Breaking the Bottleneck: The Urgent Need for Nursing Faculty in California
While much of the national conversation around healthcare focuses on the bedside, Associate Professor My Hanh (Theresa) Nguyen, PhD, RN, is shining a light on a more foundational threat. She points to the empty chairs at the front of the classroom as an overlooked root of the problem.
In a series of high-profile op-eds recently published in the Sacramento Bee and the San Diego Union-Tribune, Dr. Nguyen argues that the nursing shortage in California cannot be solved without first addressing the critical lack of nursing educators. This shortage is projected to reach a deficit of 78,000 nurses across the nation.
“We don’t have enough educators to train new nurses,” Dr. Nguyen explains. She notes that in 2023, U.S. nursing schools were forced to turn away over 65,000 qualified applicants. The reason involves a staggering economic gap. Nursing faculty in California earn significantly less than their clinical counterparts, which often results in a $30,000 pay cut for those choosing to teach.
Following the widespread statewide attention of her recent editorial, Dr. Nguyen shared further insights with us regarding the "invisible" barriers facing nursing education and the specific path forward for the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science.
Q: What is the biggest misconception the public has about the nursing shortage?
"One big misconception is we don’t have enough people who want to be nurses, when the reality is interest in the nursing profession has remained strong. The bottleneck isn’t in interest, it’s in issues like educator capacity and competition for clinical placement slots."
Q: In your op-ed, you mentioned that specific federal funding for nursing workforce diversity is at risk. What does a "best-case scenario" for legislative support look like for schools like USD in 2026?
"The best-case scenario is that funding for the Nurse Faculty Loan Repayment (NFLP) and Nursing Workforce Diversity Programs (NWDP) remains intact. For schools like USD, keeping these funds intact means:
- Students from underrepresented backgrounds can actually afford to become nurse educators
- HSON can recruit and retain a more diverse faculty, which we know is essential for training nurses who reflect the communities we serve
- This improves patient outcomes because a diverse nursing workforce strengthens trust, communication, and culturally responsive clinical encounters
- Health systems see downstream cost savings because improved communication and trust correlate with outcomes like better adherence and reduced complications.
In short, maintaining federal investment in NFLP and NWDP has a ripple effect: it stabilizes nurse education, strengthens workforce pathways, thereby improving patient outcomes and reducing costs across the system. "
Q: What is your primary call to action for our community?
"My primary call to action is simple: tell anyone who will listen. That includes healthcare professionals, colleagues, community partners, and especially local, state, and federal representatives. The nursing faculty and workforce shortage is a silent crisis. We need all hands on deck to solve this. The more people who understand what’s at stake, the stronger our collective voice becomes in protecting programs that keep the nursing workforce alive."
Institutional Impact
The reach of Dr. Nguyen’s advocacy has extended far beyond San Diego. Her insights were recently highlighted by the UCLA School of Nursing as part of a statewide recognition of nursing as the most trusted profession in America.
For the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, the work of Dr. Nguyen represents more than just a headline. It is a vital part of USD's mission to address the most pressing needs of our community through scholarship and advocacy.
To read the full piece by Dr. Nguyen, visit the Sacramento Bee website. The article has also been syndicated nationally and featured by outlets including The Modesto and Yahoo News.