Nursing Education in Crisis as Faculty Shortages and Overwhelming Workloads Hinder Nurse Readiness

New UbiSim report reveals nurse educators' needs to address critical challenges in nursing education

BOSTON (February 5, 2025) –  “As much as we want to be there for our students, there are just too many of them and one of us.” This is the stark reality of the crisis in nursing education as the nationwide nursing shortage deepens. A nationwide shortage of nurse educators is limiting the ability of nursing schools to enroll and graduate enough skilled nurses to meet the growing demands of our healthcare system.

Faced with heavy workloads, limited time and resources, and an aging faculty nearing retirement, nurse educators do all they can to support their students—but they say it’s not enough. Academic programs are eager to hire more faculty, but their efforts are hampered by insufficient funding and fierce job competition from clinical sites. Today, UbiSim, the leading immersive virtual reality (VR) platform for nursing simulation, and its parent company, Labster, release The Nurse Readiness Crisis: What Nurse Educators Say They Need, highlighting these urgent challenges.

The study draws on insights from 50 experienced nurse educators, averaging 22 years in nursing and 12 years in education. Building on the company’s previous report on student nurses and recent graduates, this follow-up study focuses on educators, offering a new understanding of their unique challenges and needs. Key findings include: 

• The Strain of Faculty Workload: Nurse educators juggle numerous responsibilities—from administrative tasks and curriculum development to research obligations and supporting a growing, diverse student population. This often leaves little time for the personalized mentorship and guidance nursing students need. An educator noted, “These nursing faculty give their hearts and souls, and they’re doing their best, but they’re absolutely stretched to the max.” 
• Faculty Shortages and Inexperienced Preceptors: The American Association of Colleges of Nursing found that U.S. nursing schools turn away tens of thousands of qualified applicants annually due to a lack of faculty and clinical resources. As a result, many nursing programs rely on adjuncts and clinical preceptors with less experience, limiting students' exposure to quality mentorship. 
• Challenges in Clinical Education: 34% of nurse educators surveyed by UbiSim pointed to the scarcity of clinical placements and low-quality clinical experiences. Additionally, 56% reported a noticeable theory-practice gap, highlighting the disconnect between classroom learning and real-world clinical application. As one educator shared, “The nurses who are available to precept students are often very new, and it makes it harder to provide quality mentorship.”
• A Need for Soft Skills and Stress Management: Educators highlighted that 52% of students struggle to cope with high-stress environments, while 36% face difficulties mastering essential soft skills such as communication and empathy. One educator shared, "I work with new graduates in the hospital setting, and frequently, they lack the emotional resilience to distinguish between their professional responsibilities and the emotional challenges they face at the bedside."

“Listening to the voices of new graduate nurses and the nurse educators managing the complexities of higher education provides an opportunity to align our goals and tackle this problem together,” said Christine Heid, PhD, MSN/Ed, RN, CNE, CHSE, Nursing Simulation Specialist at UbiSim. “At UbiSim, we are taking on this challenge by arming students, educators, and practice partners with the tools they need to enhance competence and confidence among our newest nurses now and throughout their careers.”While nurse educators remain deeply committed to their students, they are calling for sustainable staffing solutions and improved preceptor training to ensure students receive the mentorship they need. Many emphasize the urgent need for a restructured system that better supports both students and faculty.

“As the need for change grows more urgent, addressing The Nurse Readiness Crisis requires more than just improving clinical hours and faculty support—it’s about preparing students for a job that demands both skill and empathy,” said Shawn Boom, CEO of Labster, parent company of UbiSim. “The insights we've gathered from both students and educators make it clear: this crisis is real. At UbiSim, we are fully committed to addressing it. Nurses are the backbone of our healthcare system, and through VR simulation, we’re equipping them with the clinical competence and emotional resilience needed to thrive in this critical field.”

To learn more about the Nurse Readiness Crisis and receive a copy of the new report,  join us on February 12 at 12 p.m. ET for an informative webinar. Register here.