New Partnerships and Grant-Funded Initiatives in Nursing Education

In June 2002, AACN introduced a section in our monthly email newsletter, AACN News Watch, to share information about new partnerships and grant-funded initiatives. This section is used to spotlight new collaborations and initiatives launched by nursing schools and corporate citizens that effectively increase student capacity, add new nursing faculty, increase student diversity, address the nursing shortage, and enhance the way education is delivered. Below are excerpts from past issues of AACN News Watch.

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May 2009

• The Anita Thigpen Perry School of Nursing at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center has received a $250,000 gift from the RGK Foundation to establish a mobile simulation education program. This innovative program will allow rural interdisciplinary healthcare professionals to receive competency evaluations and continuing education/training opportunities to which they otherwise would not have access. With a July 1 launch date, the mobile simulation program also will help decrease overcrowding in clinical sites and increase nursing student enrollment by supplementing coursework with clinical simulation. See http://www.ttuhsc.edu/son.

April 2009

• The University of Houston-Victoria School of Nursing recently received $25,000 in scholarship funding from the Greater Texas Foundation. The donation will be used to create the Rising to the Challenge scholarships that will pay for tuition, books and fees for nursing transfer students taking classes in Victoria and Sugar Land. “Scholarships are one of our greatest needs at the School of Nursing,” founding Dean Kathryn Tart said. “This generous donation by the Greater Texas Foundation will help us recruit more nurses to advance their education and improve the quality of care for everyone in the communities we serve.” Scholarships enable many nursing students to continue their educations who otherwise would not be able afford to do so. The school also uses such scholarships to recruit students who are underrepresented in the field of nursing, including those under the age of 30, men, Hispanics and other minorities.

March 2009

• On March 9, 2009, the Michigan departments of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth, and Community Health announced the awarding of nearly $5 million in grants to nine Michigan nursing schools and two hospital partners as part of the unique Michigan Nursing Corps. This program was created in 2007 to confront the state’s critical shortage of nurses by preparing additional faculty to educate new nurses by the year 2010. In this second round of funding, the Wayne State University College of Nursing was awarded nearly $2 million to support the school’s accelerated master’s degree program, while also providing an accelerated conclusion to current PhD students preparing for immediate faculty positions at universities across the state. The College of Nursing at Michigan State University received more than $1.1 million to support the school’s PhD, MSN, and accelerated BSN programs. Other grant recipients included Eastern Michigan University ($634,600), Northern Michigan University ($570,000), and Saginaw Valley State University ($103,000). See
  http://www.michigan.gov/mdch/0,1607,7-132-8347-210388--,00.html.

• Duke University is the recipient of a $1.9 million HRSA award to partner with Western Carolina University and University of North Carolina-Charlotte to educate faculty on the strategies for the use and integration of innovative educational technologies into the nursing programs at the three institutions. The grant will support state-wide conferences to address both the knowledge and technology gaps between what learners learn and what they need for timely, efficient, and effective nursing practice in healthcare settings. Innovative teaching methods using technology will be highlighted. Consensus recommendations and supporting documents and presentations will be posted online. The open Web site will also host an inventory of electronic teaching/learning tools used in nursing programs and the assessment of the usefulness and applicability of tools. See http://nursing.duke.edu.

• To improve the effectiveness of nursing instruction as well as implement new methods of instruction, the University of Cincinnati College of Nursing is offering five courses this summer that focus on developing nurse educators in classroom and clinical settings. These programs include a Novice Nurse Educator Institute in August and September 2009; as well as a course on The Shifting Instructional Paradigm: Teaching to Learning, a role seminar and practicum on The Competent Nurse Educator, and a mid-summer course on Transforming Curricula & Student Evaluation in Nursing. These courses from the college’s Nurse Educator Career Development Pathway are offered in conjunction with the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, a collaborative community of scholars in the greater Cincinnati area whose interest is in improving teaching and learning in nursing. Registration and information on the courses can be found at http://www.nursing.uc.edu.

February 2009

• The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) School of Nursing has been awarded a HRSA grant of nearly $1.75 million for a program to increase the numbers of baccalaureate-level registered nurses serving populations in rural areas. The three-year grant will fund the implementation of the RN-BSN Rural Nursing Initiative (RNI). The RNI program is designed to impact the rural nursing shortage through the School of Nursing’s innovative and expanding national distance education baccalaureate (RN-BSN) program. “The nursing shortage is particularly severe in rural areas of the country,” said Lora Lacey-Haun, PhD, RN, dean of the UMKC School of Nursing. “The goal of this initiative, which is already underway, is to make our RN-BSN distance education program more accessible to students in rural areas by using new and creative technologies in delivering our on-line program.” See http://nursing.umkc.edu/newsdetail.cfm?News_ID=92.
  
  
• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida and Largo Medical Center – part of Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) West Florida Division – have committed financial support to continue providing the Florida International University College of Nursing’s Foreign-Educated Physician to Nursing Program (FEPN) in the Tampa Bay region. Dr. Divina Grossman, Dean of the College, said: “We knew we were sitting on a gold mine of opportunity with the program in Tampa. We have a diverse candidate pool to choose from. We have the technological and academic structure in place to deliver the program. We have hospitals coming to us to help fill their nursing workforce shortages. And we have a track record of success, with five years’ worth of graduates integrating quickly and effectively as nurses in health care facilities. What we did not have were the financial resources to ensure the program’s existence in the region, until now.” See http://chua2.fiu.edu/Nursing.

January 2009

• The University of Maryland School of Nursing has received a pledge of $1 million from Mary Catherine Bunting, a 1972 MSN graduate, to establish the Mary Catherine Bunting Scholarship for Maryland residents enrolled in the School’s Clinical Nurse Leader (CNL) program. “Ms. Bunting’s generosity opens the door to a nursing career for those who could not otherwise afford it,” says Janet D. Allan, PhD, RN, FAAN, dean of the School of Nursing. “This gift presents a wonderful opportunity for our students while benefitting the entire state by bolstering the professional nurse workforce.” See http://nursing.umaryland.edu/news/2009/1-6.htm.

• The Arizona State University College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation is partnering with Idea Crossing, a digital innovation firm, to conduct the first national Healthcare Innovation Challenge® from January 5 to May 1, 2009. Linda Mottle, director of the Center of Healthcare Innovation & Clinical Trials at ASU, said, “The purposes of the challenge are to foster collaboration and attract tomorrow’s leaders as well as to solve real-world healthcare challenges. Our goal in partnering with Idea Crossing is to be a catalyst in bringing innovation which produces better evidenced-based quality patient care, efficiency, and lower costs to healthcare.” Challenge category question areas will include Information Technology in Healthcare, Re-engineering Care and Use of Interdisciplinary Teams, and Healthcare Finance & Health 2.0. For complete details on this unique cross-disciplinary effort, see http://nursing.asu.edu.

• The University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing (Penn Nursing) has established a partnership with the Eclipsys Corporation® to provide tomorrow's nurses with healthcare information technology experience. Faculty plan to use the partnership to develop and implement curriculum that incorporates Eclipsys' advanced information technology solutions, hardware and clinical expertise. "At a time of great need to counter the growing nursing shortage, Penn Nursing is providing nursing students with a solid background that helps them more quickly and fully prepare to enter the profession," said Dean Afaf Meleis. "As Penn Nursing celebrates its 30-year legacy in providing the highest level of nursing scholarship through doctoral education, it is important that we continue to seek ways to advance the science of nursing with emphasis on technology tools that are widely deployed and highly adopted." See http://www.nursing.upenn.edu.

• Blue Cross Blue Shield executives recently presented a check for $637,000 to Tennessee Better Birth Outcomes, a collaborative project with the Vanderbilt University Schools of Nursing and Medicine as well as Nurses for Newborns, a non-profit nurse visitation program serving at-risk mothers and babies.  The Blue Cross Blue Shield funds will support year three of the randomized clinical trial studying high-risk pregnant women from early pregnancy through postpartum.  The goal is to decrease the number of premature births in Tennessee, which nationally ranks 48th in infant mortality and 47th in preterm births. See http://www.nursing.vanderbilt.edu/media/release98.html.

December 2008

• The Duke University School of Nursing has received $100,000 in funding from The Duke Endowment to support The Campaign for Difference in Nursing initiative. This award will be used to create a nursing workforce for North Carolina that matches the population of those needing health care. This initiative will be advanced by the School of Nursing's Office of Global and Community Health Initiatives, which works eliminate health disparities locally and nationally. Through this campaign, the nursing school will establish a recruitment network for groups under-represented in nursing to assist them in exploring opportunities in the profession. Beginning this summer, the Campaign will also sponsor eight undergraduate students for a six-week on-campus summer internship program designed expose students to patient care and scientific activities in nursing. See http://nursing.duke.edu.

• The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center Anita Thigpen Perry School of Nursing has partnered with the Midland Memorial Foundation and Midland Memorial Hospital to establish the Advancing Clinical Excellence project aimed at furthering the education of nurses. The Midland Memorial Foundation and Midland Memorial Hospital have committed $720,000 to be distributed over three years among 90 Midland Memorial nurses pursuing their Bachelor of Science degrees in nursing, and 30 pursuing their Master of Science in Nursing degrees. See http://www.ttuhsc.edu/son.

November 2008

October 2008

September 2008

August 2008

July 2008

June 2008

• The Wayne State University College of Nursing has been awarded a $331,000 grant from Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm’s Michigan Nursing Corps initiative to fund the development of an accelerated, 15-month master’s degree program designed to help combat the critical shortage of nursing educators in the state. Under the provisions of the award, the College will fast-track a cohort of MSN students specializing in acute care, who upon graduation will be committed to teach in Michigan for at least five years. The grant is part of $1.5 million in the state budget designated for the Nursing Corps in fiscal year 2008. Gov. Granholm has recommended the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth include a $10 million line item for the program in the fiscal year 2009 budget, currently under consideration by the state legislature. See http://www.nursing.wayne.edu.

May 2008

• The School of Nursing and Health Studies at Georgetown University Medical Center and Washington Hospital Center have partnered to establish a $2 million scholarship program for students enrolled in the school’s 16-month accelerated baccalaureate program. The program was developed to recruit, educate, and retain a front-line nursing workforce. With 230 nurses expected to complete the program over the next few years, graduates will work for at least three years at Washington Hospital Center, including on the geriatrics unit. See http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bal-op.nurses05may05,0,6944804.story.

• On May 6, Capital Health Plan (CHP) announced it will invest $1.5 million over the next five years in nursing education programs at Florida State University (FSU), Florida A&M University (FAMU), and Tallahassee Community College. The initiative is aimed at alleviating a growing nursing shortage in Florida. At FSU, the funding will create a 12-month accelerated baccalaureate nursing program for students who have a degree in another field and have completed prerequisite courses. At FAMU, CHP's investment will create the Capital Health Plan/Edwin Thorpe Endowed Scholarship Fund, which will provide scholarships for undergraduate, upper-division students who are graduates of high schools in Leon, Gadsden, Wakulla and Jefferson counties. The scholarship will pay up to full tuition for recipients for a maximum of four semesters. For more details, see http://www.chp.org/news/2008050601.php.

