Investing in the Whole Educator: A Holistic Approach to Work/Life Harmony in Academic Nursing

BACKGROUND: Academic nursing continues to experience faculty shortages, burnout, and workforce instability. Although nursing is grounded in a philosophy of holistic care, approaches to faculty well-being often emphasize individual resilience and work/life balance rather than organizational support and integration. PROBLEM: Traditional work/life balance frameworks may inadequately reflect the realities of academic nursing, where professional identity, personal values, and educator responsibilities are closely intertwined. APPROACH: This article proposes work/life harmony as a holistic framework for supporting nurse faculty. Drawing on Watson's Theory of Human Caring and Schwartz's model of sustainable performance, faculty well-being is examined through the interconnected domains of body, mind, and spirit. OUTCOMES: The framework highlights the need for organizational strategies that support restoration, cognitive renewal, meaning, connection, and sustainable engagement. CONCLUSIONS: Work/life harmony offers a more integrated approach to faculty well-being and may help strengthen retention, satisfaction, and long-term sustainability within the academic nursing workforce.