Investing in the Whole Educator: A Holistic Approach to Work/Life Harmony in Academic Nursing.

Background

Academic nursing continues to experience faculty shortages, burnout, and workforce instability. Although nursing is grounded in a philosophy of holistic care, approaches to faculty well-being often emphasize individual resilience and work/life balance rather than organizational support and integration. PROBLEM Traditional work/life balance frameworks may inadequately reflect the realities of academic nursing, where professional identity, personal values, and educator responsibilities are closely intertwined. APPROACH This article proposes work/life harmony as a holistic framework for supporting nurse faculty. Drawing on Watson's Theory of Human Caring and Schwartz's model of sustainable performance, faculty well-being is examined through the interconnected domains of body, mind, and spirit. OUTCOMES The framework highlights the need for organizational strategies that support restoration, cognitive renewal, meaning, connection, and sustainable engagement.

Conclusions

Work/life harmony offers a more integrated approach to faculty well-being and may help strengthen retention, satisfaction, and long-term sustainability within the academic nursing workforce.