April 2008

• A new source of financial support is available for doctoral students at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing who are committed to teaching future generations of nurses in the New York City metropolitan area.  The funds, awarded through the Jonas Center for Nursing Excellence Nursing Scholars Program, provide up to $280,000 in forgivable loans to support efforts to prepare and retain qualified nurse educators. "The nursing profession is in great need of faculty members to educate the nurses of the future," says Dr. Marie T. Nolan, director of the school’s PhD program.  "We need to attend to the nurse faculty shortage in order to address the shortage of nurses caring for patients in all health care settings across the lifespan.  The Jonas Nursing Scholars Program was designed to do just that." See http://www.son.jhmi.edu/newsevents/news/news.aspx?ID=613.

• Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) School of Nursing has partnered with Hendrick Health System to establish a second-degree nursing program in Abilene. “This accelerated program is a wonderful opportunity for people who would like to become baccalaureate prepared nurses but do not have the time to go through traditional nursing program,” said Dr. Alexia Green, dean of the School of Nursing. “This is just another step TTUHSC has made toward helping to alleviate the nursing shortage in Texas.” See http://www.ttuhsc.edu/son.

• The University of Texas at El Paso School of Nursing has been awarded $100,000 by St. David’s HealthCare of Austin, and the Las Palmas and Del Sol Medical Centers, partners in the Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) Inc., to create a new program aimed at reducing nursing shortages. The grant will create an innovative 15-week program officially known as the HCA Central/West Texas-UTEP Bridge Program for Mexico Nurses to Increase Diversity. The program will give degreed and licensed Mexican nurses an opportunity to prepare to pass the Texas Nurses Certification and Licensing Exam, the national exam to become a registered nurse. See http://nursing.utep.edu.

March 2008

• On March 3, Iowa’s Lieutenant Governor Patty Judge released a report calling for the creation of a statewide Nursing Task Force to address challenges facing Iowa’s nurses, such as low wages and a lack of workers. The report made a number of recommendations, including expanding programs in the public and private sectors to provide forgivable loans and scholarships for nursing education at all levels; increasing the number of nursing faculty through innovative employment; strengthening recruitment efforts and increasing salaries; and increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of education programs and improve their ability to provide easy articulation between programs. Read the report online at http://www.governor.iowa.gov/news/2008/03/03_1.php.

• New York University College of Nursing (NYUCN), has received an eight-year, $4.1 million grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to study newly licensed registered nurses in order to track changes in their careers. The new grant extends from 4 to 10 the number of years these nurses will be studied. "Following the same nurses for the first 10 years of their careers will provide an unprecedented opportunity to learn about how they make decisions about their work," said NYUCN's Dr. Christine Kovner, the study's principal investigator. "We deeply appreciate the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's continued unwavering support for the study of the important issues of RN retention and job satisfaction," said NYUCN Dean Terry Fulmer. "The findings will in turn help leaders in the field make informed decisions about where in the system we need to make greater investments in educating, hiring, and retaining excellent nurses, which is so critical to the health of our nation." See http://www.nyu.edu/nursing.

February 2008

• On February 7, Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley announced the allocation of $3.4 million to the University of Maryland School of Nursing from the state’s Higher Education Investment Fund to help address the nursing shortage. “Nurses are the backbone of Maryland’s healthcare system and play an invaluable role in delivering the best patient care,” said Governor O’Malley. “To ensure that all Marylanders have access to the highest quality of care, an adequate supply of well-trained and committed nurses is absolutely critical.” See http://www.governor.maryland.gov/press.asp.

January 2008

• On January 31, Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell announced the investment of $1.8 million to expand nurse education opportunities and increase the number of nurses in Pennsylvania. “By training more nurses – and by using state-of-the-art equipment for that training – Pennsylvania will have more graduates on the job who are qualified from day one to deliver the quality care our citizens need and deserve,” said Governor Rendell.  Several AACN member institutions received funding through this initiative, including DeSales University, Holy Family University, Messiah College, University of Pennsylvania, University of Pittsburgh, and Villanova University. See http://www.state.pa.us/papower/cwp/view.asp?A=11&Q=471236.

• The Simmons College Department of Nursing is pleased to announce the creation of The Legacy Fund for Faculty Nurse Scholars, which was established by a $1 million gift from an anonymous family of donors. This funding will be used to support a variety of departmental activities aimed at promoting faculty scholarship, recruitment, and retention. The Legacy Fund will help finance everything from course-release time (to pursue doctoral course work, dissertation research, tenure preparation, and more) to stipends for independent scholarship. Funds also will be available for professional development opportunities. Dr. Judy Beal, nursing department chair, was instrumental in engendering support for this generous gift and creating The Legacy Fund. See http://www.simmons.edu/academics/undergraduate/nursing.

November 2007

• On November 5, leaders from Maryland hospitals and nursing education announced a bold new strategy for solving the state’s nursing crisis by doubling the number of nurses now educated in Maryland. With Maryland facing a shortage of 10,000 RNs by 2016, the plan calls for an increase of 1,800 in the number of enrollees of first-year nursing students beginning in 2009 and continuing into the foreseeable future. This goal will require 360 additional faculty members; faculty salaries that reflect market conditions; additional funding for nursing education programs; and, additional classroom and clinical sites to accommodate expanded enrollments. The group placed a price tag on the plan in year one of $34 million, and $25 million in the following year. After an initial investment of public and private sector dollars, organizers expect that the expansion will begin to pay for itself. See http://www.mdhospitals.org.

• The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board awarded more than $7 million to Texas nursing schools under the Professional Nursing Shortage Reduction Program. Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) School of Nursing had the largest increase of graduates in the state in 2007 and received the largest sum of funds with $702,151. TTUHSC increased their number of graduates by 90 students from 360 in 2006 to 450 in 2007, making it the number two producer of degrees by a nursing school in the state, second only to Texas Woman’s University. “The evolving nursing shortage has significant implications for all of us – nurses, patients, health care providers, educators and the public,” said TTUHSC nursing dean Alexia Green. “Our School of Nursing is strategically addressing this critical need.” See http://www.ttuhsc.edu/son.

• A collaborative effort between the University of Maryland School of Nursing and CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield has resulted in the development of a new regional scholarship to promote graduate nursing education.  An advanced degree will qualify graduates to become faculty members who can teach nursing students at all levels. Dubbed “Project RN,” the scholarship program will help students complete their degree within two years by providing them with financial support. For details, see http://nursing.umaryland.edu/news/2007/10-30.htm.

October 2007

• The Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) awarded the University of North Dakota College of Nursing two grants to support new Master’s degree tracks specializing in Gerontology and Public/Community Health Nursing.  Enrollment for both degree options began in fall 2007 with options to earn an RN to MS degree, MS degree, or post-nursing master's certificate. “We at the College are thrilled with this news”, shares Dr. Chandice Covington, dean of nursing.  “Education in the areas of gerontology and public/community health is in high demand in North Dakota and the nation.  The faculty directing these programs are dedicated to success and seeing an impact on health in our region. We at the College applaud their hard work and commitment.” See http://www.nursing.und.edu.

• Funded by the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing, the Vine Hill Community Clinic and its four satellite sites have achieved status as a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) by the Department of Health and Human Services.  The clinic is the flagship of the University Community Health Services, a network of eight area health clinics, and the $650,000-a-year, three-year grant will go toward expanding services at Vine Hill and funding other health outreach efforts. “Achieving designation as a federally-qualified health center opens many doors for our nurse practitioner and nurse midwife faculty to provide more services to more patients,” said Dr. Colleen Conway-Welch, dean of the School of Nursing. Read more at http://www.nursing.vanderbilt.edu.

• Earlier this month, Northeastern University announced that Dr. Carol Glod, research director and professor of nursing, received a $625,000 HRSA traineeship grant to expand the university’s child psychiatric nursing program. Aiming to help eliminate the severe shortage of nurses for underserved populations, the three-year project will prepare advanced practice registered nurses in child and adolescent psychiatric nursing to provide culturally competent care to vulnerable children, adolescents and their families with acute and chronic mental illness. See http://www.northeastern.edu/bouve/nursing.

September 2007

• On September 12, the New Mexico Higher Education Department announced the awarding of $3.5 million to support nursing programs at the state’s public colleges and universities. A total of 17 New Mexico colleges and universities, including New Mexico State University and the University of New Mexico, received funding in amounts ranging from $50,000 to $500,000 to help address the state’s critical nursing shortage. In addition, the Department will disburse an additional $500,000 later this month to enable nursing schools to provide a supplemental compensation package for nursing faculty and staff.  See http://hed.state.nm.us.

• The San Diego State University's School of Nursing has received a $1 million “naming” gift from Sharp HealthCare to help support the school’s Human Patient Simulation Center. “Our state’s nursing shortage is well known, and our support of the Human Patient Simulation Center will help give nursing students the best education possible in the most efficient setting,” said Mike Murphy, President and CEO of Sharp HealthCare.  “This Center will enhance what already is an excellent nursing program at SDSU.” For more details, see http://nursing.sdsu.edu.

• The College of Nursing at Texas Woman’s University was recently awarded $714,600 in state appropriations from the 80th Texas Legislature to enhance the capacity of the MS in nursing program to graduate more nurse educators. The goals of the special appropriations include revising the current 36 semester credit hours program into an entirely online degree that can be completed in one calendar year. Funds will also be used to provide stipends to cover the cost of tuition, fees, and educational expenses for up to 12 full-time enrolled students. Ultimately, TWU plans to graduate more nursing education majors who can then commit to teaching in a Texas college or university. For complete details, see http://www.twu.edu/nursing/programs/ms/ms_nurse_educator.htm.

August 2007

• The University of Maryland School of Nursing and the U.S. Army Nurse Corps (ANC) have initiated an innovative partnership to help address the nurse faculty shortage. The pilot program calls for up to eight ANC officers to be utilized as undergraduate nursing faculty, at no cost to the school, for a maximum of two academic years. The first six ANC nurse educators will begin teaching this fall. “Faculty shortages across the nation are limiting student capacity,” says Dr. Janet D. Allan, dean of the School of Nursing.  “This mutually beneficial program will help us tackle our faculty shortage, allow us to continue educating large numbers of undergraduate students, and help the Army enhance officer training.  It is a win-win situation for both parties.” See http://nursing.umaryland.edu/news/2007/6-18.htm.

