The nursing faculty shortage in the United States presents critical challenges for research-intensive institutions. With over 2000 schools of nursing (National Council of State Boards of Nursing [NCSBN], 2023) competing for a limited supply of faculty candidates prepared to be principal investigators (AACN, 2023), this shortage is particularly pronounced at institutions demonstrating the highest research activity (NCHWA, 2019). Unlike other disciplines where scholars transition directly into academia in their late 20s to early 30s, nurses may delay their research careers for a decade or more of clinical practice, creating unique workforce development challenges (AACN, 2024).

Research-intensive institutions face additional constraints from competitive industry markets, limited funding, and evolving post-pandemic work expectations. Although strategic recruitment in research-intensive institutions is critical for advancing workforce development and promoting human health, little is known about the organizational strategies employed within research-intensive schools of nursing. Hence, this article shares organizational approaches and strategies that have successfully supported nursing faculty recruitment and development through a mission-driven, human-centered approach at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing (NHWSN) at Emory University. Drawing from the extant literature and institutional firsthand experience, the authors highlight three key approaches for faculty hiring and development, including (1) mission-aligned1 recruitment—organizational strategies that advance research excellence and scholarly productivity expectations that distinguish research-intensive institutions; (2) human-centered approaches—creating supportive work environments that enable individual faculty success and well-being; and (3) integration of individual- and organization-centered approaches—balancing institutional priorities with individual career goals and aspirations (see Fig. 1).

Given the urgent need for evidence-based solutions to faculty recruitment challenges (Fang et al., 2016; Yedidia, 2016), this article addresses a critical gap by providing a replicable framework that other research-intensive nursing schools can adapt to strengthen their own faculty pipeline. The framework can help to advance nursing science, improve education capacity, and ultimately support efforts to address both the nursing faculty shortage (educators and researchers) and the broader healthcare workforce crisis.