Faculty Practice Resource Center

Definitions & Models

Definitions

In 1993, the NONPF Faculty Practice Committee agreed on the following broad, inclusive definition for faculty practice:
Faculty practice includes all aspects of the delivery of nursing service through the roles of clinician, educator, researcher, consultant, and administrator.  

 From: Potash, M. & Taylor, D. (1993). Nursing Faculty Practice: Models and Methods. Washington, DC: NONPF.

In 1996, a comprehensive definition of faculty practice emerged:
Faculty practice includes all aspects of the delivery of health care through the roles of clinician, educator, researcher, consultant, and administrator. Faculty practice activities within this framework encompasses direct nursing services to individuals and groups, as well as technical assistance and consultation to individuals, families, groups, and communities. In addition to the provision of service, the practice provides opportunities for promotion, tenure, merit, and revenue generation. A distinguishing characteristic of faculty practice within the School of Nursing is the belief that teaching, research, practice, and service must be closely integrated to achieve excellence. Faculty practice provides the vehicle through which faculty implement these missions. There is an assumption that student practical and residencies as well as research opportunities for faculty and students are an established component of faculty practice.  

In 2000, NONPF issued a statement from the Faculty Practice Committee on tenure and promotion related to faculty practice.   Click here to read the position statement.

Models

Based on existing literature in the early 1990s, NONPF identified four models of faculty practice:

Unification Model
The unification model, established in 1972, unifies administration of the clinical agency and the school of nursing. All levels of faculty serve jointly as clinicians and educators.

Collaborative Model
The collaborative model formalizes collaboration between faculty and clinicians by joint appointments. Instead of one person simultaneously holding positions at both the school and clinical agency as in the unification model, a faculty member's prime responsibilities are with the school though they may have an appointment within the clinical area. Although the administration of school and clinical area are separate, some of the salary costs may be shared.

Integrated Model
An integrated model involves faculty and graduate students sharing patient care responsibilities.

Entrepreneurial Model
The entrepreneurial model allows faculty to design their practice, determine its goals and objectives, and provide client services as part of their faculty duties. The term “private practice model” is used commonly in the literature, but entrepreneurship is a more appropriate term because it allows many varieties of practices which may or may not include private practice. The entrepreneur is broadly defined as one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise. The coined term “intrapraneur” refers to an entrepreneur working within an organization and may be more suitable for faculty who practice within their faculty roles.

(These models are excerpted from: Potash, M. & Taylor, D. (1993). Nursing faculty practice: Models and methods. Washington, DC: NONPF.)

National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties (NONPF)
1522 K Street, NW, Ste. 702
Washington, DC 20005
tel: (202) 289-8044 ● fax: (202) 289-8046
nonpf@nonpf.org

President: Ann O'Sullivan, PhD, CRNP, CPNP, FAAN