• A new partnership between the schools of nursing at University of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV) and the University of Nevada-Reno (UNR) is focusing on ways to recruit and retain nurse educators, a critical step towards addressing the nursing shortage in Nevada. The surge in nursing school applications throughout the nation has sparked the demand for more doctorally-prepared nurse educators. To address this issue, UNLV School of Nursing Professor Lori Candela was awarded a $710,000 grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to develop a program accelerating the progression of master’s-prepared nursing students at UNLV and UNR into the existing PhD program at UNLV. The three-year project calls for exposing existing master’s students to doctoral courses, streamlining curriculum, and actively recruiting the current nursing workforce to attract and retain eligible doctoral students. See http://nursing.unlv.edu/about_news.html.

• Emory University's Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing has received a pilot grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Quality and Safety Education for Nurses (QSEN) to create and implement an innovative quality and safety curriculum. The QSEN program is aimed at fostering revolutionary changes in the education of nurses across the more than 700 U.S. collegiate schools of nursing. "This nation is facing a crisis in healthcare quality and safety," says Dr. Marla Salmon, dean and professor of the school of nursing. "The QSEN program is setting the stage for nurses to play even more central roles in providing safe and positive care experiences for patients and their families. We are honored to have been selected to be among the leading schools of nursing nationally in this important work." For more details, see http://www.nursing.emory.edu/nursing.

• Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing (JHUSON) faculty are partnering with four hospitals from the Greater Baltimore Metropolitan area in efforts to address the state’s nursing shortage. With funding from Maryland’s Health Services Cost Review Commission, the new partnerships are developing innovative programs and research that create both the leadership and an environment conducive to effective nursing practice. One partnership, implemented by Dr. Mary Terhaar in collaboration with the Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC), will provide complete tuition for four administrators and executives to participate in JHUSON’s Doctorate of Nursing Practice program and for ten nurse leaders to earn their Master of Nursing Science. The program uses an evidence-based practice model to help improve the orientation and preceptor programs at GBMC. For more details on this and other efforts, see http://www.son.jhmi.edu/newsevents/news/news.aspx?id=571.

• The PhD Program at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing was recently awarded a $843,232 HRSA grant to enhance the capacity of the program to graduate more nurse scholars who can educate future generations of nurses. The project’s goals include expanding the number and diversity of PhD students, enhancing the capability of the program’s distance education activities, and formalizing a nursing educator component. The PhD program will also welcome the first distance education class this fall. Until this year, the program has been taught using a traditional classroom environment. By offering non-traditional classes that include Web-based and Web-enhanced methods, the program will increase the opportunity for students to pursue advanced nursing careers, which is an important step in addressing the nursing shortage. See http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/nursing.

• On August 8, the Rhode Island Student Loan Authority (RISLA) announced an ambitious program to offset the state’s nursing crisis by enhancing the organization’s Nursing Reward Programs. Through this initiative, RNs and LPNs may apply for zero percent interest on Stafford Loans over the first four years of repayment, with the added benefit of $1,000 per year of principal forgiveness during the same four year period. Similarly, through the Nurse Educator Program, borrowers receive zero percent interest on Stafford Loans for the first four years of repayment, as well as $5,000 per year of principal forgiveness over the same four years. To qualify, borrowers must agree to work in an educator/faculty position at any of the accredited nursing schools in Rhode Island. For more details, see http://www.RISLA.com.

• On July 25, the Kansas Board of Regents announced that it had awarded $600,000 to bolster nursing faculty and educational offerings at 17 public higher education institutions across the state that offer RN programs. Funding was provided as part of the state’s ten-year initiative to address the nursing shortage. Several AACN member schools were awarded funds to add new faculty or bolster faculty salaries, including Fort Hays State University, Pittsburg State University, University of Kansas Medical Center, Washburn University, and Wichita State University.  For more information, see http://www.kansasregents.org.

• The Wayne State University College of Nursing received a $336,467, three-year federal training grant to initiate a Workforce Diversity Program aimed at improving recruitment and retention of BSN students from minority or economically disadvantaged backgrounds. In addition to providing scholarships, funding will be used to create a comprehensive support system for minority students, including a new Learning Community Retention Program.  For more details, see http://www.nursing.wayne.edu

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July 2007

• On July 25, Jim Kissler, CEO of Norco Inc., presented Boise State University with a $2 million gift on behalf of the Kissler Family Foundation to be used toward the construction of a new building that will house the Department of Nursing and the Student Health Wellness and Counseling Center. The Kissler Family Foundation gift was matched by $1 million gifts from both Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center and St. Luke’s Health System. In addition, generous support was given by Allen and Billie Noble, Ed and Shirley Bews, and the estate of Jody DeMeyer. “This building is so critical to the nursing department,” said Dr. Pam Springer, chair of the Nursing Department. “It will allow us the space we need to increase admissions to the program by 30 percent.” See http://www.boisestate.edu.

• The Frontier School of Midwifery and Family Nursing (FSMFN) has recently been awarded two grants from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to enhance educational programs and provide student scholarships. With $685,000 in funding, FSMFN will expand its ADN-MSN bridge program which allows nurses with associate degrees to complete a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree. Expanding the school’s capacity to admit students through this option will allow FSMFN to educate an increased number of advanced practice nurses which are needed to serve across settings, including medically underserved and rural areas. For more information on this program and the scholarship funding, see http://www.midwives.org/home.html. 

• The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) College of Nursing has received a $932,000 HRSA grant to help reduce the shortage of public health nurses in Illinois. The grant will be used to recruit and train nurses in either a graduate degree in nursing through UIC's advanced community health nurse program or a joint master's degree in public health. "We need more and better prepared advanced public/community health nurses to care for our communities in such places as health departments, hospices, parish nurse programs, occupational health programs and schools," said the project’s principal investigator Dr. Kathleen Baldwin. For more details, see http://www.uic.edu.

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June 2007

• The North Texas Consortium of Schools of Nursing, in collaboration with area hospitals, developed 10 patient care teaching/learning modules to share with schools of nursing in Texas. These modules are based on high risk/high volume patient diagnoses likely to be encountered in nursing practice. The goal is to increase patient safety as well as the clinical competence and confidence of new nurses graduating from initial licensure programs in the state. All modules will be placed on the Texas Nurses Association’s website for local, state and national accessibility at a later time. The Consortium has been spearheaded by Dr. Elizabeth Poster, Dean of the School of Nursing at The University of Texas at Arlington and Dr. Paulette Burns, Dean of the Harris College of Nursing and Health Sciences at Texas Christian University. See http://www.uta.edu/nursing/news.

• University of Oklahoma College of Nursing professor, dean emeritus Dr. Patricia Forni, has been awarded a $3 million grant to prepare nurse educators to teach in Oklahoma. Funded by an anonymous donor, through the Communities Foundation of Oklahoma, this is the largest single grant in the history of the College of Nursing.  The grant will be used to combat the shortage of nursing faculty in Oklahoma by requiring scholarship recipients to work in an Oklahoma nursing program for a minimum of two years after graduating. See http://www.nursing.ouhsc.edu

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May 2007

• On May 14, Pace University’s Lienhard School of Nursing and the New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) announced a $1.3 million program to provide nursing scholarships for 30 students in exchange for a commitment to work at an HHC facility for four years. The program is designed to quickly move nursing graduates into the profession and serves as a model for addressing the national nursing shortage. Pace's nursing program is the city’s first to offer a residency program and include a service commitment to public hospitals. Scholarships worth $40,000 will be given to individuals who want to change careers, already have a bachelor’s degree, and wish to earn their undergraduate nursing degree in one year through Pace’s combined degree program. See http://appserv.pace.edu/execute/page.cfm?doc_id=558.

• The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Health System has given the UAB School of Nursing $1 million to start an intensive 24 to 36 month master's program for persons who have a bachelor's degree in any field. This second degree program is designed to introduce 45 new nurses annually into the workforce. "Graduates from intensive master’s nursing program such as these are a good nursing workforce match to the missions of institutions like UAB Hospital and its magnet status, as well as all of our clinical partners,” said Dean Doreen Harper. “These students are highly talented and eager to enter the clinical nursing pool and faculty positions.” See http://main.uab.edu/sites/nursing/108587.

• The University of West Florida (UWF) has announced an endowment gift of $600,000 from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida to the UWF Foundation. The gift will provide support for launching a Master of Science in Nursing degree program at UWF with tracks in nursing education and nursing administration. With an anticipated match through the State of Florida’s Major Gifts Challenge program, the gift will create a $1.02 million endowment to support UWF’s nursing program. See http://uwf.edu/nursing.

• A $500,000 award from the University of Texas (UT) System will enable the School of Nursing at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston to create a multipurpose interdisciplinary research area crucial to the recruitment of research faculty. The funds for the research area come from the UT System’s Enrich Nursing Through Exceptional Recruitment (ENTER) program. “In a time of fiscal constraints and a faculty shortage, the ENTER grant is a godsend for the School of Nursing,” said Dean Pamela G. Watson. “We have been able to obtain financial support to provide research-related facilities and equipment to encourage talented, doctorally-prepared faculty to join us.” See http://www.son.utmb.edu.

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April 2007

• The new BSN-to-PhD in Nursing Track at The University of Texas at Arlington is now accepting students with BSN degrees for fall 2007 classes. “We originally planned to accept the next entering BSN-to-PhD class in 2008,” said Dr. Jennifer Gray, associate dean of the PhD program.  “However, the need for doctoral-prepared faculty to help alleviate the nursing shortage is so vital that we will admit a class this year.” For details including admission requirements, see http://www.uta.edu/nursing/PhD/program.php.

• The University of Mississippi School of Nursing has launched an accelerated degree program to address the shortage of nurses in the state’s health care workforce. This 15-month second degree program is made possible by a three-year, $750,000 grant from the Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). A major goal of this program is to increase enrollment of baccalaureate prepared RNs by 25 percent in three years with special focus on recruiting a more diverse student population. For more details, see http://son.umc.edu/news.htm

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March 2007

• On March 6, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University staged a patient safety training exercise for medical and nursing students, the first of its kind collaboration between the two universities. Approximately 460 medical and nursing students participated in this event along with more than 100 faculty and staff from both schools. Four different methods of instruction were used in this patient safety training to help the organizers evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each. This joint training was the first of four projects funded by a $1.65 million grant to UNC and Duke from the North Carolina GlaxoSmithKline Foundation. See http://nursing.unc.edu/new/press_releases/release.html?pr=1172811600.

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February 2007

• Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida (BCBSF) has established a $3.5 million endowment at the University of Florida to open the BCBSF Center for Health Care Access, Patient Safety and Quality Outcomes. The new center will be housed in the College of Nursing and the College of Public Health and Health Professions and will work to significantly improve the health of Florida’s citizens. “The University of Florida is grateful for the generosity of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida and its dedication to improving Florida’s health care,” said UF President Bernie Machen. “With this new center, the state is positioned to become a national leader in health-care delivery, demonstrating that safe, high-quality care can be provided, and that health-care costs can be reduced by preventing medical errors and complications.” See http://news.ufl.edu/2007/01/26/bcbs-center.

