A research study conducted by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing noted adjunct faculty educators have significant learning requirements and that nursing education throughout the United States has not met the basic needs of novice adjunct faculty educators. Adjunct faculty at a local community college noted a deficit in the orientation process for new clinical faculty. The purpose of this quality improvement project was to develop a guideline for new clinical faculty orientation. The sources of evidence were a literature review and a survey using the Delphi process with an expert panel comprising a group of 7 interested faculty, seasoned educators, and area hospital nurse educators. The Delphi process was used to achieve consensus on methods to orient adjunct faculty to their new role of clinical nurse educator. The knowledge-to-action cycle was used as the foundation for the adjunct faculty orientation recommendations. Benner's novice-to-expert theory was used as the framework to develop and to evaluate the competency level of adjunct faculty educators. Expert panelists recommended that clinical faculty orientation consist of a mixture of group orientation workshops, peer mentoring, seminar, role-modeling, role play, and written resources. An evidence-based adjunct faculty orientation guideline has the potential to positively affect social change by improving the teaching competence of nurse clinical experts who become new adjunct faculty nurse educators; thereby improving the quality of nursing care given by novice nurses beginning clinical practice, and ultimately, promoting positive outcomes in patient care.

Background: The full-time nurse faculty shortage has resulted in nursing programs employing adjunct nursing faculty heavily into the clinical teaching component to fill the gap. Many adjunct faculty members continue to teach semester after semester; however, there is a lack of evidence to support the predictive factors that facilitate intent to stay teaching. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to better understand predictors of intent to stay teaching for associate degree (AD) adjunct clinical nurse faculty. Theoretical Framework: Frederick Herzberg’s two-factor motivator-hygiene theory (1959) was utilized as a foundation to explore the factors that impact intent to stay teaching. Methods: Adjunct clinical nurse faculty employed in associate degree nursing programs during the 2015 calendar year were invited to participate in this study. Participants were surveyed utilizing the Job Satisfaction Survey, the Nurse Educators’ Intent to Stay in Academe Scale, and demographic questionnaire via SurveyMonkey Web site. Results: Regression analysis indicated statistically significant relationships between job satisfaction, motivator, and hygiene factors with intent to stay score. In addition, faculty who had full-time employment outside of the adjunct position were found to have lower intent to stay scores compared to those working part time or not at all. Conclusions: Enhancement of adjunct clinical faculty members’ job satisfaction, motivator, and hygiene factors is necessary to retain this qualified group of educators. Improvement of intent to stay in the role can improve teaching and reduce costs at similar institutions of higher learning.