title: Impact of VANA academic-practice partnership participation on educational mobility decisions and teaching aspirations of nurses.
abstract: This study reports findings assessing the influence of the Department of Veterans Affairs Nursing Academy (VANA) academic-practice partnership program on nurse decision making regarding educational mobility and teaching aspirations. We conducted national surveys with nursing faculty from VANA partnership sites in 2011 (N = 133) and 2012 (N = 74). Faculty who spent more hours per week in the VANA role and who reported an increase in satisfaction with their participation in VANA were more likely to have been influenced by their VANA experience in choosing to pursue a higher degree (p < .05). Sixty-nine percent of VANA faculty reported that they would be very interested in staying on as a VANA faculty member if the program should continue. Six measures were positively associated with VANA's influence on the desire to continue as faculty beyond the VANA pilot; support from VANA colleagues, quality of VANA students, amount of guidance with curriculum development, availability of administrative support, support for improving teaching methods, and overall satisfaction with VANA experience (p < .05). As the popularity of academic-practice partnerships grows and their list of benefits is further enumerated, motivating nurses to pursue both higher degrees and faculty roles should be listed among them based on results reported here.
authors.affiliation: Health Research Scientist, Veterans Emergency Management Evaluation Center (VEMEC), Sepulveda, CA.; Health Research Scientist, HSR&D Center for the Study of Healthcare Provider Behavior, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Sepulveda, CA.. Electronic address: tamar.wyte@va.gov.
authors.forename: Tamar
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wyte-Lake
authors.affiliation: Health Research Scientist, Veterans Emergency Management Evaluation Center (VEMEC), Sepulveda, CA.; Health Research Scientist, HSR&D Center for the Study of Healthcare Provider Behavior, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Sepulveda, CA.
authors.forename: Candice
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bowman
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Health Policy and Management, University of California Los Angeles Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA.
authors.forename: Jack
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Needleman
authors.affiliation: Director of Nursing Education, Office of Academic Affiliations, Department of Veterans Affairs.
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dougherty
authors.affiliation: Health Research Scientist, Veterans Emergency Management Evaluation Center (VEMEC), Sepulveda, CA.
authors.forename: Diana N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Scarrott
authors.affiliation: Health Research Scientist, Veterans Emergency Management Evaluation Center (VEMEC), Sepulveda, CA.; Health Research Scientist, HSR&D Center for the Study of Healthcare Provider Behavior, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Sepulveda, CA.; Professor, Department of Health Policy and Management, University of California Los Angeles Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA.; Director, Veterans Emergency Management Evaluation Center (VEMEC), University of California Los Angeles School of Nursing, Los Angeles, CA.
authors.forename: Aram
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dobalian
mesh_terms: D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003657:Decision Making; D004506:Education, Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005181:Faculty, Nursing; D006801:Humans; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012579:Schools, Nursing / Q000458:organization & administration*
keywords: Bachelor's degree; Career mobility; Continuing education; Faculty, nursing/supply and distribution; Master's; Nurses; Nursing