty in other departments in teaching and research. Benefits are excellent, especially health care. I know that if I had chosen to remain in clinical practice Id have a higher salary and maybe good benefits, but not the control over my time, which is very important to me. In addition, I take great pleasure in my work with students and have been at it long enough to see several of my former students continue their education and become faculty themselves, to say nothing of the many who have distinguished themselves in the clinical arena.

Reflection on: Faculty Compensation
Submitted by: Patricia S. Yoder-Wise, RN, EdD, NEA-BC, ANEF, FAAN
Date Submitted: November 30, 2009

One of the most common reasons for not increasing nursing faculty salaries has always been the issue of the other disciplines salaries. Yet, salary differentials exist in almost every setting.

We addressed at least some of the issues about staff nurse compensation by presenting the evidence of the difference the presence of a nurse made in the terms of the outcomes of patients.

Our challenge is to create comparable evidence showing positive outcomes based on adequate numbers and qualifications and then how salary levels influence whether educators stay or leave...or fail to seek such positions in the first place.

Reflection on: Faculty Compensation
Submitted by: Dahlia Creese
Date Submitted: November 12, 2009

I am presently pursuing a masters degree in nursing education, and it was a joy to discovered that the major factor that stems as a barrier to faculty recruitment and retention is being discussed. I hope the end product of this grave matter will materialize before we retire from nursing. It is with much difficulty that I address this issue, but if I am to be honest, The salary of a nurse educator is not appealing.Many of us are accustomed to a certain life style, some are even heads of families, our desire to carry on the torch of nursing is becoming a dilemnma. Recognizing that collaboration and cooperation can overcome most barriers to successful achievement, we must stand us a force until our true worth is established. I had an unpleasant experience in nursing school and it inspired me to become a nurse educator with a difference, one that can uphold the true spirit of innovation and overhaul the traditional way to impart knowledge to the new generation.Rather than giving up our dreams, let us reach out to the powers that be, to raise the salaries of nurse educators.

Reflection on: Faculty Compensation
Submitted by: Kerry-Anne Martin, RN, BSN, CCRN
Date Submitted: November 12, 2009

I am at present pursuing a Master’s Degree in Nursing Education and to some this might not be the route of choice. Our society and our government have placed little emphasis on education, whenever there are budgets cuts, the first areas affected are education and healthcare. The irony of the whole situation to me is that grants are being administered to nursing schools to increase their enrollment and there is not enough faculty to teach these students. Nurses can make more at the bedside than as an educator, there a no incentives to pursuing higher education and becoming an educator. Therefore being an educator is not a desirable position to take and that is reflected in the difficulty of nursing programs to find qualified candidates. This will lead to a domino effect; with not enough faculty to teach, the rates of admission to nursing programs will have to decrease, and there will not be enough future nurses to take care of the aging population. I have chosen to become an educator in hopes of preparing my future colleagues to excel in the profession and also because I want the best for our profession. It is my hope that, it will be realized how important educators are and that there needs to be adequate compensation for nurse educators.

Reflection on: Faculty Compensation
Submitted by: Rosalee Downes, RN, BSN
Date Submitted: November 11, 2009

I am currently persuing a masters degree in nursing education. I chose this path because I wanted to give back to the profession of nursing. My goal as an Educator is to be a role model and mentor to future nurses.

I believe monetary compensation is an important aspect of any professional career, and support the NLNs call for more competitive salaries for nurse educators. Compensation for nurse educators should be re-evaluated based on the value they bring to the profession.

Our profession will be placed in jeopardy without competent educators.

Reflection on: Faculty Compensation
Submitted by: Suzanne Hector-George, RN, BC, MSN/MPH, CCRN Alumni
Date Submitted: November 10, 2009

I read the article on faculty compensation.I am finally happy to see that this issue is being addressed and that there is an opportunity for dialoge at a level that may open the doors for changes. The inequity of fair compensation is fundamentally the root of the faculty shortage problem. Changes in renumeration must occur. Nursing education is the basis for the evolement, developement and sustainability of any nurse in any healthcare setting. We cannot continue to diminish the value of nursing educators by failing to recognize their worth and provide them with equitable and reasonable compensation. Our voices need to be heard.

