NLN's Reflection & Dialogue Series Responds to National Studies Identifying Faculty Compensation as Major Factor in Faculty Satisfaction

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New York, NY — October 22, 2009 — Asserting that the NLN cannot be silent on the issue of compensation as a major factor in faculty role satisfaction and a barrier to faculty recruitment and retention, CEO Beverly Malone, PhD, RN, FAAN, announced the publication of the "Faculty Compensation."

This latest entry in the Reflection & Dialogue continuing series reflects the input of the NLNs Board of Governors, past presidents, Nurse Educator Workforce Development Advisory Council (NEWDAC), and members, and offers an opportunity for discussion of important issues with the nursing education community and other interested stakeholders.

Taking the position that compensation is more than salary, the document states, "While the NLN acknowledges the importance of salary, we also affirm that external (political and world events), internal (institutional and community), and individual (personal and family) factors play a significant role in determinations of faculty compensation."

Consistent with its strategic goal to be proactive with emerging issues that impact nurse faculty in all types of nursing programs, the NLN conducted two national studies to ascertain factors that influence the national faculty workforce: The National Study of Faculty Role Satisfaction in 2003 and the National Survey of Nurse Educators with the Carnegie Foundation in 2007. Both surveys identified faculty compensation as a major factor in faculty satisfaction. Additionally, at the 2008 NLN Education Summit in San Antonio, faculty and deans from across the United States acknowledged that compensation for new faculty hires was a barrier to faculty recruitment and retention. The issue of compensation was then a major theme at the 2009 Education Summit.

Recognizing the difficulty of addressing this issue, the Reflection & Dialogue includes sets of suggestions for deans, directors and chairs, and for faculty. For example, deans are encouraged to explore creative ways to make the budgetary process transparent and help faculty to understand the challenges of advocating for nurse faculty at an institution where many competing demands make it difficult to address market inequities in faculty salaries. Faculty are asked to understand their institutions compensation policy and develop personal plans for career advancement, recognizing that collaboration and cooperation can overcome most barriers to successful achievement of a full range of compensation options.

Said NLN president Cathleen Shultz, PhD, RN, CNE, FAAN, "There are several health provider educators (i.e. physicians, pharmacists, occupational therapists, certified nurse anesthetist program teachers, nurse practitioner teachers, physician assistant teachers, and others, who are compensated using market pay indicators for reimbursement as a faculty member on a campus. Clearly," Dr. Shultz continues, "As the voice for nursing education, the National League for Nursing needs to continue its efforts to educate policy makers about what nurse educators do, why we are critical to the health care system, and why we must attend to a systemic change in the remuneration of faculty."

The Reflection & Dialogue concludes with a series of questions designed to encourage consideration of ways to reframe current thinking about faculty compensation and inviting others to join in the dialogue via the NLN website at www.nln.org/aboutnln/reflection_dialogue.

For the entire document, please visit www.nln.org/aboutnln/reflection_dialogue/refl_dial_4.htm.

For more information and interview opportunities please contact NLN chief communications officer Karen R. Klestzick at 212-812-0376, kklestzick@nln.org.

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Dedicated to excellence in nursing, the National League for Nursing is the premier organization for nurse faculty and leaders in nursing education. The NLN offers faculty development programs, networking opportunities, testing services, nursing research grants, and public policy initiatives to its 30,000 individual and 1,200 institutional members who represent all types of nursing education programs.