Educating to Exhaustion: Intention to Leave Among US Full-Time Nursing Faculty
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-2026
Publisher
National League for Nursing
Source Publication
Nursing Education Perspectives
Source ISSN
1536-5026
Original Item ID
DOI: 10.1097/01.NEP.0000000000001492
Abstract
AIM
The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between work efforts and rewards with intention to leave and burnout among full-time nurse educators.
BACKGROUND
The nursing faculty shortage is a contributor to the nursing shortage. Poor balance between work efforts and rewards may contribute to intention to leave.
METHOD
A cross-sectional survey of US nurse faculty examined work efforts, rewards, burnout, and intention to leave. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the relationships among variables.
RESULTS
Among 588 participants, efforts and rewards both had significant effects on burnout. Burnout and rewards had significant effects on intention to leave. Relationships between efforts, rewards, and intention to leave were significantly mediated by burnout. Efforts, rewards, and burnout all had significant total effects on intention to leave.
CONCLUSION
Interrelationships linking effort, rewards, and burnout require thoughtful solutions focusing on balancing efforts and rewards while addressing dissatisfaction with the nursing faculty role.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Recommended Citation
Christianson, Jacqueline; Malin, Kathryn J.; Leiberg, Jessica; Grabert, Lisa M.; Moser, Stephanie E.; Zemlak, Jessica; and Zemlak, Jessica L., "Educating to Exhaustion: Intention to Leave Among US Full-Time Nursing Faculty" (2026). College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications. 1074.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/nursing_fac/1074
Comments
Nursing Education Perspectives, Vol. 47, No. 2 (March/April 2026): 86-95. DOI.