That there’s a nursing shortage in Nevada and nationwide is no great secret. A lesserknown fact is that there’s also a shortage of faculty to teach the increasing number of potential students. UNLV has taken steps to turn that around, but the numbers often don’t fall in favor of public universities.
Consider that a nurse with a master’s degree, which is required for university- level teaching, can earn upwards of $125,000 in the private sector while public- sector teaching typically pays less than $85,000. And the nursing shortage also means heavy workloads for both working nurses and faculty. “This is not just a nursing shortage,” says Carolyn Yucha, dean of the School of Nursing. “The situation is exacerbated by continued increased demand for nursing faculty.”
The solution lies in boosting the number of faculty holding master’s and doctoral degrees. In 2001, the Nevada Legislature doubled the enrollment allocations at state nursing schools, and in 2003 UNLV’s program shifted to a year-round schedule. The change enables nursing students to graduate four months faster than with a traditional semester schedule, but it’s also made it more difficult for students to work while earning their degrees. “That’s made scholarship programs even more vital to our students’ success,” Yucha says.
Educating New Faculty
The boost in enrollment has also stressed faculty resources. To meet the increased class size mandated by the Legislature, UNLV faculty were taking on unusually heavy teaching loads, and finding enough qualified instructors for the clinical training was proving difficult. The new yearround schedule and increases in salary are helping, but it’s still a challenge, Yucha says. By presstime, UNLV still had two unfilled nursing faculty positions, and recruitment is a constant for the dean.
“To help combat the shortage of properly educated nursing professors,” says Yucha, “UNLV now offers advanced nursing degrees online. Working professionals can complete online coursework during their off-hours to receive master’s or doctoral degrees.”
Fellowships
The School of Nursing also has designated graduate student fellowships as a top priority during Invent the Future, UNLV’s first comprehensive fundraising campaign, which seeks to raise $500 million for the university. Private support of these fellowships will fund graduate tuition, research costs, and a living stipend to attract nursing professionals back to the classroom for advanced education. These stipends may be combined with graduate assistant positions to enable students to focus on their studies rather than pursue outside employment.
More info: Contact Shaun Sommerer at 702-895-5614.