• On February 15, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger awarded $3 million in grants to 16 different California nursing schools to help educate more nursing students in the state. “As we focus on reforming California’s broken health care system, we must ensure that we have the workforce to meet the growing demand for nurses. These grants will help expand enrollment in nursing programs and attract students from within the communities the nursing programs serve,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. See http://gov.ca.gov/index.php?/press-release/5432.

• On February 6, Northern Illinois University School of Nursing received a $450,000 grant from the Illinois Board of Higher Education to expand student enrollment, attract new faculty, and enhance the use of simulation technology. Funding will be used to hire one additional professor and two instructors, allowing the school to increase enrollment by 20%. In addition, the grant will allow the university to purchase three on-campus Human Patient Simulation Laboratories to ease the current shortage of educational sites. See http://www.niu.edu/PubAffairs/RELEASES/2007/feb/nursinggrant.shtml.

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Janurary 2007

• New York University's College of Nursing has announced the names of 20 Fellows who will participate in the second annual Leadership Institute for Black Nurses. The goal of the institute is to empower nurses who seek career advancement in education, research, and administration. "This program was established in keeping with a long tradition of commitment to black nursing leadership," says Dr. Terry Fulmer, dean of the College of Nursing. "Through education and mentorship, the institute serves as a resource to assist nurses who have shown great potential as health care leaders and seeks to expand the opportunities available to them." See http://www.nyu.edu/public.affairs/releases/detail/1386.

• In response to the nurse faculty shortage, Tennessee Governor Philip Bredesen and state health officials launched a campaign on January 22 to raise funds for a scholarship program that would help current RNs earn graduate degrees needed to teach nursing. The Graduate Nursing Loan Forgiveness Program - which the governor signed into law in 2006 - calls for $1.4 million in funding to pay for 100 RNs to return to school to complete graduate programs. After graduation, nurses receiving support would be expected to teach in an undergraduate nursing program in Tennessee for four years. See http://www.tennesseeanytime.org/governor/Newsroom.do?id=1.

• With approval by the State Board of Education, Boise State University will begin offering a master's level nursing program in fall 2007. Students may earn either a master of nursing or master of science in nursing degree, with an emphasis in public health. The program is designed to advance the careers of nurses already in the field, and will also prepare more nurses for teaching positions at Idaho universities. In a show of collaboration and support, Boise State University has also signed an agreement with Idaho State University to better coordinate the delivery of graduate nursing programs to Idaho students. See http://nursing.boisestate.edu/news/index.shtml.

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December 2006

• The Joseph and Nancy Fail School of Nursing at William Carey University in Mississippi was awarded a $1 million grant from the Asbury Foundation of Hattiesburg to construct an addition onto the existing nursing building located on the Hattiesburg campus. "What an amazing trust," said Dr. Mary Stewart, dean of the school of nursing. "The Asbury Foundation continues to be a strong supporter of our School of Nursing; we have the deepest gratitude for their partnership." The addition will provide space to educate more nurses at a time when the nursing shortage is nearly a crisis. See http://www.wmcarey.edu/asp/viewpr.asp?item=338.

• The College of Nursing and Health Sciences at Florida International University (FIU) recently named the Jorge and Darlene Perez Nursing Laboratory at the Health and Life Science Building at FIU's University Park campus. The naming and dedication ceremony was held on November 14, 2006 to honor Related Group Chairman and CEO Jorge M. Perez and wife Darlene Boytell-Perez for their $250,000 gift to the College. The Perez donation, coupled with a 50 percent state match, will provide the College with a total of $375,000 to add to its nursing endowment. "This generous gift will help support the advancement of the nursing programs at FIU and keep the laboratory on the cutting edge of health education," said nursing dean Divina Grossman. See http://chua2.fiu.edu/Nursing.

• On November 15, Kaiser Permanente in Northern California announced its award of $6 million to support two baccalaureate nursing programs and a workforce diversity initiative lead by the Hispanic College Fund. Through this initiative, almost $5.5 million will be given to Samuel Merritt College over a four-year period to expand its accelerated BSN program to 96 new students per year. In addition, a $150,000 loan forgiveness program was created at San Jose State University for 10 BSN students, and the Hispanic College Fund was given $260,000 over three years to support 10 nursing students in Northern California. See http://www.kaisersantarosa.org/news/kaiser/nursinggrant.

• The Department of Health and Human Services awarded D'Youville College a $28,800 grant to help increase the number of qualified nursing faculty. The funds will be used to establish a special Nurse Faculty Loan Program. Upon completion of an advanced degree program, recipients may cancel up to 85 percent of the loan over a designated period while serving as a full-time faculty member at a school of nursing. "This funding is an important step to help in the shortage of qualified nursing faculty. Many students are unable to enter nursing because there are no faculty to teach the courses," said nursing department chair Verna R. Kieffer.

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November 2006

• Carrying out a goal set by Illinois Governor Rod R. Blagojevich to stem the state's nursing shortage, officials from his administration opened the Illinois Center for Nursing in Springfield on November 2. The Center is responsible for assessing the current supply and demand for nurses in Illinois and developing a strategic plan to ensure that the state can educate, recruit and retain nurses. The center's advisory board will also work with state, regional and local businesses and governments to provide support for programs to expand opportunities for nurses in the state. See http://www.illinois.gov/PressReleases/PressReleasesSearch.cfm.
  
  
• On October 23, Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell unveiled two workforce development initiatives that will increase the number of nurse educators and expand clinical education opportunities for the growing student nurse population. The $4 million "Loaned Faculty" initiative provides funding so health care employers and nursing education providers can loan qualified teachers to nursing schools experiencing faculty shortages. The "Clinical Education" expansion initiative provides $3 million in grants to help nursing schools and health care providers expand clinical education opportunities for the growing number of nursing students in the state. See http://www.state.pa.us/papower/cwp/view.asp?A=11&Q=457355.

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October 2006

• The School of Nursing at The College of St. Scholastica (MN) received two federal grants totaling $1.5 million for two nursing education programs. The grants will support the development of a new DNP degree as well as a multifaceted initiative to increase workforce diversity. "We are delighted with the federal support that will enable us to initiate two important projects. We believe these efforts will significantly increase the positive impact of nurses and on health care," said School of Nursing Dean Dr. Martha T. Witrak. See http://www.css.edu/x1576.xml.
  
  
• The University of Maryland School of Nursing has received a five-year, $1 million grant from MedStar Health to support of the Governor's Wellmobile program. Managed by the School of Nursing, the Wellmobile travels throughout the state providing primary health care services to underserved and uninsured citizens. The program also provides a venue for students - at both the undergraduate and graduate level where clinical skills are honed - to gain experience in a community health setting. See http://nursing.umaryland.edu.
  
  
• Florida International University School of Nursing has partnered with Miami Dade College to operationalize a $1.2 million SUCCEED grant from the Florida Department of Education for the Expanded Nursing Capacity and Diversity Initiative (ENCDI). This initiative addresses the critical shortage of RNs and nursing faculty, the need for more nurses from minority backgrounds, and the need to innovative nursing education. Under ENCDI, both institutions will be able to increase nursing student enrollment, as well as implement innovative practices in nursing education through new technologies. See http://chua2.fiu.edu/Nursing.
  
  
• The University of South Florida (USF) College of Nursing, in partnership with Bethune-Cookman College (BCC) has established an initiative to boost the number of doctorate-level minority nursing faculty. Launched earlier this semester, five nursing instructors from BCC, a historically black college and university (HBCU), have been enrolled in USF's Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program. To support the program, USF is using $450,838 of a $1.28 million SUCCEED Florida Career Education Grant awarded to the school last year for the state's first DNP program. See http://hsc.usf.edu/nocms/nursing/newsannounce/newsannounce.html.
  
  
• The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) has awarded a $1.3 million grant to the Arizona State University (ASU) College of Nursing & Healthcare Innovation to fund a project to improve nurse retention and patient care. ASU's ultimate goal of the Nurses-to-Nurses project is to implement a working model for creating and sustaining a healthy and effective nursing work environment that can be adapted by health organizations across the United States. ASU will partner with Abrazo Health Care (AHC) of Arizona on the five-year initiative through 2011. See http://nursing.asu.edu.

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September 2006

• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee (BCBST) Health Foundation has awarded Vanderbilt University a $2.48 million, four-year grant to study premature births in high-risk women. This is the largest grant ever made by BCBST, and it will make a significant collaborative project possible that may save babies' lives and millions of dollars in health care money for Tennesseans. The grant funds Tennessee Connections for Better Birth Outcomes, a research project led by Dr. Patricia Temple, professor of Pediatrics and medical director for Nurses for Newborns, and Dr. Melanie Lutenbacher, associate professor of Nursing and Pediatrics and director of the PhD in Nursing Science Program at the Vanderbilt University School of Nursing. See http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/nursing/media/release720.html.

• The University of Maryland School of Nursing has received the first year of funding, in the amount of $200,000, on a three-year program to develop a comprehensive higher education program for increasing awareness about the fight against breast cancer. "The Komen Maryland Affiliate Nursing Partnership: Advancing Education and Practice" - an innovative partnership with the Maryland Affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation - is the first of its kind in the nation linking the Komen Foundation with a nursing school. "This funding initiative is intended to model a unique and innovative way for the Komen Foundation to emphasize critically important roles that nurses play in the fight against breast cancer," says Robin Prothro, executive director of Komen's Maryland affiliate and an alumna of the School of Nursing. See http://nursing.umaryland.edu/news/2006/8-28.htm

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July 2006

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June 2006

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May 2006

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March 2006

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February 2006

January 2006

• The Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission, the state agency charged with setting rates for Maryland Hospitals, in collaboration with the Maryland Higher Education Commission, has approved funding for a Nurse Support Program (NSP) in the amount $9.4 million a year over the next 10 years to support two initiatives to help alleviate Maryland’s critical shortage of nurse faculty and bedside nurses. Funding will be used to expand the pool of nurses in Maryland by increasing the capacity of nursing programs. The first statewide initiative will provide funding for graduate nursing faculty scholarships and living expenses, new nursing faculty fellowships, and state nursing scholarship and living expenses grants. The second program, the competitive institutional grants initiative, will expand the state’s nursing capacity through shared resources, increase the state’s nursing faculty, improve nursing student retention, and increase the pipeline for nurse faculty. See http://nursing.umaryland.edu/news/2005/12-21.htm.
  
