From shortage to solutions

ABSTRACT: The United States is experiencing an increasing demand for health care services driven by an aging population, resulting in unprecedented pressure on the nursing workforce. Simultaneously, nursing academia is challenged by faculty shortages, decreased wages, policy changes, declining enrollment, increased work demands, and faculty burnout. These challenges adversely impact the stability of the nursing academic workforce and the profession's ability to educate the next generation of nurses. In acknowledging that burnout is a systemic problem that must be fixed by academic leadership, this article explores ways to bridge the adverse impact of burnout that extends beyond individual coping strategies. A socio-ecological framework is used to explore three complementary interventions that impact wellness: resilience education, structured mentorship, and co-teaching. Resilience is presented as an individual and organizational strategy to improve and maintain well-being. Mentorship is employed as a facilitator of belonging and a conduit for professional development. Additionally, co-teaching is explored as a collaborative tool to promote connectedness, provide support, and elicit the sharing of assigned workloads. Recommendations for implementation are provided to assist institutions of higher learning with the creation of supportive work environments to reduce burnout, strengthen the nursing academic workforce, and support the preparation of the next generation of nurses.