Building a Consortium to Address Graduate Nursing Student Academic Preparedness

Abstract

Background: The demand for nurses in advanced practice roles is expected to grow by 38% by 2032. The nationwide faculty shortage is also a concern, as it correlates to the nursing shortage. Successful retention strategies for graduate nursing students can strengthen the rising demand of specialized nursing roles. Problem: The transition from clinical practice to the graduate student environment can be daunting to some practicing nurses who may struggle with program completion. It is well documented that graduate nursing students lack academic preparation for the rigorous scholarly work. Approach: A national onboarding consortium of graduate nursing faculty was formed to meet regularly and utilize a model onboarding program to address graduate nursing students' academic preparedness. Conclusions: Structured onboarding programs show promising results. The programs were easily adopted to support students from various backgrounds and regions within the United States. Benefits of forming a consortium to address a national issue were evident.