  
• On January 10, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida (BCBSF) announced the donation of $600,000 each to the University of North Florida (UNF) and the University of Florida (UF) in an effort to address critical issues in nursing education. The State of Florida will match each gift at $420,000. UNF and UF were also awarded a $1.2 million SUCCEED grant from the state to increase the number of nurses who enter Florida's workforce. Dr. Robert I. Lufrano, chairman and CEO of BCBSF said “Through our Generation RN program, we are able to support nurse education plus address a critical workforce and health care need in Florida." Generation RN is a public/private partnership initiated by BCBSF to build an expanded, stable and culturally diverse nurse workforce in Florida. Combined with state matching dollars and other private support, BCBSF-endowed scholarships fund the education of more than 200 nursing students each year.
  
  
• On January 12, St. John Fisher College in New York announced that businessman Robert B. Wegman gave $8 million to the college to fund a new School of Nursing. The largest gift in Fisher’s history, the proposed school will be called the Wegmans School of Nursing. “I am very pleased that St. John Fisher College has chosen to use this gift for the creation of a School of Nursing,” explained Mr. Wegman, chairman of Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. “I am concerned about the future of health care, particularly the cost, and believe that addressing the nursing shortage is an important goal.” See http://www.sjfc.edu.
  
  
• The University of Miami School of Nursing and Health Studies will launch a fast-track program to prepare nursing instructors aided by a one-year, $1.28 million grant from the Florida Department of Education’s SUCCEED Florida Nursing Education Program. The six-month certificate program, which begins this month, will help Florida nursing schools to expand enrollment by increasing the number of clinicians who are qualified to teach. See http://www.miami.edu/nur.

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December 2005

• Florida International University and Miami Dade College have received a $1,282,500 grant titled “Expanded Nursing Capacity and Diversity Initiative” from the Florida Department of Education. The grant is part of the Succeed Florida RFP Program approved by the Florida Legislature this year. The grant is a collaborative effort between the schools to address the critical shortage of registered nurses and nursing faculty in the region. Through this project, 222 new students will be admitted into the programs while the schools work to recruit, develop and retain nursing faculty through the “Grow Our Own Nursing Faculty” project. See http://chua2.fiu.edu/Nursing.
  
  
• In an effort to increase the supply of doctorally-prepared nurses, the University of Kansas School of Nursing announced the creation of an online PhD program earlier this month. “There are many nurses who want to study at the doctoral level but have been unable to do so because of distance from the university,” said Dr. Rita Clifford, associate dean for student affairs. “Now they will be able to complete the program from their own localities.” The new online PhD program includes the type of content and requirements typically found in traditional classroom programs. Both the BSN to PHD and the MS to PHD programs will be offered online and in the classroom depending on the student’s needs and choices. See http://www2.kumc.edu/son.
  
  
• After a decade-long hiatus, the undergraduate nursing program at University of California–Los Angeles (UCLA) will reopen in fall 2006. The UCLA School of Nursing had offered an undergraduate program since it opened in 1949, but the program was dropped in the mid-1990s due to budget cuts. The school currently offers master's and doctoral degree programs in nursing. In November, the school also announced that it is adding a master's degree program for second-degree seekers. These programs were funded by the University of California Board of Regents, which gave the nursing school an additional $5.2 million in the 2006-2007 academic year. See http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/news/articles.asp?id=35093.

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November 2005

• On November 15, Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski announced a new program called Care for Oregon which provides student loan repayment to nursing school graduates once they enter the state's workforce. In partnership with the student loan company Sallie Mae, the Care for Oregon loan assistance program will repay up to 10 percent of federal Stafford loan balances for nurses who earn their degree at an Oregon institution and remain in the state to practice.
  
  
• The Kansas City Metropolitan Health Care Council recently launched the Nurse Expansion Project to increase the number of nursing educators in an effort to reduce nurse vacancy rates at local hospitals. With the goal of adding 40 full-time faculty members and expanding capacity by 200 students by fall 2006, local hospitals will allow their nurses to serve as adjunct faculty at area nursing schools.
  
  
• The University of Buffalo School of Nursing has received a $440,000 grant to study the reasons behind the critical shortage of nurses across the U.S through research funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The five-year national study will survey 5,000 recent graduates of registered nurse programs periodically over the first four years of their careers to track the underlying reasons for their work decisions. For more details, see http://www.buffalo.edu/news (click Nursing under the "By Topic Area" button.
  
  
• The University of Texas at Arlington School of Nursing is planning to launch a new BSN to PhD program in fall 2006. "We are committed to addressing the critical need for nurse faculty and scientists by consolidating the time needed to complete the PhD in Nursing," said Dean Elizabeth C. Poster. "The BSN to PhD program will allow nursing professionals to have longer careers during which they can make significant contributions to research, education, administration, clinical practice and health policy leadership, nationally and internationally."

October 2005

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September 2005

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August 2005

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July 2005

• The University of West Florida recently received a $100,000 endowment for student scholarships from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida (BCBS). The award was presented during the graduation ceremony for the first graduates of the school’s new BSN program. The contribution was made through a public/private partnership called Generation RN, which strives to create educational and career opportunities for nurses, particularly those from culturally diverse populations.
  
  
• Work-Force 1, a non-profit organization contracted by the Texas Workforce Commission to oversee workforce development in 12 Texas counties, announced that it will fund a nursing faculty position at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi to enable the school to produce more graduates. The new faculty position will allow the school to expand and accept 19 more students this fall.

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June 2005

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May 2005

• Late last month, Kaiser Permanente in Southern California announced that it was awarding $580,000 to Mount St. Mary’s College and Azusa Pacific University (APU) to help students defray the cost of nursing school and ease nursing shortages at Kaiser Permanente hospitals. These forgivable loan awards include $440,000 for 17 accelerated BSN students at Mount St. Mary’s College; $120,000 for APU’s accelerated MSN students; and $20,000 for APU’s Second Careers and Nursing (SCAN) students. Read more online at http://ckp.kp.org/newsroom/scal/archive/scal_050422_nursinggrants.html.
  

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April 2005

• On March 30, Intermountain Health Care (IHC) announced that it will make donations in the amount of $4.4 million to nursing schools at eight Utah universities and colleges to help train more than 600 additional registered nurses. The funds will be used to support several AACN member schools, including Brigham Young University, Weber State University and Westminster College. For more details, see http://www.ihc.com/xp/ihc/aboutihc/news.
  
  
• On April 6, the Global Scholarship Alliance (GSA) announced the arrival of 28 foreign nurse-scholars as part of the company’s innovative cultural exchange program. The four and a half year program combines intense academic study at two American universities with part-time clinical experience in partner hospitals. The 28 nurse-scholars from the Philippines will pursue Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degrees at Xavier University in Cincinnati and Long Island University in Brooklyn, NY. GSA’s mission is to help ease the global nursing crisis by developing the next generation of nurse leaders and educators. See http://www.globalscholarship.net.

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March 2005

• The Missouri Hospital Association is offering 83 two-year scholarships totaling $500,000 in 2005 for students in Missouri pursuing careers in nursing and the allied health professions. The scholarships are limited to students who are within two years of completing their professional education, including nursing students enrolled in baccalaureate programs. Applications must be received May 26, 2005. Download applications at http://web.mhanet.com/asp/Workforce/Health_Scholarships.asp.

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• Clemson University School of Nursing is engaged in a partnership effort to address the shortage of both registered nurses and nurse faculty. This initiative, titled the "LPN to Professor" program, involves four hospitals (AnMed Health, Canon Memorial Hospital, Oconee Memorial Hospital and Palmetto Baptist Medical Center Easley) and the Duke Endowment providing funding to Clemson and Tri-County Technical College to hire more faculty and expand student capacity. By 2009, this collaborative effort is expected to create at least 48 master's prepared nurse educators, 72 baccalaureate-educated RNs, and 90 associate degree-prepared nurses. Read more online at http://www.hehd.clemson.edu/news/Nonline.htm.

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January 2005

• The Missouri Hospital Association's Center for Education has awarded six grants to partnerships of hospitals and nursing schools to expand the number of registered nursing students who can be accepted into educational programs. The $1 million grant program was created to address the barriers that limit the ability of the state's nursing schools to accept a growing number of qualified applicants. The University of Missouri-St. Louis was among the nursing schools that received funding through this program. See http://web.mhanet.com/asp/Communications/News_Releases.asp.

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December 2004

• The Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins Hospital Department of Nursing, has developed two innovative academies for practicing nurses. The Nurse Educator Academy addresses the crushing need for nursing faculty to educate the nurses of tomorrow and the growing demand for staff to educate today’s practicing nurses. The Patient Safety Academy meets the urgent need to prepare nurses to lead interdisciplinary initiatives that will reduce medical errors and increase patient safety. Both week-long programs offer learning experiences that reach beyond a traditional classroom education. See http://www.son.jhmi.edu/newsandmedia/newsdetail.asp?ID=223.
  
  
• The University of Maryland School of Nursing has received $248,000 in federal funding to create the Institute for Nurse Educators. The Institute will prepare nurses with the essential knowledge and skills to assume teaching roles in Maryland and the surrounding region. Sen. Barbara Mikulski and Reps. Elijah Cummings and Steny Hoyer pursued funding for this project to help address the critical shortage of nurse faculty.
  
  
• The Nursing Division at Villa Julie College (MD) has received federal funding to expand the school's distance learning program. The money will be used to fund technology, faculty and staff engaged in the school’s RN to BS program. Dr. Judith Feustle, director of the college’s nursing division, is grateful to Sen. Barbara Mikulski, Rep. Benjamin Cardin and the Maryland congressional delegation for supporting Villa Julie's efforts to address the severe nursing shortage in Maryland. For more details, see http://www.vjc.edu/newsandevents/#5404.

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November 2004

• The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation awarded two grants totaling $5.5 million to San José State University's School of Nursing for programs to increase the number of new nursing graduates and to educate additional nursing faculty. "Not only will this program assist the local nursing shortage by increasing the number of new nursing graduates each year," said Jayne Cohen, director of the School of Nursing. "It will also increase the number of potential nurse leaders and educators who are academically prepared to begin graduate level study. These students will be able to take advantage of the nursing educators for tomorrow program, also funded by the grant." For details, see http://www.sjsu.edu/news/news_detail.jsp?id=950.
  
  
• HCA's MidAmerica Division has joined with Belmont University (TN) in a new educational partnership to address the growing shortage of nurses in Tennessee. HCA has committed $7.5 million toward the construction of a College of Health Sciences which will house the school's Nursing, Occupational Therapy and Social Work programs. This unique partnership will also create a new nursing consortium intended to help meet the needs of Middle Tennessee for highly educated nursing professionals. See http://forum.belmont.edu/umac/archives/2004/10/hcas_midamerica_1.html.

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October 2004

• The Orvis School of Nursing at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) was awarded a three-year, $219,000 grant, from the Department of Health and Human Services to recruit additional nurses into the Nurse Educator graduate program at UNR to prepare them for teaching roles. Nevada ranks last in the nation in the ratio of nurses to population. The grant also targets potential students who represent the state's diverse population through an Ambassador to Health Careers Program. The Ambassador Program is in collaboration with the Nevada Nurses' Association that involved nursing students in outreach recruitment activities at high schools, colleges, and health care agencies.
  
