Leading With Purpose: A Dean’s View on Advocating for Faculty, Students, and the Future of Nursing

In this episode of Nursing EDge Unscripted, Dr. Kellie Bryant speaks with Dr. Paul Smith about nursing leadership, advocacy, and negotiation from a dean’s perspective. Dr. Smith shares strategies for advocating for faculty resources, including using data, aligning requests with institutional priorities, and clearly demonstrating impact on student success and workforce outcomes. The conversation highlights the challenges of recruiting and retaining nursing faculty, especially amid salary disparities and evolving educational demands. Dr. Smith emphasizes the importance of collaboration, relationship-building, and persistence in effective negotiation, noting that it is an ongoing process rather than a single event. The episode also underscores the need for innovative approaches to student support, inclusive excellence, and preparing the next generation of nurses in a rapidly changing educational landscape.Dedicated to excellence in nursing, the National League for Nursing is the leading organization for nurse faculty and leaders in nursing education. Find past episodes of the NLN Nursing EDge podcast online. Get instant updates by following the NLN on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube. For more information, visit NLN.org.