Job description and retention strategies for clinical research nursing faculty

Program Development and Improvement

The objective of this study is to develop a job description for a nursing faculty and to include position requirements and responsibilities. A candidate selection process will be developed including specific questions about education, degrees, nursing specialization, certifications, past clinical nursing experience, and scholastic endeavors and achievements. Three open-ended questions will be developed to address the candidate's philosophy and beliefs about nursing education, the role of nursing faculty, competency-based education or other education styles. Finally, a retention plan will be developed and issues addressed that the current literature reports relating to nursing faculty turnover.

Job Description for Clinical Research Nurse

Candidate for this position will have responsibility for coordinating and administration of clinical research protocols. Responsibilities are inclusive of protocol development and implementation of protocols, coordination of patient informed consents, compliance, preparing regulatory documents for IRB submission, assisting with submission of study data and federal reporting or adverse IRB submission, assisting with study data and federal reporting of adverse events, organization of study materials, recruitment, clinical care, and follow-up of research participants as well as provision of in-service teaching with physicians, nursing and support staff of protocol requirements and serving as liaison between principal investigator and various study staff.

Minimum requirements for this position include a Bachelors Degree although a Masters Degree is preferred along with three years of related experience. In addition, specific minimum qualifications include a BSN with RN, NP or PA license.

Qualifications that are preferred include extremely strong computer and communication skills as well as knowledge of protocols and data management experience and proven leadership qualities.

Open-Ended Questions

In order to assess the candidate's knowledge in specific areas of the nursing practice the following open-ended questions will be asked of potential candidates applying for this position.

(1) Please define competency-based education.

(2) What is the role of nursing education?

(3) What are the primary roles of nursing faculty?

Faculty Retention Plan

Throughout the United States health care facilities are experiencing nursing shortages and this is only expected to grow in the future. There have been "intensive career awareness and targeted student recruitment activities" which have served to influence more individuals to consider a nursing career. Nursing education programs have addressed the need to increase the capacity and enrollment to address the gap in the nursing professionals available and those needed to fill the gap in nursing. Cited as causes of faulty shortage include "an aging nurse faculty workforce -- large numbers of faculty retirements are anticipated in the near future -- and a limited pool of potential nurse educators." (Nursing Job Cafe, 2013, p.1) Barriers to recruitment of new faculty that is qualified is stated to include "limited availability of master's and doctoral programs with a focus on nursing education; underrepresentation of minority groups (including men) on faculty; inadequate faculty compensation (largely because of school budgetary limitations); and workplace issues such as workload, scheduling, student attitudes and abilities, and generational and cultural issues." (Nursing Job Cafe, 2013, p.1) the average salary for a practicing nurse with an advanced degree is $80,000, but a nursing faculty member makes about $50,000." (Maryland Statewide Commission on the Crisis in Nursing, 2005, p.2) the starting salary for a full-time faculty member at a school of nursing is reported to be "…approximately equal to that of a new graduate from an associate-degree or baccalaureate nursing program beginning as a full-time staff nurse. Given the additional education (master's degree in nursing at minimum) and the experience required for a faculty position, this disparity in salary seems inequitable." (Maryland Statewide Commission on the Crisis in Nursing, 2005, p.2) According to Edwards (2011) the estimated cost to replace a registered nurse "…is 1.2 to 1.3 times a nurses annual salary ($40,000 to $65,000)" Edwards reports that the average cost to replace a specialty nurse "is significantly more." (2011) in addition, nursing units with low turnover of nurses are found to be much more likely to have "fewer patient falls than nursing units experiencing higher turnover. Also, workgroup cohesion and relational coordination had a positive impact on patient satisfaction, while increased workgroup learning led to fewer occurrences of severe medication errors." (Edwards, 2011).

Recruitment and retention of nursing staff includes the following:

(1) Establishment and maintenance of competitive salaries to make the nursing position a viable career option;

(2) Ensure that nursing salaries reflect education and experience level;

(3) Implement scheduled increases in salaries

(4) Ensure benefits package is comparable to similar institutions in the region;

(5) Ensure that the workload of nursing faculty compare to those of other professions in the institution;

(6) Make sure it is possible to negotiate workload to increase salaries;

(7) Ensure faculty members have the chance to provide input into their workload responsibilities;

(8) Ensure faculty members have autonomy and flexibility in their work;

(9) Enable trust and effective communication;

(10) Assess faculty satisfaction on a regular basis;

(11) Ensure methods of determination are in place to assess the faculty's need for professional development;

(12) Ensure that the institution and faculty support educational research;

(13) Recognize faculty for innovation and excellence in scholarship, service, and teaching.

In addition to the listed requirements for faculty retention, the institution should have an ongoing design and development initiative to address changes within the institution and the population that the institution serves and in assessing the requirements of the nursing practice and the needs of nursing staff.