Research - Schools of Nursing

Data Analysis - Schools of Nursing

For the past six years, the Office of Nursing Workforce (ONW), in collaboration with the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Council on Collegiate Education for Nursing*, has distributed surveys to all Mississippi Schools of Nursing. Twenty-one schools responded to the survey, once again, making Mississippi the only state in the SREB region with a 100% response rate. The 21 schools included 23 undergraduate programs, 6 graduate programs and 2 PhD programs. Data were reported for the 2007-2008 academic year. Click here to view the report.

Through this collaborative partnership, Mississippi Schools of Nursing have access to valuable information allowing them to make comparisons at statewide and regional levels using both current and retrospective data. Data include specific information regarding administration, different types of programs, student enrollment (such as gender and race), faculty preparation and current and projected retirement numbers.

Data were recorded as reported by the individual schools and then, aggregated by the Office of Nursing Workforce. In some instances, totals that one would expect to be equal are not. Plausible explanations are provided when applicable. Areas such as nurse educator positions may not necessarily reflect inaccurate data recorded by schools, but may indicate different ways of filling budgeted positions.

For the past three years, the Mississippi Board of Nursing, the Mississippi Nurses Association, the Mississippi Office of Nursing Workforce, the Mississippi Council of Deans and Directors of Schools of Nursing, and the Mississippi Hospital Association have worked collaboratively through a statewide task force to address critical faculty shortage issues through focused strategic planning and implementation. For the first time in several years, the most frequently cited reason for nurse educator resignation was NOT salary; rather, it was career advancement. Legislation aimed at improving nursing faculty salaries in state schools of nursing was introduced and passed in the two previous years. The aforementioned task force is committed to providing adequate numbers of nurses to care for Mississippians.

Efforts focused on increasing the number of qualified faculty in schools of nursing include:
• Fostering flexible nurse educator careers
• Promoting a positive image for the nurse educator role
• Recruiting and retaining a qualified, diverse faculty cadre
• Expanding existing best practice models for preparing nurse educators
• Securing public policy and funding support

The task force continues to make recommendations regarding nursing faculty losses and providing additional faculty for increasing capacity. Strategies will now focus on increasing capacity through partnerships and enhancing the image of nursing education as attractive careers.

*The following states and the District of Columbia are members of SREB: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

Mississippi Schools of Nursing with Nursing Education Programs Offered

Publication

For a comprehensive overview of the many different nursing programs, the Nursing Education Opportunities in Mississippi handbook has been prepared. The Office of Nursing Workforce expresses appreciation to the Mississippi Council of Deans and Directors of Schools of Nursing, the Mississippi Hospital Association, and the Mississippi Area Health Education Center (AHEC) through the Southwest Mississippi AHEC for providing funding for this publication.

If you would like a copy of the Nursing Education Opportunities in Mississippi handbook, please contact info@monw.org to submit your request.