  
• Broadlands Regional Medical Center awarded $100,000 to Shenandoah University School of Nursing to underwrite the salary of a full-time nursing professor at the school's Northern Virginia Campus. "We are proud to forge this partnership with HCA's newest member of their family of hospitals and health care services in Northern Virginia," said Dr. Sheila Ralph, professor of nursing and director of the school's Division of Nursing. "Their gift will help Shenandoah University to meet a critical need for registered nurses in Loudoun County by expanding our programs to educate more nursing students more quickly
  
  
• The University of Maryland School of Nursing is launching an Institute for Nurse Educators this fall to address the critical and growing shortage of nursing faculty in Maryland and across the nation. The Institute will centralize nurse education resources to prepare nurses with the essential knowledge and skills they need to assume educator roles in both academic and clinical settings. The Institute will provide classroom and web-based courses for an education minor as part of a master's degree, a doctoral degree, or a post-master's certificate for nurses or other health care professionals.

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September 2004

• Dr. Karen M. Schaefer, nurse faculty at Temple University in Philadelphia, has secured grant-funding from the Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to launch a program designed to increase the number of African American and Hispanic students entering the nursing profession. The Developing Diverse Diamonds Project (DDDP) will open doors for those whose financial, academic and personal circumstances limit their educational pursuits. "The success of the project will be measured using admission, retention, attrition and graduation rates," said Schaefer, who expects diversity within Temple's nursing school to increase by 5 percent over the next three years. For more details, see http://www.temple.edu/news_media/tah0408_020.html.
  
  
• Baptist Memorial Health Care in Memphis will award $1 million in educational grants to nursing and allied health students within the next year. The grant program will cover the last two years of tuition for full-time students enrolled in a four-year program and both years for students enrolled in a two-year program. Students, including Baptist employees and family members, must already be accepted to an approved program or school and agree to work for Baptist after graduation to qualify for a grant. The grant program is an extension of a program started at the Baptist College of Health Sciences in 2002. "We are investing in this grant program because it's the right thing to do for our patients and communities," said David Hogan, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Baptist Memorial Health Care. "We hope our investment will encourage other organizations to do the same." See http://www.baptistonline.org.
  
  
• Boise State University was awarded a $730,800 HRSA grant to develop a statewide cultural competency program for nurses and nursing students. Through Greater Awareness for Idaho Nurses (GAIN) initiative, a cultural competency continuing education course will be developed for registered nurses across Idaho, and a college course will be developed for student nurses. All of the state's nursing schools will be involved in planning and implementing the project, allowing for outreach to nurses and isolated areas of the state. Nurses and students will learn about cultural competency, connect with peers via live videoconferencing, and be able to practice their new skills in clinical settings. See http://nursing.boisestate.edu.
  
  
• Dr. Wendy Barr, Associate Clinical Professor with the School of Nursing at The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), has been appointed as the coordinator for the Bridges to Doctoral Study project funded by The National Institute of Health. The project, an inter-institutional partnership with The University of the Incarnate Word (UIW) in San Antonio, Texas, is intended to increase the number of qualified under-represented minority nurses with doctoral degrees. The initiative will increase the competitiveness of UIW graduates applying for doctoral study by providing doctoral level distance education courses, mentorship, and various research oriented workshops and training sessions. Each year two Bridges Fellows will be appointed to receive financial and academic support. See http://www.uta.edu/nursing/news.
  
  
• The University of North Dakota (UND) was awarded a three-year, $567,000 grant from the Department of Health and Human Services' Bureau of Health Professions Nursing Workforce Diversity Program to bolster its efforts to recruit American Indian students into nursing. The funds will be used to expand its Recruitment and Retention of American Indians into Nursing program (RAIN), which has trained more than 100 American Indian nurses during the past 15 years. UND expects about 40 American Indian students will be admitted to the program during the three-year period. Of those, 30 will be undergraduate students, six will be master's students, and three will enter the doctoral program. See http://www.und.edu/dept/nursing/rain.html.

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August 2004

• The Department of Veterans Affairs Long Beach Healthcare System and California State University-Long Beach (CSULB) have announced a $1.3 million partnership to provide individuals with baccalaureate degrees in science-related professions the opportunity to receive a baccalaureate degree in nursing through an innovative new program. The Accelerated BSN Program curriculum is offered in a concentrated 60-week program with didactic courses offered by the CSULB Department of Nursing and clinical experiences provided predominately at the VA Long Beach Healthcare System. "For everyone concerned, we believe this partnership is a win-win," said CSULB President Robert C. Maxson. "Patients will especially benefit, and the VA and the university are very enthusiastic about how our collaboration will advance nursing education in the Long Beach area."

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July 2004

• Arizona State University (ASU) and the Mayo Clinic are partnering to increase enrollment capacity for nursing students statewide through the combined resources and clinical strengths of both institutions. Through this initiative, nursing students will be educated using ASU's curriculum which will be taught master's-level nurses from the Mayo Clinic in classroom and laboratory learning space at Mayo Clinic Hospital. "This innovative partnership is a wonderful example of professional collaboration for the benefit of the community," says Dr. Barbara Durand, dean of the ASU College of Nursing. For more details, see http://www.asu.edu/asunews/academics/mayonursingprogram_070204.htm.
  
  
• On July 7, Lipscomb University in Nashville, TN announced that the Hospital Corporation of America awarded a $500,000 grant to the school to support the new Lipscomb/Vanderbilt Nursing Partnership. The grant will cover the initial costs associated with launching a new BSN program at Lipscomb with classes provided by Vanderbilt. "We deeply appreciate the fact that HCA shares our vision for nursing education and is willing to provide the financial support necessary to make this monumental venture possible'" said Lipscomb President Stephen Flatt. Read more online at http://www.lipscomb.edu/filter.asp?SID=4&fi_key=85&co_key=5755.

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June 2004

• Through the newly formed Partnership for Education and Clinical Excellence, a coalition of hospitals in South Carolina has agreed to give $1 million over three years to boost nursing education at the University of South Carolina (USC) and Midlands Tech. The donation of money and services from Providence Hospitals, Palmetto Health and Lexington Medical Center is designed to increase the number of nurses with bachelor's degrees. "The hospitals' donation involves greater cooperation between Midlands Tech, USC and hospitals in nurse training," said Trip Gregory, a senior vice president of Palmetto Health. The donations will support adding two faculty members to the USC nursing school, and will allow 16 extra nurses to graduate from the school annually, starting in two years. For more details, see http://www.thestate.com/mld/thestate/business/8663106.htm.

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May 2004

• On May 3, Dominican College (NY) signed a comprehensive articulation agreement with an associate degree program offered at the Mount Vernon Hospital at Mount Vernon, NY. The agreement allows students graduating from the Dorothea Hopfer School of Nursing with an Associate Degree in Nursing to transfer up to 58 credits, including a maximum of 31 credits in nursing, towards a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at Dominican. Transferring students will begin at Dominican with junior status and will complete their BSN in Dominican’s Weekend or ACCELerated Evening College format. Dominican College currently has articulation agreements with Westchester Community College, Orange Community College, SUNY-Rockland Community College, and the Helene Fuld College of Nursing.
  

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April 2004

• On April 14, 2004, U.S. Department of Labor Secretary Elaine Chao announced the recipients of $13.5 million in High Growth Job Training grants to help prepare workers for skilled jobs in the health care industry. The grants are part of a new $24.3 million Health Care Initiative that Secretary Chao kicked off last month in Baltimore. Health care is the first industry for which solutions have been developed and announced under the President's High Growth Job Training Initiative. Grant monies will fund a variety of programs, including nursing initiatives led by Excelsior College (NY), Florida International University and Johns Hopkins University. The complete list of grant-funded projects is online at http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/opa/OPA2004655a.htm.

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March 2004

• Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor launched a $24.4 million national initiative to train health care workers that includes funding to increase the pool of nurse educators. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao kicked off the program, part of the president's High Growth Job Training Initiative, during a visit to Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. In addition to funding to educate personnel needed for positions experiencing critical worker shortages, the state of Maryland received a $1.5 million grant to provide scholarships for nurses to pursue graduate level education needed to teach at the college and university level. For more information, see http://www.dol.gov/opa/media/press/eta/ETA2004397.htm.
  
  
• On March 8, Independence Blue Cross (IBC) announced the establishment of the IBC Nurse Scholars Program, a $2.25 million scholarship initiative to combat the critical shortage of nursing educators and nurses in Southeastern Pennsylvania. G. Fred DiBona, Jr., IBC’s President and CEO, said “by focusing a large portion of our investment on attracting new teachers, we believe we ultimately can put more nurses on the front lines right here in Southeastern Pennsylvania – and more nurses corresponds to better care.” Read more at http://www.ibx.com/jsps/article.jsp?id=/about_ibc/news/index.html.
  
  
• The University of Texas at Arlington Dreamakers Scholarship Program is enlisting public and private support to fund $1,000 scholarships for at least 25% of the school's BSN students this year. With a goal of $100,000 for scholarships in 2004, the School of Nursing has already received funds and pledges totaling over $113,000. Donations will support baccalaureate students and help them fulfill their dreams of becoming successful professional nurses. See http://www.uta.edu/nursing/dm-2004.
  
  
• Two nursing schools are opening accelerated baccalaureate programs to accommodate the rising interest in the nursing among career changers. This fall, Nevada State College will use $500,000 in federal funding to offer an accelerated BSN program for individuals with previous four-year degrees. Texas Christian University's (TCU) Harris School of Nursing has also launched an accelerated BSN track for non-nursing college graduates which is supported by a $286,182 grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. TCU’s 15-month program offers a novel approach to fast-track nursing education that features the same number of clinical hours as traditional programs. Read more at http://www.hsn.tcu.edu/acceleratedbsn/index.htm.

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February 2004

• On February 4, 2004, the Pennsylvania Higher Education Foundation announced the distribution of $604,000 in grants to area nursing programs through the Foundation’s Nursing Education Grants Program. This funding will help address the nursing shortage in Pennsylvania by assisting schools in their efforts to recruit and retain nursing students. The funding was distributed to 15 nursing schools, including College Misericordia, the University of Scranton and Wilkes University. For details, see http://www.misericordia.edu/news_archives/news_full.cfm?news_id=460.

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January 2004

• California State University at Long Beach has signed a five-year, $15 million dollar contract with Long Beach Memorial Medical Center (LBMMC) to double enrollment in the school’s “Trimester” BSN program. Students in the program attend classes full-time, year round, and graduate with a BSN (132 semester units) in two years after being admitted to the program in their sophomore year. The grant consists of both funds and in-kind contributions. LBMMC will provide all clinical instructors, some classroom space, and use of a newly built, six-bed, simulated laboratory as part of the agreement.
  
