Di Fang, PhD, and Karen Kesten, DNP, APRN, CCNS, CNE, CCRN-K
Nursing Outlook (2017), 65(5), 633-642
Faculty retirement has been a growing concern for the nursing education community given the impact it may have on preparing the future nursing workforce. The purpose of this study is to estimate faculty retirements in 2016-2025 and to assess the impact of retirements on the faculty workforce. The Least-Squares Regression and the Cohort Component Methods were used to project retirements. The findings suggest a sense of urgency for the nursing education community to address the impending exodus of senior faculty and to develop younger faculty for their successful succession.
Highlights
- The percentage of full-time nursing faculty aged 60 and older increased from 17.9% in 2006 to 30.7% in 2015.
- The mean age at retirement increased from 62.2 to 65.1 years.
- The projected faculty retirements for the next 10 years equal roughly one-third of total faculty in 2015.
- The retiring faculty are likely to come from faculty aged 60 or older in 2015, and faculty aged 50–59 in the same year are likely to be the replacements for the retiring faculty.
- The impact of the retiring faculty on the faculty workforce will be huge given their overrepresentation in doctoral attainment, senior rank, and ability for graduate-level teaching.
- Younger faculty who are likely to replace the retiring faculty possess fewer doctoral degrees, lower senior faculty ranks, and more limited in ability for graduate-level teaching.