LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Spalding University’s School of Nursing has been awarded a grant from the Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA) totaling $2,509,480 to support nursing workforce development, diversification, and student scholarships over the next four years.
Spalding University President Tori Murden McClure shared: “This funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration will provide scholarships and other important benefits for our graduate-level nursing students. When combined with recent gifts and grants in support of our undergraduate nursing programs, this substantial award will provide significant new resources to assist Spalding in educating the next generation of healthcare professionals ready to serve our community.”
The HRSA – Advanced Nursing Education Workforce (ANEW) grant award will support the Spalding School of Nursing NP-Community Action Network (NP-CAN) project, which takes a three-pronged approach towards better serving marginalized populations: First, this project seeks to drive enrollment in Spalding’s MSN – Family Nurse Practitioner and MSN – Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner programs by increasing marketing and recruitment for these programs. Second, the NP-CAN program will provide scholarships and stipends to advanced practice nurses, with 40% of funds reserved for underrepresented applicants. Lastly, the School of Nursing will expand and deepen academic-clinical partnerships with organizations serving marginalized communities and working to address Social Determinants of Health (SDOH).
This approach will allow the School of Nursing to recruit and train advanced practice nurses from diverse backgrounds, increasing the number of nurse practitioners available to provide care to underserved communities in Kentucky and Southern Indiana.
This investment comes at a critical time as Kentucky faces a severe shortage of nurses across the Commonwealth. In December 2021, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear declared a state of emergency due to the lack of nurses, with an estimated 16,000 additional nurses needed by 2024. According to the Kentucky Nurses Association (KNA), the current vacancy rate of registered nurses is 12-20%.
Dr. Lana Watson, Chair of the School of Nursing, describes this award’s impact: “For many eligible students, the cost of attaining an advanced nursing degree is a barrier to continuing education. Grant funds will remove the financial barrier and enable students to complete their degrees and achieve their goals. Nurse practitioners are a critical part of the healthcare system, and funds from HRSA will directly support our program, which will train up to 75 new nurse practitioners over the four-year grant period.”
This grant is one of three recent grants to the School of Nursing, totaling $5.7 million in support. Here, you can learn more about recent awards from the Department of Labor and the Legacy Foundation of Kentuckiana. These investments will have a transformative impact on Spalding’s School of Nursing and the healthcare system in our region as more highly-trained nurses enter the workforce.
This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of an award totaling $2,509,480 with 0% financed with non-governmental sources. The contents are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information, please visit HRSA.gov.
