Just curious, is there a shortage?

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A local private college is advertising a new MSN education program. They claim there is a shortage, but I really question this. I also know the salary range for the positions, and the cost of the MSN.

It seems like a total crock to me, but you know I am cynical.

I'm sure you've heard of the nursing shortage. Mostly, it's the 11-7 shift in LTC. No shortage for decent jobs.

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Specializes in Medical Surgical/Addiction/Mental Health.

It's in the literature that there is a shortage of nurse faculty. Literature cites low salary for the major reason. People with advanced degrees stay in hospitals because the salary is more (Nurse Educators, Nurse Managers, Directors). I have worked overload (similar to overtime, but not time and a half ? ) at my college for the last three years because we do not have enough faculty. I guess I don't mind it as it has put me over the 100K mark each year. I work for a college that pays comparable to hospitals and we still are short-staffed.

Check out this site https://www.higheredjobs.com/faculty/

This is just one vehicle of recruiting faculty. Notice that nursing is higher than science, even biology professors and right behind physicians. So, yeah there is a shortage.

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

I would definitely say there is a shortage of qualified educators, primarily due to the shortage of fair and reasonable pay. I am one who has definitely no intention of ever going into academia until I am basically ready to retire due to the giant pay cut it would mean for me. My pay in acute care as an educator is far, far higher. More than double in fact. It also comes with PTO and a nice benefits package plus the ability to stretch into administrative and leadership areas as well as community/population health.

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As I suspected, there is no nursing shortage of any kind for decent jobs that pay acceptable wages.

Nursing educator simply does not, as I discovered a few years back.

It just irks me that they describe the situation as a "shortage", instead of a disconnect between education level and pay.

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.

I can’t disagree with that.

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Specializes in Nursing Professional Development.

I agree with the predominant themes in this thread. There are a lot of hoops to jump through and c*** to put up with to be a full time faculty member. And the education required for the positions does not come cheap. But the compensation and working conditions of many faculty positions is bad compared to what the same person (with all that education, experience and willingness to work hard) can earn in other settings.

There are plenty of nurses out there willing to go to grad school ... and looking for career pathway that takes them away from being a staff nurse. They don't choose to become full time faculty because the quality of the job doesn't match the reward.

Full disclosure: I have spent much of my career working for a hospital doing staff development ... and teaching an occasional course for a local university on the side.

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I would love to teach. I also like food and a roof over my head.

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Specializes in Education, Skills & Simulation, Med/Surg, Pharm.

Most MSN prepared 9 month faculty at the universities around me pay $60k starting out. For only working 9 months out of the year and getting school breaks off, that's pretty darn good money plus the hours are amazing.

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6 hours ago, HOPEforRNs said:

Most MSN prepared 9 month faculty at the universities around me pay $60k starting out. For only working 9 months out of the year and getting school breaks off, that's pretty darn good money plus the hours are amazing.

OK, less than a third of what I make!

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7 hours ago, HOPEforRNs said:

For only working 9 months out of the year and getting school breaks off, that's pretty darn good

I need to work 12 months out of the year because again, I like food and roofs.

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Specializes in Critical Care; Cardiac; Professional Development.
7 hours ago, HOPEforRNs said:

Most MSN prepared 9 month faculty at the universities around me pay $60k starting out. For only working 9 months out of the year and getting school breaks off, that's pretty darn good money plus the hours are amazing.

That is half of what I make. I have a four day work week, full benefits, a retirement pension plan and crazy good work life balance, plus get paid to travel to conventions at least once a year for professional development and have the chance to move into leadership roles. All of my CEs are free as well and my job is there for me every day, not for just 9 months of the year. Being out of work for three months of the year isn't exactly a selling point.

The job you posted above is likely adjunct, so no benefits, no path to tenure and may even be contract. For an MSN prepared professional that is an unacceptably bad deal. Maybe when I am retired and collecting my pension I might consider it. Maybe. But more likely I will go PRN with my current employer because it will still undoubtedly pay better than that. And until the fat cat universities listen up, they are going to continue to have problems finding an adequate work force.

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Specializes in Education, Skills & Simulation, Med/Surg, Pharm.
1 hour ago, not.done.yet said:

That is half of what I make. I have a four day work week, full benefits, a retirement pension plan and crazy good work life balance, plus get paid to travel to conventions at least once a year for professional development and have the chance to move into leadership roles. All of my CEs are free as well and my job is there for me every day, not for just 9 months of the year. Being out of work for three months of the year isn't exactly a selling point.

The job you posted above is likely adjunct, so no benefits, no path to tenure and may even be contract. For an MSN prepared professional that is an unacceptably bad deal. Maybe when I am retired and collecting my pension I might consider it. Maybe. But more likely I will go PRN with my current employer because it will still undoubtedly pay better than that. And until the fat cat universities listen up, they are going to continue to have problems finding an adequate work force.

No, that's full time 9 month new hire MSN level hires. I work at a state institution, so salaries are public. I get state teachers retirement, so benefits are fabulous. I teach lab 20 hours fall semester and clinical 24 hours spring semester. I would have a path to tenure if I was doctorally prepared but a top 10 nursing program just doesn't offer that to master's level. We get free tuition as employees so I've thought about going back.

Given that I get school breaks off as well, I actually work around 28 weeks a year. That's the full time year round equivalent of around $110k.

I still work adjunct at the hospital. It lets me pick up more when I'm not teaching, such as school breaks and summers. It keeps me current as an instructor. I could be 12 month faculty, but I like the flexibility as a mom. I do sometimes pick up adjunct in the summers as well. Around here, adjunct pays $55/hr.

Maybe that's not the case everywhere. But short of being a CRNA or psych NP I'm not sure of a job where I could make more for my time.

1 hour ago, Wuzzie said:

I need to work 12 months out of the year because again, I like food and roofs.

I do, I am contingent at the local hospital and I pick up a lot in the summers and end up making more than if I was just a full-time staff nurse.

2 hours ago, Oldmahubbard said:

OK, less than a third of what I make!

There are very few nursing jobs out there that pay in excess of $180,000 a year. You're an outlier.

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