Reflection on: Faculty Compensation
Submitted by: Patricia Hedderson, RN, BSN
Date Submitted: November 9, 2009

It is tremendously important that nursing faculty be brought together under one umbrella. As the cliché goes, there is strength in numbers when seeking compensation for hard work and dedication in promoting nursing; especially in the recruitment and retention of nurse educators. The NLN position leans towards the concept that as nurses, working together as a dynamic team will benefit us through the recruitment and retaining of faculty. In working together, such positions that consider compensation such as having a louder voice politically is a great step to engaging the attention of the legislators. If the legislators understood the critical importance of fostering nurse educators in this time of aging nurse educators, it would not be too difficult to get them to act on our behalf.

The ideas in the NLN position are outstanding. Compensation by bringing recognition in the form of “showcasing” nurses as competent, scholarly, intellectual and contributory resources to the academic world is a step in the right direction. In addition, having institutions well known for producing world renowned doctors engaging in nursing programs is also a bonus towards nursing. By providing innovative incentives from major teaching institutions including stipends, cutting edge technical equipment, flexible type schedules and utilizing newer technology provides the excitement to others to want to be involved. The constant open dialogue certainly stands a great chance to allow new dynamic ideas for recruitment of nursing faculty to emerge and take hold in nursing. As the article demonstrated, compensation is not only financial in nature; showing the true value of nurses in the multifaceted way in which they function is where true compensation is achieved.

Reflection on: Faculty Compensation
Submitted by: Pauline Johnson-Lewis, RN, BSN
Date Submitted: November 9, 2009

I am presently pursuing a masters degree in nursing education and the question of what path I will pursue after degree completion is still unanswered. I am having this dilema because I cannot afford to continue a career in nursing education without the assistance of scholarships or tuition reimbursement and I must at the same time maintain my household. My goal has always been to be an educator and the dilema is, for me, do I sacrifice my wellbeing for someone elses wellfare, and why should it be this way? I support the NLN in its call for reasonable compensation for nurse educators. it is only fair that after so many years of sacrifice to achieve this status that I feel, through financial compensation that it was worth the sacrifice.

Reflection on: Faculty Compensation
Submitted by: Esteen Ladson-Barnes, BSN, RN, MPA, CCRN
Date Submitted: November 9, 2009

When I tell my nursing colleagues that I am in school pursuing my Master’s in Nursing Education, the first thing they say to me is why an Educator, they do not make any money. Yes compared to the “hospital” world academia is less lucrative. I feel as an Educator I can give back to the profession of Nursing. Yes I do enjoy working with patients and truly appreciate when I receive positive feedback from patients and their families, but now I am ready to not only to give to my patients but also to the profession of nursing. The reason I chose to become an Educator was not for the pay but for the sense of accomplishment when I see my first student graduate and become professional registered nurse. As a future Educator I have the responsibility to retain students in the profession of nursing by being a role model and leader that represents the profession of nursing in the most professional and competent manner. Although, monetary compensation was never my primary reason for becoming a Nurse Educator in academia, it is my hope that as the faculty and nurse shortage grows, the appreciation for qualified Nurse Educators will start to be reflected with greater monetary compensations.

Reflection on: Faculty Compensation
Submitted by: Kimberly Holman, MSN, RN
Date Submitted: November 3, 2009

I truly enjoy teaching and took a FT position in a nursing program as a non-tenured clinical teaching associate. To do this, I took a 50% pay cut. Yes, my eyes were wide open. There are other benefits to the position, retirement, great hospitalization, days off, etc. but in order to ever reach a similar salary earned in the "hospital" world, I would need to work in academia for another 40 years! In addition to the above, I also completed my MSN, on my own time, with my own expense in order to fulfill the NLN requirement for accredidation of our program. The recommendations of the NLN are reasonable. Communication, faculty recognition, mentoring, etc are all good (although not new) ways to get and retain great educators. But, monetary consideration is just as important.

Reflection on: Faculty Compensation
Submitted by: Catherine ONeil, RN, MSN
Date Submitted: October 28, 2009

I have been teaching fulltime at a local university for 3 years. I truly love my job. However, love of a job doesnt pay my mortgage or put food on the table. I have continued to maintain a position at the local hospital. I do this in attempt to compensate for the $30,000 pay cut I felt when I left my staff nurse position. Now I work 7 days a week and still have an overall loss of $15,000 per year. I am still paying my student loans as none of the loan repayment programs cover persons like me. Tell me how does a good work environment or understanding of the budget make up for this?Thanks.