Raises OK’d for
nursing faculty
at 4 UH campuses
Salary increases of up to 25 percent have been approved by the University of Hawaii Board of Regents to retain and recruit nursing faculty at four community colleges during a severe nursing shortage.
The board designated the associate degree nursing programs at Kauai, Maui and Hawaii community colleges and Kapiolani Community College on Oahu as a "high demand discipline" to compete with hospitals for faculty.
Joyce Tsunoda, university senior vice president and community colleges chancellor, said graduates of the two-year community college nursing programs pass the same state certification exam as baccalaureate nursing graduates. Because of the high demand and salary scale, they can work at hospitals with starting pay equal to or higher than salaries of the faculty who taught them, she said.
Many of the present faculty members also are reaching retirement age, she said.
"With increased demand, fewer potential nursing faculty and aging nursing faculty, the future of the nursing teaching profession looks bleak," community college administrators said.
"This (high demand) designation within board policy will enable us to hire faculty up to 25 percent higher than the set salary scale," Tsunoda said.
"That, I think, would give us the competitive edge needed to retain and recruit faculty in this important area."
Michael Rota, vice chancellor of academic affairs for the community colleges, said about 500 students are enrolled in the four campus nursing programs.
The colleges are struggling with vacancies and recruitment of qualified nursing instructors because of a limited pool of applicants. The National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission cited Maui Community College last year for "faculty not academically qualified."
Rota said a graduate with an associate degree can make about $49,336 after six months and $51,660 after a year in hospitals and clinics. A nurse with a bachelor's degree can earn as much as $75,500 with overtime.
Without the "high demand" designation, he said the community colleges can only offer a nursing instructor with a master's degree $48,912 to $52,704 with special approval.
University of Hawaii
