Statewide Commission on the Crisis in Nursing
Nursing Faculty Careers
Education
Subcommittee
Faculty Issues Work Group
TYPES OF FACULTY POSITIONS
Faculty may be hired into full-time, part-time, contractual, or adjunct positions. Details of responsibilities, as well as salary and benefits vary with the college or university.
Full-time faculty
Full-time faculty may be hired into a contractual position or a tenure or non-tenure track position. Full-time positions vary according to the type of educational institution and may emphasize one or more of the following:
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Classroom teaching
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Clinical instruction
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Research and other scholarly activities
Part-time, contractual or adjunct faculty
The titles and responsibilities for these positions vary from one program to another. All refer to a faculty position that is other than full-time. Benefits may be included in some regular part-time positions. Contractual and adjunct positions rarely include benefits. In each case, duties are usually limited to classroom and/or clinical teaching but may involve other responsibilities.
Other possibilities for involvement in the education of nursing students:
Clinical instructors are individuals with a minimum of a baccalaureate degree in nursing and two years clinical experience employed exclusively for clinical or laboratory instruction. Compensation varies depending upon whether it is a full or part-time commitment.
Clinical preceptors are registered nurses employed and compensated by cooperating agencies (i.e. hospitals, clinics, long term care facilities, etc.). In the clinical preceptor role, they act to facilitate student learning in a manner specified in a signed written agreement between the agency and the educational institution. A bachelor’s degree is nursing is preferred, though some programs may require masters level preparation and/or certification in a specialty area.
PROGRAMS PREPARING NURSES TO ASSUME NURSE FACULTY POSITIONS
The following Maryland schools offer graduate degrees in nursing that qualify for entry-level teaching positions:
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Bowie State University
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Coppin State College
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Johns Hopkins University
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Towson University
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University of Maryland, Baltimore