Tracking the New York State Faculty Shortage: Report on the Schools and Faculty Survey 2013 and 2017

Background: This secondary analysis of existing data compared the results of the 2013 New York State (NYS) Nursing Schools and Faculty Report Survey to the results of a replication study completed in 2017. The NYS Council of Deans representing baccalaureate and higher degree programs in NYS and the Council of Associate Degree Nursing were surveyed in academic years 2012-2013 and 2016-2017 (referenced as 2013 and 2017, respectively). Objective: The purpose of this study was to provide detailed and aggregate baseline data about NYS nursing schools' capacity in relation to the number, characteristics, distribution, vacancy rates, and retirement plans of faculty and to contextualize these findings in current national trends. While the issue of nursing faculty shortage is not new in NYS, two studies were conducted in academic years 2012-2013 and 2016-2017, respectively, that examined the rate of nursing faculty vacancies and factors contributing to the nursing faculty shortage. In addition, the secondary analysis revealed trends that have implications for the current and future state of New York States' ability to prepare an adequate nursing workforce. Methodology: Data analysis included 22 questions that appeared on both surveys. The survey response rate was 71.4% in 2013 and 43% in 2017. SPSS was used for data analysis. Descriptive statistics summarize the data and identify patterns and trends between the two data collection points. Results: Faculty gender composition remained unchanged from 2013 to 2017, with 92% women and 8% men. Race and ethnicity of faculty also remained stable in 2013 and 2017, with 78% and 79% of faculty reported as White, respectively. There was little change in the percentage of minority faculty. Most faculty were between the ages of 50 and 59 years (35% in 2013 and 31% in 2017). The master's degree was the highest level of degree for most nursing faculty at 64% in 2013 and 63% in 2017. The top strategy used by nursing schools to fill vacancies was to hire more adjunct faculty, while the most cited strategy to recruit full-time faculty was to increase salaries. The most cited reason for the separation of faculty in 2013 was that faculty accepted a position elsewhere (31%), and in 2017 the most cited reason was retirement (49%). Limitations: The limitations of this analysis include: (a) decrease in survey response rates between the two survey periods, since response rates are a potential source of bias, and (b) the wording of questions was not identical in some cases, which could have led to different responses based on how the question was worded. Conclusions and Recommendations: Complex factors contribute to the NYS faculty shortage and include an aging faculty, increasing retirements, lack of diversity, and low compensation. These results mirror the results of national surveys on the faculty shortage, indicating that NYS needs to take action now to address the nursing pipeline issue.