Authors: Gina Dennik-Champion, MSN, RN, MSHA; Faleasha Gallagher, MPH, RN, CCRN, PCCN, ATCN; Mary McMahon Bullis, PhD, RN, CCRN; Heidi Monroe, PhD, RN, CNE, CAPA; Vicki Swaney, DNP, MSN-ED, RN; Amber Young-Brice, PhD, RN, CNE
Executive Summary:
Wisconsin continues to confront a critical shortage of nurse educators that is impacting the ability of nursing programs to prepare the future nursing workforce. While many experienced clinicians transition into academic positions, they frequently do so with limited preparation for the complexities of teaching, curriculum development, student evaluation, scholarship, and academic culture. Recognizing these challenges, the Wisconsin Nurses Association (WNA) and the Wisconsin League for Nursing (WLN) collaborated to better understand the orientation and mentorship needs of novice nurse educators and to develop evidence-based resources that support successful transition into academic practice.
This report combines an extensive review of the literature with findings from their developed 2025 nurse educator survey to identify the knowledge, skills, and support systems necessary for novice nurse educator success. The findings from the review of the literature indicated that structured orientation, formal mentorship, peer support, professional development, and intentional role socialization supports educator confidence, effectiveness, satisfaction, and long-term retention.
The 2025 nurse educator survey included responses from 138 Wisconsin nurse educators representing diverse educational backgrounds and years of teaching experience. While many respondents indicated plans to remain in academia, the survey identified persistent barriers to retention, including inadequate compensation, insufficient organizational support, burnout, and workplace incivility. The survey noted that 60% of respondents reported having a mentor with 40% entering their academic role without formal or informal mentorship. This gap highlights an important opportunity for improvement. More than half (57%) reported experiencing workplace incivility, most frequently from faculty colleagues, followed by students and academic leadership.
The authors identified nine mentorship domains from the survey that were used in measuring the lived experience as a novice educator, and what information and/or experiences would have been important to receive as part of their orientation to their role. The gaps for the novice educator included transitioning from clinical practice to academia, curriculum development, research and scholarship, professional development, student engagement, emotional support, positive work environment, and navigating institutional resources. These findings demonstrate that current orientation and mentorship processes are often inconsistent and insufficient to prepare new nurse educators for the full scope of academic responsibilities.
This report focuses on the importance of novice nurse educator mentorships. The identified nine core mentorship domains create a comprehensive framework for novice nurse educator development:
- Clinical to Academic Transition
- Curriculum Advisor
- Institutional Resource Navigator
- Student Support and Engagement
- Peer and Networking Facilitator
- Research and Scholarship Mentor
- Professional Development and Career Mentor
- Personal and Emotional Supporter
- Creating a Positive Work Culture and Supporting Civility
The survey findings demonstrated that Wisconsin’s nurse educators enter academia with varying educational preparation and professional experiences indicating a personalized approach to orientation and mentoring. This report recommends that orientation and mentor arrangements be flexible and competency based. This report also emphasizes that the key to success includes alignment with National League for Nursing (NLN) competencies, structured onboarding, ongoing mentor development, opportunities for professional certification, and sustained institutional commitment to faculty success.
This report provides a mentorship toolkit which utilizes the results of the survey and review of the literature to create practical guidance for nursing programs seeking to strengthen orientation, mentorship, and faculty development. By implementing structured mentorship and comprehensive support systems, nursing education programs can improve faculty confidence, effectiveness, job satisfaction, and retention while ultimately strengthening Wisconsin’s nursing workforce and expanding the state’s capacity to educate future nurses.
RESOURCES
Access the following resources free of charge.
Wisconsin Novice Nurse Educator Mentorship Report & Toolkit
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