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The shortage of nurse educators and a predicted shortage of practicing RNs has created an urgent national health care crisis (Association of Academic Health Centers, 2008 ; Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2011 ; Kimball, O'Neil, & Health Workforce Solutions, 2002 ). Academic efforts to increase nursing student enrollments are complicated in part by the shortage of qualified academic nurse educators prepared to teach at the undergraduate and graduate level (Fang & Li, 2011 ; Kaufman, 2011 ; National League for Nursing [NLN], 2005b ). According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2012 ), nursing schools turned away 75,587 qualified applicants in 2011. Two thirds of the academic institutions cited a lack of qualified faculty as the primary reason for not increasing their student enrollment.
Several studies have reported that novice educators experience high levels of stress and role strain as they assume their new academic positions, which has the potential to negatively impact retention (Anderson, 2009 ; Cangelosi, Crocker, & Sorrell, 2009 ; Ruel, 2009 ). Other studies have shown that novice educators who participate in preparation programs to teach experience a smoother transition from clinical practice into an academic role (Baker, 2010 ; Cangelosi et al., 2009 ; Dempsey, 2007 ; Hewitt & Lewallen, 2010 ; Schoening, 2009 ; Siler & Kleiner, 2001 ). In addition, a positive transition experience increases role satisfaction and the potential for successful, long-term educator careers (Baker, 2010 ).
The competencies associated with expert nurse educator practice have been identified; however, entry level novice expectations are not clearly defined (Davis, Stullenbarger, Dearman, & Kelley, 2005 ; NLN, 2005a ). Thus, the purpose of this study was to identify perceptions of administrators about expected competencies of entry-level novice educators to obtain a full-time teaching position in their nursing program. Two research questions were investigated:
What are the minimum novice nurse educator role competencies for a full-time teaching position in their prelicensure RN education program?
Do the competencies differ by institution type (community college, liberal arts, and research intensive), and if so, how?
Literature Review
Advanced practice clinical experts who assume new roles as academic nurse educators have historically not been prepared to teach in an academic setting as part of their...