The shortage of nurses in America has been widely reported. More than 138,000 nurses have left the workforce since 2022 and an additional 40% plan to leave by 2029.

But behind that problem is another that will have to be addressed first: The U.S. is running short on the faculty who could train new nurses. 

“Older faculty now represent the majority of nursing faculty, while few younger nurses stay in or move into academia,” according to a recent article in the Journal of Nursing Regulation. The article draws on a 2024 nursing workforce survey from the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. 

📚Read more: How a South Texas community college embraced apprenticeships to ease a growing nursing shortage (via our partner The Texas Tribune)

The article described challenges in recruiting and retaining nursing faculty, particularly as so many are at or close to retirement age. Advanced-practice nurses also earn more than their peers in nursing schools. And burnout is common, the article found. 

The nursing faculty shortage significantly limits nursing schools’ ability to admit and train new students, the article said. That’s particularly urgent now.

New limits on lending for graduate school could worsen the problem. 

📚 Read more: Here's what to know about the final student loan rules (via Open Campus)

Seventy-seven percent of nursing school deans expect the loan limits to hurt faculty recruitment and retention, according to a comment letter on the proposed version of the rules submitted by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing. That would worsen a shortage that already includes 1,588 vacant faculty positions nationwide, the letter said.

Under guidance that the Education Department finalized late last month, just 11 graduate programs are considered “professional,” meaning students can access the highest amount of federal loans: $50,000 per year and $200,000 in total. Nursing programs were excluded from that designation, meaning new nursing students will only be able to borrow up to an aggregate limit of $100,000. 

This could make it harder for nursing students to pay for their education and reduce enrollment at a time when advanced-practice nurses “are vital to supporting healthcare access, especially in rural communities,” according to the comment letter. 

The lending limits — which take effect July 1 — will also worsen the shortage of nursing faculty, “with far-reaching implications for the strength and sustainability of the nation’s nursing pipeline,” the letter argued. 

Despite many industry associations arguing for a broader designation, the Education Department didn’t expand it in the rule-making process, saying it “does not believe that our approach to defining professional student is too narrow nor do we believe it should be expanded.”

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From Charlottesville: Faculty at the University of Virginia say they feel increasingly unsafe amid scrutiny from outside watchdog groups — including online harassment and sweeping demands for course materials.

It’s not the only place we’re seeing this type of activity — our reporters in Texas and North Carolina have documented similar situations.

Allie Pitchon at our partner Charlottesville Tomorrow reports that some had hoped a collective bargaining bill would allow them to negotiate for better protections against harassment. But as written, the legislation would exclude workers at public universities.

Much of the scrutiny is coming from the Jefferson Council, an organization of conservative UVA alumni formed in 2020. The council has targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts at the university; published social media posts criticizing faculty; and used public-records requests to obtain syllabi and communication.

Associate sociology professor Ian Mullins said that a request for “anything related to UVA” in his personal text messages felt especially invasive.

“I wasn’t worried that they were going to find something incriminating on me,” he said. “I viewed it as an act of intimidation.”

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