The demand for nurses of all types remains strong. As a result, job growth within the nursing profession has been ranging from faster than the average for all jobs…to much faster than average. Some specialty nursing professions, such as nurse anesthetists and nurse practitioners, are expected to grow by more than 30% through 2026.
What this means for college-level nursing programs is that they need more nursing faculty to handle student interest. “There just aren’t enough faculty,” says Beverly Malone, CEO of the National League for Nursing.
Considering that more nurses are still needed proves that nursing instructors are also in short supply as demonstrated during a mid-March check of two well-known job sites: Monster.com showed roughly 350 nursing faculty openings and Indeed.com reported some 7,000 vacant nursing positions.
The combination is having an adverse impact on a number of nursing programs at schools across the country. At some schools in California, for example, wait-lists for nursing candidates have gotten so hard to manage (six years or more for some programs) that wait-lists are being eliminated. Part of that is due to a shortfall in the ranks of nursing instructors.
“The shortage is in the lack of resources to pay for those nurses to go back [and become instructors],” Malone says. She notes that Title VIII Nursing Workforce Development funding is an option for nurses currently working in the profession to get a master’s degree and go into teaching.
The job market for post-secondary nursing instructors is projected to grow by 24% through 2026, which is much faster than average. According to Monster.com, the median salary for nursing instructors in 2013 was nearly $66,000, with instructors in the 90th percentile of earners making more than $106,000. Instructors who also worked in the field typically earned the most, while those who strictly taught at colleges, universities and professional schools earned approximately $9,000 less in a given year.
Whether you’re looking to prepare for a career in nursing, or a nurse seeking to share her or his knowledge with students, Fortis Colleges and Institutes may offer a path that will help you realize your dreams. Visit our Nursing Programs page to learn more about the nursing programs closest to you…then, enroll…or call the campus to inquire about instructing opportunities.