  
• San Francisco State University (SFSU) has teamed up with Sequoia Hospital to launch a new program that will train at least 30 additional students each year and increase the University's undergraduate enrollment by 40 percent. With space limited at the university campus, classes will be held at Canada College in Redwood City with courses taught by SFSU professors. The Sequoia Healthcare District, part owner of Sequoia Hospital, approved the 10-year, $7.5 million deal in December. The first students will begin classes in September 2004.

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December 2003

• Advocate Health Care and the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Nursing were awarded a $1.6 million HRSA grant to fund a new program titled "Career-Building for Nurse Retention and Care Excellence." The partners will use the funding to conduct research to determine factors that are most likely to increase nurse retention rates and will facilitate new approaches to recruitment and retention. The overall objective of this project is to improve the retention of nurses within a health care system, thereby improving patient care with respect to quality (clinical competence), cost-effectiveness and cultural competence. For more details, see http://www.uic.edu/nursing/RetentionGrant.doc.

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November 2003

• The University of Virginia (UVA) School of Nursing has received a three-year, $651,153 HRSA grant to fund a collaborative, two-pronged effort aimed at deepening and diversifying the local pool of professional nurses. Funding will be used toward increasing faculty resources at both UVA and Piedmont Virginia Community College. For more information, see http://www.nursing.virginia.edu/dean/release.asp.
  
  
• Indiana University School of Nursing, the American Association of Critical-Care Nurses and Clarian Health Partners received a grant from the Department of Education, Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education (FIPSE), to develop three online critical care courses (adult, pediatric and neonatal). The courses include a didactic component, a clinical practicum, and a Virtual Center of Best Practice which includes practice guidelines and research briefs. The clinical practicum uses an online preceptor model to facilitate clinical application of course content. The courses are offered for academic credit as well as continuing education credit and confer a professional certificate from the collaborating organizations. This grant will increase the numbers of nurses prepared for critical care, and expands the opportunities for students to have experiences in these clinical settings.
  
  
• The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) at Galveston received a $355,000 HRSA grant to educate nurses and nursing assistants on ways to overcome the health disparities faced by geriatric patients and to improve leadership skills. Dr. Linda Rounds, associate professor and coordinator of the school's Gerontological Nurse Practitioner Program, will use the funding to develop a continuing education series directed at health care professionals working with older populations in medically underserved areas of East Texas. Dr. Rounds will also work with UTMB's East Texas Geriatric Education Center, in partnership with the East Texas Area Health Education Center, to develop the Program for Education and Leadership in Geriatrics.

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October 2003

• On September 30, 2003, New Hampshire Governor Craig Benson launched the Nurse Bridge Program to address the state’s severe nursing shortage. One component of this new initiative is the Nurse Educators Program which provides registered nurses with graduate degrees needed to serve as nurse educators. The Nurse Educators Program will be conducted at the University of New Hampshire, offer six graduate credits, and cost nothing to the taxpayer. See http://www.state.nh.us/governor/pr_09_30_03_ga.html.
  
  
• The University at Buffalo School of Nursing received a $1 million HRSA grant to expand the school’s offerings in adult care nursing and to increase the number of nurse educators. Funds will be used to institute an Adult Clinical Nurse Specialist master’s degree program and a 15-credit Advanced Certificate in Nursing Education for master’s-prepared nurses.
  
  
• The Maryland Council of Deans and Directors of Nursing Programs has approved a new articulation program that will make it easier for nurses to pursue advanced degrees without the loss of credits. The program, the Maryland RN to BSN or RN to MSN Articulation Model, will guarantee RNs wishing to earn a bachelor’s or master’s degree in nursing a minimum of 30 upper division nursing credits when they enter a four-year college or university program. Full implementation of the models will be completed by fall 2004.
  
  
• The College of Nursing at Marquette University in Milwaukee received a $1.2 million HRSA grant to launch a new doctoral program to prepare nurse educators and develop scholars to study vulnerable populations. Funding will also be used to increase the number of faculty from underrepresented populations.

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September 2003

• The Rural Health Outreach Program (RHOP) at The University of Texas at Arlington School of Nursing received grant funding of $50,668 from the Office of Rural Community Affairs (ORCA) to provide educational programs for nurses and other providers in rural communities. RHOP has been providing more than 4000 contact hours of continuing education programs annually in rural communities since 1975. This grant will result in at least 20 new continuing education courses that are designed to enhance patient care in Critical Access hospitals. ORCA's objective is to increase the satisfaction and professional knowledge of the health care workforce in rural areas by providing supplemental educational opportunities.

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August 2003

• The Duke Endowment made a gift of $350,000 to the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) College of Nursing enabling the institution to create new online nursing programs. MUSC developed the online education program in response to the nursing shortage facing South Carolina and the nation. Beginning in fall 2003, the college will offer an online curriculum to enable registered nurses to earn their four-year bachelor's degrees without leaving their current nursing positions. Also in fall 2003 the College will have all of the core master degree courses online and the neonatal nurse practitioner program entirely online. In 2004, the college plans to introduce other online classes that will allow working nurses to pursue their master's degrees in preparation for careers in nursing administration and nursing education.
  
  
• The Vanderbilt University School of Nursing (VUSN) has signed an agreement with Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia (MTSA) to offer graduates of Vanderbilt’s Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Program an early interview and potential acceptance in MTSA’s highly competitive Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist program. “VUSN and MTSA are establishing a one of a kind relationship,” said Dr. Colleen Conway-Welch, dean of VUSN. “It is a cost-effective and cost-efficient way to enhance the educational offerings of both schools without duplicating efforts between the two schools, and will result in increased access for patients needing quality anesthesia care.” Read more at http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/nursing/media/releases.html.
  
  
• The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded $739,467 in funding to support the new PhD in Nursing program at The University of Texas at Arlington. This grant will be used to recruit faculty, including those from diverse backgrounds who bring differing perspectives to the classroom. Faculty will assist in developing online courses to increase access to the PhD program for nurses in rural areas and other states. Grant monies will also be used to develop a recruitment, retention and mentoring plan for doctoral students. For more information, see http://www.uta.edu/nursing.

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July 2003

• The School of Nursing at the Catholic University of America (DC) was awarded a 3-year, $868,900 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for a new academic program aimed at recruiting more Hispanic nursing students. The school’s initiative, the Latino Nursing Career Opportunity Program, is designed to spur interest in the nursing profession among students in grades 7-12.
• To better meet the demand for nurses with professional level education, Robert Morris University (PA) will begin offering both a BSN and MSN program this fall. Students interested in these nursing programs are now eligible to enroll with classes beginning in August 2003. The university will partner with West Penn/Allegheny Health Systems for clinical experiences. For more details, see http://www.pghhospitalnews.com/060307RMU.htm.

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June 2003

• The Tennessee Board of Nursing approved a plan by The Vanderbilt University School of Nursing (VUSN) and Fisk University to expand their current relationship and offer courses to meet requirements of a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree (BSN) to be awarded by Fisk. Students will complete a specified liberal arts curriculum at Fisk and all nursing curriculum at VUSN in order to receive a BSN from Fisk. Fisk will administer the program, and Dr. Linda Norman, Senior Associate Dean for Academics at VUSN will coordinate Vanderbilt's courses into the Fisk curriculum. Dr. Colleen Conway-Welch, VUSN Dean, said “the ability to package and offer the bridge to liberal arts schools who would themselves give the bachelor’s degree in nursing allows Vanderbilt some additional ways to help address the nursing shortage and crisis, and allows undergraduate colleges, where nursing fits their mission, to offer a baccalaureate program in Nursing without the ordinary additional expense.” For more information, see http://www.mc.vanderbilt.edu/nursing.
  
  
• The Florida International University School of Nursing was recently awarded a $250,000 federal grant from DHHS’s Bureau of Maternal and Child Health to establish a Center for Leadership in Pediatric and Family Nursing. Led by Dr. Sandy Lobar, the center will seek to improve care provided to children and families by preparing nurse practitioners who can influence public policy, manage complex health needs, and use multiple resources to maximize the potential of children and families from minority backgrounds.

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May 2003

• In response to the growing faculty shortage, the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University in Atlanta is launching a fast-track program that will train expert clinical nurses in education in less than three months. The 2003 Emory Summer Nursing Teaching Institute, a post-master's certificate program, is being launched this summer with a goal of attracting and retaining top teachers in nursing. For more information, see http://www.nurse.emory.edu/Admissions/MSN/PostMSN_Teaching.asp.
  
  
• The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has approved the creation of a doctoral nursing program (PhD) at the University of Texas at Arlington to prepare nurse scientists and increase the number of qualified faculty to meet the health needs of a diverse society. The Texas legislature recently passed a bill which provides registered nurses in postgraduate nursing degree programs, who plan to teach in a program in Texas, in-state tuition rates regardless of the length of time they have resided in Texas.

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April 2003

• Providence Health System in Oregon has partnered with the University of Portland to provide 75 of the university's juniors with full-tuition scholarships for the final five semesters of their BSN program in exchange for a three-year work commitment. Providence has committed $2.5 million to each new crop of students over the next six years.
  
  
• To bring more nurses into the health system, University of Missouri Health Care (UMHC) has joined with the Sinclair School of Nursing to develop an accelerated BSN for students with bachelor's degrees in other fields. Through this partnership, UMHC will provide students with scholarships in exchange for a three-year work commitment. This 15-month program will welcome its first class in May 2003.
  
  
• The Missouri Hospital Association (MHA) will offer $500,000 in scholarships for the second consecutive year in an effort to attract new recruits to nursing and other health professions. MHA launched the scholarship program in 2002 with $1 million in funding from Missouri hospitals. The program awarded 91 scholarships totaling $500,000 last year and plans to award 83 scholarships totaling the same amount this year. Recipients do not have to be Missouri residents or attend school in Missouri, but must agree to work for one or two years in an MHA-member hospital after graduation. See http://web.mhanet.com.

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March 2003

• The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) has raised over $4 million to increase the number of baccalaureate, master's and doctorally prepared nurses in South Carolina. Funds will be used to create the South Carolina Nursing Collaborative which will focus on addressing the state's severe nursing shortage. Six clinical partners contributed to the initiative that will enable the MUSC College of Nursing to add eight new faculty, develop online programs, and double the number of students enrolled in the BSN program. To find out more about this collaboration and the clinical partners, see http://www.charleston.net/stories/031103/bus_11nurs.shtml.
• The Medical Center of Central Georgia has collaborated with the nursing school at Georgia College and State University to develop a critical care internship for senior BSN nursing students. The 15-week internship program, which began in January 2000, consists of a minimum of 64 hours of core classroom content, and 200 to 220 preceptored hours of mentored, evaluated, and structured clinical experiences on critical care units.

