Education for executive nurse administrators: a databased curricular model for doctoral (PhD) programs.

This article reports a secondary analysis of qualitative data collected during an earlier study that investigated the educational preparation and role-related responsibilities of first-line nurse administrators employed in academe. Analysis of these original data raised several different and important research questions about role preparation for nurse administrators that had not been addressed in the earlier study, and that subsequently directed the secondary data analysis: (1) Are there knowledge domains specific to the executive nurse administrator role about which practicing administrators must have knowledge, and for which they are then accountable? And, if so, (2) What are the curricular implications for PhD programs in nursing that offer an executive nursing administration track? Secondary data analysis revealed that there are specific knowledge domains in executive nursing administration from which categories of courses can be identified. Implications are explored for role preparation in nursing administration at the PhD level based on the domains and categories of courses.

The teacher crisis in nursing education--revisited.

The nationwide shortage of teachers is severely and negatively impacting nursing. Many qualified applicants are being rejected by nursing schools, yet the quality of programs is jeopardized when faculty are hired with limited teaching experience and little, if any, formal education as teachers. The author reviews the development and status of graduate nursing education for teachers, documents strong arguments for increasing the number of graduate programs to prepare more teachers of nursing, and raises important questions about teacher education.

First-line nurse administrators in academe: how are they prepared, what do they do, and will they stay in their jobs?

This article examines the role characteristics, responsibilities, and anticipated career patterns of first-line nurse administrators employed in university-based nursing education programs throughout the nation. First-line administration is the first level on the administrative ladder, and these administrators are most frequently entitled department chairpersons; division, program, and level directors; or coordinators. This was an exploratory and descriptive research project, and the questions addressed were (1) How are first-line nurse administrators in academe formally educated and informally prepared for their administrative role? (2) What are the administrative competencies important for this administrative role? (3) What strains, conflicts, and work overload are associated with the first-line administrative role, and what strategies are used to cope? (4) What do these administrators anticipate as a career pattern in administration based on their experiences as first-line administrators? Fifty-six first-line nurse administrators were interviewed from 42 schools of nursing that offer both bachelor's degree and graduate nursing programs.