Work Experience of Sessional Teaching Staff in Pre‐Registration Nursing Programmes: A Cross‐Sectional Study

BACKGROUND: Internationally, sessional nursing staff play an important role in meeting the teaching requirements for the increased demand in nursing student enrolment. In Australia, pre-registration nursing programmes are university programmes that prepare students for initial registration as registered nurses. Little research has been undertaken to understand their experiences to ensure a sustainable nurse education workforce. OBJECTIVE: To explore the experiences of sessional staff working in pre-registration nursing programmes in Australia. DESIGN: A cross-sectional online survey. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Sessional nursing staff working in pre-registration nursing programmes in Australia for at least 12 months. METHODS: Participants were invited to complete an online survey using the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire version III (COPSOQ-III) middle-length version. Participants were recruited via email and online platforms. Data were analysed using descriptive and non-parametric techniques including determining correlations between different subscales. RESULTS: A total of 84 participants were included. Most participants were female (83.3%) and over 50 years old (51.2%). The majority of the participants had less than 5 years of sessional experience (58.3%). Only 26.2% (n = 22) of the participants intended to become permanent academics. Participants generally reported favourable working experiences. 'Job satisfaction' was found to be positively correlated with several subscales including 'social support from supervisor' (r = 0.64, p < 0.001), 'social support from colleagues' (r = 0.54, p < 0.001) and 'sense of community' (r = 0.64, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study provides new insights into the sessional nursing workforce, including their demographics and work experiences. It identified factors related to positive work experience, such as opportunities for professional development, sense of community, quality leadership and support. Strengthening these factors may improve the work experience of sessional staff, contribute to reduced attrition and support workforce sustainability.