Sustaining Nursing Programs in the Face of Budget Cuts and Faculty Shortages

When asked what their major problems are, many nursing deans would state that they are very concerned about budget cuts and faculty shortages. Yet, there is little, if anything in the literature describing how administrators are dealing with these problems. This article describes three strategies that we employed to address these issues. The first strategy, our home hospital program, involves qualified hospital staff serving as clinical instructors. The second strategy, a collaborative on-line doctor of nursing practice program, reduces the number of courses our faculty must teach, while ensuring adequate numbers of students. Lastly, differential fees is a strategy whereby students enrolled in high-cost educational programs (e.g., nursing) pay greater fees but reap supportive benefits that increase their success in the program. These strategies have allowed us to enhance our educational programs despite budget cuts and faculty shortages.