Academic-to-Academic Partnership to Address the Nursing Shortage: The Center for Future Faculty.

The Center for Future Faculty is an innovative, multi-institutional model addressing the nurse faculty shortage through a collaborative, competency-based approach. Four regional universities partnered to prepare aspiring nurse educators via graduate coursework, mentored fellowships, and seminars aligned with National League for Nursing CNE® competencies. Seven students completed the inaugural year; most planned to pursue educator roles, and course evaluations showed high satisfaction and skill development. Partners benefited from strengthened faculty pipelines and shared academic resources. Early outcomes suggest that regional partnerships can sustainably expand nursing education capacity and advance health equity by cultivating a diverse, well-prepared future faculty workforce.