Nursing education programs across the US face persistent challenges in recruiting and retaining qualified faculty. Over half of nursing schools had unfilled full-time positions for 2024–2025, and many cited budget limitations or difficulty finding faculty with needed specialties. Low compensation for nursing educators compared to nurses in clinical practice remains a major barrier, contributing to…
Registered nurses (RNs) are integral to healthcare delivery in the United States, with approximately 4.3 million licensed RNs in 2022, the majority working in hospital settings. However, nearly 10% of RNs are employed in long-term care (LTC) settings such as nursing homes, assisted living communities, and home health agencies. LTC settings are projected to experience…
The shortage of nursing faculty is a key barrier to addressing the broader nursing shortage, as many graduate-prepared nurses lack formal training in education and are often hired based on clinical or research expertise rather than teaching experience. Without structured preparation or mentoring, new faculty frequently struggle to adapt to academic roles and leave at…
By 2050, older adults will outnumber adolescents and young people worldwide, creating significant challenges for health and social care systems. With nearly three-quarters of care for US adults aged 65 and older provided informally by family and friends, unmarried and widowed older adults face heightened risks of unmet needs, hospitalization, and mortality. While neighborhood cohesion…
Nursing homes provide essential 24-hour long-term and rehabilitative care for 1.4 million Americans, but have long faced persistent staffing challenges that worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nurse staffing hours declined sharply in 2020 and 2021, especially among certified nurse aides (CNAs), while contract staffing rose dramatically before stabilizing in 2022. Staffing shortfalls were particularly acute…
Public health nurses (PHNs) are a distinct specialty within the field of nursing and a core occupation within the public health workforce. However, PHNs do not have a distinct Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code to distinguish them from other nurses. Without a SOC code, federal government data, such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)…
The Public Health Workforce Calculator was developed early in the COVID-19 pandemic to help public health agencies estimate the staffing needed to fully implement the Foundational Public Health Services (FPHS). However, the data used to develop the algorithm for the Workforce Calculator was from pre-pandemic time periods. This article examines whether the Workforce Calculator remains…
LGBTQIA+ communities report higher rates of unmet dental needs, discriminatory experiences, and lower rates of insurance coverage when compared to their cisgender, heterosexual peers. The lack of LGBTQIA+ inclusion in dental education not only affects clinical competence but also the educational climate for LGBTQIA+ students, faculty, and staff. This report provides a set of strategic recommendations…
In recent years, there has been growing recognition of the importance of advancing health equity. Public health nurses—who operate at the intersection of nursing and public health—are uniquely positioned to contribute to this effort. Their roles place them at the forefront of addressing the systemic and social factors that influence health outcomes. Despite the increased…
As many as 1 in 5 women will experience a behavioral health condition during their perinatal period, yet the availability of services specifically designed and delivered for individuals who experience perinatal mental health and substance use conditions remains unclear. This article uses the National Substance Use and Mental Health Services Survey (NSUMHSS) to explore the…