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February 2003

• Palm Beach Atlantic University announced this month that it is establishing a nursing school with $1.2 million in donations from Tenet Healthcare Corp. and the Palm Healthcare Foundation. The nursing program, slated to receive its first students in fall 2003, will be the fourth four-year nursing program in Palm Beach County.

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January 2003

• The University of Arizona College of Nursing is teaming up with two clinical partners - Carondelet Health Network and University Medical Center - to offer a 14-month accelerated BSN program for college graduates. Beginning in June 2003, the program will provide financial support to a total of 48 students who will have their tuition entirely covered by either Carondelet or UMC in exchange for a two-year work commitment. Total cost to the health organization partners is $27,500 per student. "This community partnership can be seen in the context of a national trend in which hospitals are playing a larger role to help expand nursing programs," said Dean Marjorie Isenberg, DNSc, RN, FAAN. See http://www.ahsc.arizona.edu/opa/news/dec02/2ndnews.htm.
  
  
• Late last year, the Virginia Partnership for Nursing (VPN) launched the "Nurses Change Lives" campaign to inspire K-12 students to consider a nursing career. The campaign features a Website - http://www.nurseschangelives.com - and a series of posters that depict nurses and their healing powers. To find out more about this campaign or to order the posters, visit the Web site or call 1-866-VPN-CHAT. VPN is a statewide nursing workforce initiative and part of the Colleagues in Caring Initiative funded through The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

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December 2002

• Intermountain Health Care, a Utah hospital management firm, has contributed $2 million to seven of the state's nursing schools to bolster the ranks of future registered nurses, medical technicians and other health care workers. Funds will also be used to enable RNs to return to school and pursue careers as nursing faculty. Among the schools receiving assistance are Brigham Young University, University of Utah, and Weber State University.
• The College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, MN was awarded $1.8 million from the U.S. Department of Education to integrate sophisticated clinical software computer systems throughout its health science programs, including nursing. This innovative five-year project will result in the school serving as a national model for health care educators.

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November 2002

• Emory University's Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing received a $5 million endowment from the Helene Fuld Health Trust to provide scholarships to second-degree students entering the school's newly launched direct-entry master's program. Funds will be distributed over a five-year period beginning this September. For more details, see http://www.emoryhealthcare.org.
  
  
• Jacksonville University has formed a partnership with Flagler Hospital in St. Augustine, FL, to address the state's critical shortage of nurses. The School of Nursing began offering its BSN-to-MSN program at the hospital this semester and will begin an RN-to-BSN program in January. The program is open to Flagler nurses as well as other area nurses, including those at Putnam Community Medical Center in Palatka, FL. For more information, go to http://www.ju.edu/news/press/Nov02/112002.htm.
  
  
• Michigan Governor John Engler signed legislation creating the Michigan Nursing Scholarship Program and allocating $4 million to the program for 2003. Scholarships will be available to students in RN and LPN programs in exchange for a work commitment in a Michigan health care facility. Students may apply for up to $4,000 in scholarship money for a maximum of four years.
  
  
• The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency and its American Education Services division have established a $13.3 million nursing loan forgiveness program in partnership with hospitals and other employers. The program is designed to increase enrollment in the state's undergraduate and graduate nursing programs and the number of nurses practicing in the state. Participants must graduate from an approved nursing education program and work after graduation as a direct care nurse or nurse educator for a minimum of one year. See http://www.pheaa.org/News_Media/index.shtml.

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October 2002

• Alaska's five largest health care providers - Providence Health System of Alaska, Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corp., Alaska Regional Hospital and the Alaska Native Trible Health Consortium/ANMC - have committed $1.8 million over the next three years to share the cost of expanding the University of Alaska's nursing education programs. The university is matching that commitment through capital and other resources. The donations and legislative appropriations will enable the school to implement its plan to double the number of nursing graduates by 2006. See http://www.uaa.alaska.edu/index.cfm?fuseAction=newsItem&news_id=254.
  
  
• The Hampton University School of Nursing (HU) was recently awarded a $1.1 million grant from the National Institute of Nursing Research and the National Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities to develop the Hampton Penn Center for Reducing Health Disparities. Funding will be used to narrow the gap in health disparities by extending an existing partnership between HU and the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. HU was also awarded $1.2 million grant from the federal Division of Nursing to fund a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Distance Education Program. The HU School of Nursing will significantly expand its existing pediatric nurse practitioner specialty program by creating and implementing an Internet-based distance education program that student can access nationwide. For information, see http://www.hamptonu.edu/News_Publications.
  
  
• Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD) recently announced that federal funding would be allocated for the first year of a three-year initiative to expand Coppin State College's Bachelor of Science Nursing Program from 170 to 273 students. The expanded nursing program will increase the number of qualified nurses working to improve the health of Baltimore's medically-underserved residents. The project is consistent with the Healthy People 2010 goal of eliminating health disparities between minority and non minorities, and will increase access to primary health care particularly in high poverty areas in Baltimore City, where 80 percent of Coppin nursing graduates practice. See http://www.coppin.edu/newsdesk/current.asp.

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September 2002

• Over the summer, nursing leaders at three institutions that do not offer doctoral programs in nursing -- Florida A&M University, Florida State University, and the University of North Florida -- finalized arrangements with the University of Florida to form a cooperative doctoral degree program in nursing science. Beginning this fall, students from the three partner schools will be able to access the University of Florida's doctoral program via interactive distance-delivery system through sites in Tallahassee and Jacksonville. This innovative partnership will help to ease the nursing faculty shortage by providing new avenues for students to complete a PhD in nursing.
  
  
• The Visiting Nurses Association of Wisconsin and Marquette University College of Nursing formed a collaborative partnership to establish the Institute for End-of-Life Care Education. The Institute will be a state-of-the-art education center that will provide new clinical opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to apply classroom learning from various disciplines, such as nursing, medicine, social work and theology.

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August 2002

• Two local hospitals have pledged a total of $2.6 million over 10 years to create scholarships for nursing students at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. Penrose-St. Francis Hospital and Memorial Hospital will each provide about 384 scholarships to nursing students who agree to work for one of the hospitals for two years after graduation. Read more online at http://web.uccs.edu/ur/pr.htm.
  
  
• North Carolina Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem is contributing $750,000 a year to a new accelerated baccalaureate program in nursing at Winston-Salem State University. The hospital will pay for all program costs, including the students' tuition, books and other fees as well as provide space for clinical experiences. In exchange, students agree to work at the hospital for three years after graduation. With the first class beginning in January 2003, the 13-month BSN program will graduate 35-40 students each year. See http://www.wfubmc.edu/news_sys/fullstory.php?articleid=2521.
  
  
• The Intercollegiate College of Nursing/Washington State University College of Nursing was awarded a $1.8 million federal grant to bring health care outreach services to thousands of families throughout Spokane County. The Health Resources and Services Administration grant is the largest grant awarded to the College of Nursing in its 34-year history and will fund the expansion of academic nursing for disadvantaged areas over the next five years. Read more online at http://www.nursing.wsu.edu/marcom/71602a.htm.
  
  
• The Emma Eccles Jones Foundation has donated $1 million to the University of Utah to support a nursing research center. Graduate study, faculty preparation and clinical nursing research will be facilitated by the presence of the center. For more information on the university's Office of Research and Scholarship, see http://www.nurs.utah.edu/research.

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July 2002

• Georgia Governor Roy Barnes announced a $4.55 million public-private partnership with hospitals to increase the number of nurses and other health professionals. The state will provide $2.1 million in grants to expand health education programs at 13 schools in the University System of Georgia, while Georgia providers will make cash and in-kind contributions of equipment, staff time, and laboratory/classroom space valued at $2.45 million. AACN member schools involved in this partnership include Armstrong Atlantic State University, Clayton College & State University, Columbus State University, Georgia State University, and Kennesaw State University. In all, this partnership will prepare 294 new nurses at the baccalaureate level and 180 nurses at the associate degree level. For more information, see http://www.gagovernor.org.
  
  
• The Neighborhood Nursing Center of La Salle University (PA) received a $200,000 grant from the Independence Foundation 2002 to continue to provide health care and educational services to many uninsured residents of Northwest Philadelphia. The nursing center provides primary care to city residents who live in the city's most underserved area. For more details, see http://www.lasalle.edu/academ/nursing/n_nursing/index.htm. La Salle also recently received over $35,000 in funding from HHS to provide scholarships to students from disadvantaged backgrounds who are pursuing BSN degrees.
  
  
• The Maryland Department of Human Resources awarded $386,719 to the University of Maryland School of Nursing to fund a pilot program for the development and implementation of a statewide system of health care consultation and training for child care providers. To this end, a Child Care Health Consortium and Training Office has been established to respond to child care providers' inquiries for advice and health care information. For more information, see http://nursing.umaryland.edu.
  
  
• The University of Kansas School of Nursing and Cerner, Inc. have created a first-of-its-kind program to educate future nurses using clinical information systems. This program is designed to give graduates a competitive advantage due to the first-hand experience with specialized technology that enables clinicians to practice higher quality patient care. Read the press announcement at http://www2.kumc.edu/son/pr/fullrelease.asp?prID=1016565314.

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June 2002

• Texas Christian University' Harris School of Nursing in Fort Worth will use their online master's degree program and $166,000 in state grant money to recruit and train nurses for faculty positions at Tarleton State University, Vernon College, Angelina College, Kilgore College, and Panola College. This project will fill the void of nurse educators with alumni who live in rural areas and have close ties with their communities.
  
  
• The Orvis School of Nursing at the University of Nevada, Reno will admit an additional 24 students this fall thanks to a $233,000 grant from NevadaWorks, a state agency that provides state and federal funding to programs designed to expand the skilled workforce of the state. The new students will enter an accelerated bachelor's degree program that will allow them to graduate in December 2003.
  
  
• Tenet Healthcare Foundation, a philanthropic arm of Tenet Healthcare Corp., has awarded a $1 million grant to The East Los Angeles Community Union Education Foundation to provide financial support to Latino nursing students enrolled in local colleges and universities. Part of the funds will be used to develop outreach videos and educational materials and conduct career fairs at local high schools.
  
  
• Florida International University's School of Nursing has recognized six community health care organizations for contributing $1.78 million toward the school's training initiative to ease the state's nursing shortage. Baptist Health Systems committed $360,000 towards funding four-year nursing education scholarships. Tenet South Florida Healthsystem committed $230,000 towards a full-time medical surgical nursing faculty member to enable the school to increase its admissions to 60 students. Miami Children's Hospitals made an in-kind contribution of $230,000 for three years to fund a full-time pediatric nursing faculty member. Mercy Hospital (Miami) and HCA Health Care, East Florida Division donated a combined $600,000 to fund and co-sponsor a foreign physician-to-nurse re-education program. Miami Beach Anesthesiology Associates at Mt. Sinai Medical Center donated $360,000 to help the school launch its nurse anesthetist program.
  
  

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