Developing a Statewide Solution to the Faculty Shortage in Maryland

The nurse shortage continues into a third decade despite 10 years of increased pre-licensure enrollments resulting from innovative efforts by nursing programs to maximize faculty and infrastructure resources. Further efforts to increase capacity have been hampered by a nationwide faculty shortage that has resulted in the denial of thousands of qualified applicants to associate degree and baccalaureate degree programs. This article describes one state's approach to the development and implementation of a financially robust, sustained approach to the lack of educational capacity in nursing programs and provides important lessons for replication to achieve measurably successful outcomes.