NP Faculty and the need to conduct research – Overcoming potential barriers for promotion and tenure

While many universities are reconsidering promotion and tenure, the majority of tenure-track faculty are still being held to a standard that includes research and publication as the primary criteria used in promotion and tenure decisions. For tenure track faculty, the need to conduct and disseminate new knowledge in the form of research is required in addition to other faculty roles which include teaching and service to the university and/or profession. New, doctorally-prepared NP faculty have the knowledge and skills to conduct research, however, they may lack an understanding of how best to get their research started in light of these competing demands. The role of senior faculty is critical in providing helpful pointers regarding how to select an appropriate research area, develop a research team, obtain funding for the project, conduct the study, and finally, disseminate the results. This session will focus on real examples from the presenter’s experiences of how faculty development in their institution facilitated successful promotion and tenure. Ongoing meetings and sustained peer mentoring were key. Outcomes of this institutional investment in their nursing faculty have produced federally funded clinical research.