The purpose of this qualitative, multiple case study was to explore how nursing program directors across the United States perceived the influence of structural empowerment in online education, and specifically, its role in reducing barriers, and increasing retention of online nurse faculty. Sixty-one associate degree nurse program directors, recruited from the Organization for Associate Degree Nursing (OADN), participated in the study. Guided by the literature, the researcher explored nurse program directors' perceptions of barriers to teaching online, structural empowerment behaviors they reported using, and the influence of structural empowerment on addressing barriers to teaching online and retention of online nurse faculty. Kanter's structural empowerment theory guided the study. Data were collected via online questionnaires, (the CWEQ-II tool and participant appraisal questionnaire), nine semistructured interviews, researcher notes, and public documents. The researcher used deductive and inductive analysis, including cross-case analysis to identify themes. Nursing program directors identified all structural empowerment elements as influencing reduction of barriers to teaching online and retention of online nurse faculty. Seven themes emerged to support the findings: Communication and Collaboration, Financial Challenges, Getting Faculty to Teach Online, Perceptions of and Strategies for Retaining Online Nurse Faculty, Value and Worth, Using Structural Empowerment to Reduce Barriers, and Using Structural Empowerment to Retain Faculty. Results identified possible ways to utilize structural empowerment in nursing academia to address the global nurse shortage. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]