Innovative university partnership meets neonatal nurse practitioner program need amid faculty shortage

This nation is facing a significant nursing faculty shortage not only at the undergraduate but also at the graduate level. As nursing faculty, we must be innovative in considering ways of consolidating resources in this time of demand for advanced practice nurses. With the apparent need for qualified neonatal nurse practitioners in Iowa, the University of Iowa understood the importance of starting a neonatal nurse practitioners program. The University of Iowa College of Nursing and the University of Missouri-Kansas City formed a partnership to educate neonatal nurse practitioners. Although this partnership concentrates on a specific subspecialty population, it can serve as a pilot project that could be adapted by those who care for other diverse populations. The nurse faculty shortage requires innovative solutions, and a model such as this one may provide solutions for other institutions.