Adjunct Faculty Development: Reported Needs and Innovative Solutions

One strategy for solving the nursing shortage is to increase the enrollment in undergraduate programs in schools of nursing. However, the shortage of full time faculty may prohibit larger enrollments. Employing adjunct faculty is one way to meet the teaching demands of increasing enrollment. Hiring and retaining qualified adjunct faculty is a challenge faced by many schools of nursing. To maintain quality, schools must meet the development needs of this unique group of faculty. Job satisfaction of adjunct faculty influences retention. Limited published research addresses the development needs of adjunct nursing faculty. This article describes the findings from a survey designed to identify the overall needs of our adjunct faculty. Based on the survey's findings, several new initiatives were implemented with the ultimate aim of retaining a cadre of qualified teachers.