Where are nurse-scientists? Academic nursing research at critical crossroads

Background: Academic nursing research is at a critical impasse after the great retirement and resignation during COVID-19. Sustaining and replenishing senior nurse-scientist faculty that are clinical experts with real-world clinical practice is critical. Leveraging the mission of nursing scholarship within the business of building and sustaining externally funded research enterprises in schools of nursing presents conundrums, especially with persistent nursing faculty vacancies. Purpose and Methods: Through a lens of intersectionality within the context of aca-demic bias and nursing education regulation, we address challenges in NIH funding for nurse-scientist faculty. Publicly available data reveal equity, inclu-sion, and advancement issues that make it an unequal playing field for nurse -scientist faculty if expected to achieve similar NIH funding as faculty in schools of public health and medicine.Discussion: Understanding research enterprises requires appreciation of the com-plex interplay between academic nursing units, university infrastructures, and academic budgetary models. Creative support for both nursing deans and their faculty is needed.Cite this article: Bloch, J.R., Smith Glasgow, M.E., (2023, March/April). Where are nurse-scientists? Aca-demic nursing research at critical crossroads. Nurs Outlook, 71(2), 101894. https://doi.org/10.1016/j. outlook.2022.10.007.

Automated summary

Academic nursing research is facing challenges in sustaining and replenishing senior nurse-scientist faculty after a wave of retirements and resignations during COVID-19. There are issues with NIH funding for nurse-scientist faculty, as publicly available data reveal equity and inclusion issues that put them at a disadvantage compared to faculty in schools of public health and medicine. Understanding the complex interplay between academic nursing units, university infrastructures, and academic budgetary models is crucial in supporting nursing deans and their faculty.