Motivating registered nurses to return for an advanced degree.

Master's-prepared nurses are required as faculty and educators in the hospital setting to meet the increasing demands of today's health care environment. A non-experimental, descriptive study design was used to examine nurses' preferences for organizational incentives and rewards that might motivate them to return for an advanced nursing degree. Using findings from this research study, a grant was developed and funded to address the need to both fill expected vacancies in the nursing work force and reduce the clinical nursing instructor shortage through a strategic academia and service partnership. A cohort model and mentorship program to identify nurses and then encourage and assist them in matriculating and completing an advanced degree in nursing was developed. One expected outcome of the proposed collaborative arrangement is to increase the number of registered nurses prepared at the graduate level to create a pool of individuals qualified to serve as clinical instructors, faculty, and preceptors while maintaining their hospital positions. Another expected outcome is to provide a path for nurses to pursue graduate education.