Other Titles
Tackling Nurse Faculty Preparedness and Retention: A Quality Improvement Initiative [Title Slide]
Abstract
The ability of nursing programs to graduate more students is constrained by a shortage of qualified faculty, limiting program capacity and narrowing the pipeline of new registered nurses (AACN, 2024; Lubhy, 2023). Addressing this gap requires targeted solutions. One proven approach is the Faculty Academy and Mentorship Initiative of Maryland (FAMI-MD), a program launched in 2011 to help registered nurses transition into clinical faculty roles. To date, 684 nurses have completed the Academy, with 70% serving in teaching positions across Maryland—demonstrating its effectiveness as a faculty pipeline.
This presentation highlights outcomes of a quality improvement project to update FAMI-MD’s Introductory and Advanced curricula, assuring relevance for contemporary nursing practice. Given the dynamic nature of clinical education, curricula must evolve to remain current (Mani, 2025; McMillan-Bohler & Tornwall, 2023). Teams from five nursing programs conducted a systematic review and gap analysis using the National League for Nursing Educator Competencies (2025) as a framework, identifying strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement in content, instructional methodology, and learning activities. Additionally, feedback from participant focus groups (2021–2025) and a literature review of leading nursing journals informed revisions.
Key updates included: addressing implicit bias and removing non-inclusive content; alignment with digital accessibility principles; expanding topics such as AI integration, educator self-care for resilience, competency-based learning, clinical judgment models, and strategies for neurodivergent learners. Mentorship activities were purposefully woven throughout the workshops to strengthen its impact.
A facilitator training program was developed to support curriculum changes and mentorship integration. Throughout the project, core FAMI-MD values remained unchanged—preparing nurses to become exceptional educators through prioritizing prioritizing diversity in participant and facilitator selection, offering continuing education hours, and providing financial support for advanced certification.
Through intentional redesign and forward-looking enhancements, FAMI-MD is positioned to meet Maryland's evolving nursing education and healthcare needs while ensuring a strong, highly skilled faculty workforce.
Notes
References:
American Association of Colleges of Nursing, (2024, May). Nursing faculty shortage fact sheet. https://www.aacnnursing.org/news-data/fact-sheets/nursing-faculty-shortage
Luhby, T. (2023, October 5). Nursing schools are turning away thousands of applicants during a major nursing shortage. Here’s why. https://www.cnn.com/2023/10/05/business/nursing-staff-shortage-school-enrollment/index.html
Mani, Z. A. (2025). Transitioning to competency-based education in nursing: a scoping review of curriculum review and revision strategies. BMC Nursing, 24, 3-11. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03319-y111
McMillian-Bohler J. & Tornwall, J. (2023). Trends, future directions, and questions for preparing successful nurse faculty. Journal of Nursing Education, 62(12):661-667. doi: 10.3928/01484834-20231006-06
National League for Nursing. (2025). Core competencies for Academic Nurse Educators. https://www.nln.org/education/nursing-education-competencies/core-competencies-for-academic-nurse-educators
Sigma Membership
Lambda Eta
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Quality Improvement
Research Approach
Translational Research/Evidence-based Practice
Keywords:
Workforce, Faculty Development, Nursing Faculty, Mentoring and Coaching, Mentorship, Personnel Retention
Recommended Citation
Seldomridge, Lisa A.; Reid, Tina Brown; Hall, Nicole J.; Hauck, Bradley P.; and Payne, Beverly P., "Tackling Nurse Faculty Preparedness and Retention: A FAMI-MD Quality Improvement Initiative" (2026). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 104.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2026/presentations_2026/104
Conference Name
37th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Conference Year
2026
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-07-30
Tackling Nurse Faculty Preparedness and Retention: A FAMI-MD Quality Improvement Initiative
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
The ability of nursing programs to graduate more students is constrained by a shortage of qualified faculty, limiting program capacity and narrowing the pipeline of new registered nurses (AACN, 2024; Lubhy, 2023). Addressing this gap requires targeted solutions. One proven approach is the Faculty Academy and Mentorship Initiative of Maryland (FAMI-MD), a program launched in 2011 to help registered nurses transition into clinical faculty roles. To date, 684 nurses have completed the Academy, with 70% serving in teaching positions across Maryland—demonstrating its effectiveness as a faculty pipeline.
This presentation highlights outcomes of a quality improvement project to update FAMI-MD’s Introductory and Advanced curricula, assuring relevance for contemporary nursing practice. Given the dynamic nature of clinical education, curricula must evolve to remain current (Mani, 2025; McMillan-Bohler & Tornwall, 2023). Teams from five nursing programs conducted a systematic review and gap analysis using the National League for Nursing Educator Competencies (2025) as a framework, identifying strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement in content, instructional methodology, and learning activities. Additionally, feedback from participant focus groups (2021–2025) and a literature review of leading nursing journals informed revisions.
Key updates included: addressing implicit bias and removing non-inclusive content; alignment with digital accessibility principles; expanding topics such as AI integration, educator self-care for resilience, competency-based learning, clinical judgment models, and strategies for neurodivergent learners. Mentorship activities were purposefully woven throughout the workshops to strengthen its impact.
A facilitator training program was developed to support curriculum changes and mentorship integration. Throughout the project, core FAMI-MD values remained unchanged—preparing nurses to become exceptional educators through prioritizing prioritizing diversity in participant and facilitator selection, offering continuing education hours, and providing financial support for advanced certification.
Through intentional redesign and forward-looking enhancements, FAMI-MD is positioned to meet Maryland's evolving nursing education and healthcare needs while ensuring a strong, highly skilled faculty workforce.
Description
Outcomes of a curriculum QI project updating two faculty development workshops to better prepare and retain new educators are described. A systematic review and gap analysis using NLN Educator Competencies (2025), focus group input, and current literature were conducted. Key updates included addressing implicit bias, improving digital accessibility, optimizing AI use, fostering educator resilience, supporting neurodivergent learners, and integrating mentorship throughout the workshops.