Wisconsin eases nursing instructors

Gov. Tony Evers approved an emergency rule on July 20 that lets some Wisconsin registered nurses with bachelor’s degrees teach clinical nursing courses, part of an effort to expand the state’s nursing faculty pool. The change eases a long-standing requirement that clinical instructors hold graduate degrees. State officials and nursing groups said the rule is meant to help schools place more students in hands-on training as hospitals and clinics face staffing shortages. Wisconsin Public Radio reported the rule was signed this month and is already being used by nursing programs. ### Which requirement did Wisconsin actually change? Wisconsin’s previous standard required nurses teaching clinicals — the hands-on instruction students receive in medical facilities — to hold a master’s degree. Under the emergency rule, registered nurses with bachelor’s degrees can now teach those clinical courses if they meet specific conditions, while classroom-based courses still must be taught by nurses with graduate degrees. (content.govdelivery.com) The Wisconsin Board of Nursing is making the change through revisions to Chapter N 1, the administrative rules that govern approval of nursing schools. The Wisconsin Hospital Association said in February that the board was revising those rules to give nursing programs “greater flexibility” to use baccalaureate-prepared nurses as clinical faculty. ### Who can teach under the new emergency rule? (wpr.org) Wisconsin Public Radio reported that a nurse must hold an active Wisconsin nursing license and have two years of clinical experience in the area they would teach. The nurse also must either be actively enrolled in a graduate health program or hold a national certification in the field they would teach, and must practice under a nurse who meets the traditional faculty requirements. (wha.org) Gov. Evers’ office said the rule allows “qualified Registered Nurses” to teach clinical courses if they meet set criteria. The governor’s office tied the change to recommendations from the Governor’s Task Force on the Healthcare Workforce, which was established in 2024. ### Why were nursing schools and hospitals pushing for this? The American Association of Colleges of Nursing reported that more than 92,000 qualified applicants were turned away from nursing schools nationwide in the 2025-2026 school year because of faculty shortages, according to Wisconsin Public Radio. (wpr.org) WPR also reported that a 2025 survey of more than 800 nursing schools found 1,588 full-time faculty vacancies nationwide. (content.govdelivery.com) Gina Dennik-Champion, executive director of the Wisconsin Nurses Association, told WPR that the faculty shortage is blocking qualified students from entering nursing school. “We have all these qualified students that are interested in becoming nurses, but because there are not enough nursing faculty, they’re not all getting into that,” she said. The Wisconsin Hospital Association said hospital groups and nursing organizations, including the Wisconsin Organization of Nurse Leaders, the Administrators of Nursing Education of Wisconsin and the Wisconsin Nurses Association, had urged the board to avoid creating barriers for bedside nurses who could serve as clinical faculty. (wpr.org) Ann Zenk, WHA’s senior vice president for workforce and clinical practice, said in February that broader criteria would let “well-qualified BSNs practicing at the bedside” serve in those roles. ### Does this apply to all nursing instructors? Classroom instruction is not covered by the eased standard. Wisconsin Public Radio reported that the change is limited to clinical teaching, which takes place in hospitals and other care settings, while graduate-degree requirements remain in place for classroom-based courses. The distinction matters because clinical placements are a bottleneck for nursing programs. (wha.org) State officials said the rule is intended to bolster education, training, recruitment and retention of healthcare workers across Wisconsin by expanding the pool of people who can supervise students in those settings. ### What happens next? The Wisconsin Board of Nursing is continuing its broader revision of Chapter N 1 after using the emergency rule process to make the expanded clinical faculty pool available more quickly. (wpr.org) The Wisconsin Hospital Association said in February that the board planned to keep working on the permanent rule changes. As of August 3, Wisconsin Public Radio reported that nursing school leaders were optimistic the emergency rule would help ease faculty shortages and allow programs to accept more students. (content.govdelivery.com) The next step is the board’s continued rulemaking on Chapter N 1, which is listed on the Department of Safety and Professional Services nursing rules page. (wpr.org) (wha.org)