Maryland Higher Education Commission

May 2009 Press Release

 

 

For immediate release: May 19, 2009                                                        Media Contact: Christopher Falkenhagen

                                                                                                                            Communications: (410) 260-4511

 

 

Grants totaling $20.1 million awarded to address Maryland's nursing shortage

 

ANNAPOLIS, MD (May 19, 2009) – The Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC) has awarded eighteen institutions grants totaling $20.1 million over five years as part of the fourth round of funding in the Competitive Institutional Grants component of the Nurse Support Program II (NSP II). HSCRC has contracted with the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) to administer the Nurse Support Program II.

Funding for NSP II is being provided through a 0.1% increase to the rate structure of all hospitals since July 2005 to promote the program’s goal of increasing the number of bedside nurses in Maryland hospitals by expanding the capacity of Maryland’s nursing education programs. This innovative program is a unique venture that teams hospitals and colleges to create partnerships to address the critical shortage of nurses. The projected outcomes of this fourth round of institutional grants are expected to increase new RNs by 880, new BSNs by 436 graduates, and new Master’s graduates (who will be eligible to become faculty) by 452.

Coupled with the 19 programs funded in the first three years, NSP II is expected to produce 2033 new Registered Nurses (RNs), 1184 Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degrees and 1344 new graduates eligible to become faculty.

“I am pleased to see that these grants are going to some of Maryland’s best colleges and universities to address our State’s nursing shortage,” Secretary of Higher Education James E. Lyons, Sr., said. “This is a major concern for Governor O’Malley. He has stressed the importance of putting families first and making sure that more nurses and nurse faculty are being given the resources to help them serve our working families in their times of need.”

Information on the 21 new projects:

Lead Institution: Allegany College
Project Title: Creating a Smart Learning Environment to Retain Nursing Students
Partners: None

Lead Institution: Allegany College
Project Title: Enhancing Nursing Retention Through Tutoring: A Rural/Urban Partnership Project
Partners: Anne Arundel Community College

Lead Institution: Bowie State University
Project Title: Accelerated BSN with Retention and Success Initiatives
Partners: None

Lead Institution: Bowie State University
Project Title: A Faculty pipeline for RN to BSN and BSN to MSN (Master of Science in Nursing)
Partners: Southern Maryland Hospital and Anne Arundel Medical Center

Lead Institution: Carroll Community College
Project Title: Spring Start
Partners: None

Lead Institution: Chesapeake College
Project Title: A Model to Increase Graduation Rates of Nursing Students
Partners: None

Lead Institution: College of Notre Dame of Maryland
Project Title: Maryland Partnership Project to Increase Nursing Faculty
Partners: Anne Arundel Medical Center, Higher Education & conference Center, Upper Chesapeake Medical Center

Lead Institution: College of Southern Maryland
Project Title: Southern Maryland Nurse Retention Project
Partners: None

Lead Institution: Frederick Community College
Project Title: FANS – Frederick Community College Associate Degree Nursing Support
Partners: None

Lead Institution: Frostburg State University
Project Title: Building the Nursing Faculty Pipeline in Western Maryland
Partners: None

Lead Institution: Hagerstown Community College
Project Title: Transforming Community College Nursing Program Simulation Training in Maryland (A Five-Year Plan)
Partners: None

Lead Institution: Harford Community College
Project Title: Weekend and Evening Accelerated Nursing Program
Partners: Upper Chesapeake Health

Lead Institution: Howard Community College
Project Title: Increasing Nursing Graduates and Graduate Nurse Retention Through An LPN Pathway Sequence
Partners: None

Lead Institution: Johns Hopkins University
Project Title: Establishing a Maryland Faculty Academy for Simulation Teaching in Nursing Education (M-FAST)
Partners: Stevenson University, Howard community College, Montgomery College, Bowie State University and Harford Community College

Lead Institution: Johns Hopkins University
Project Title: Needs Based Graduate Education II – Online Masters Specialty
Partners: None

Lead Institution: Montgomery College
Project Title: Innovative Staffing
Partners: None

Lead Institution: Morgan State University
Project Title: Addressing the Nursing and Faculty Shortage, and Increasing the Representation of Minority Nurses: Starting a Nursing Program at an HBCU (Historically Black College or University)
Partners: None

Lead Institution: Prince George’s Community College
Project Title: RN Program Growth and Student Retention
Partners: None

Lead Institution: Salisbury University
Project Title: Creation of New Dual Roles for Nurse Clinicians in Clinical Teaching to Expand Enrollments in the Second Bachelor’s Degree Program at Salisbury University
Partners: Atlantic General Hospital

Lead Institution: Towson University
Project Title: An Accelerated Associate to Master’s Degree Program: A Towson University and Community College of Baltimore County Collaborative Project
Partners: Community College of Baltimore County, Frederick Memorial Hospital, Greater Baltimore Medical Center

Lead Institution: University of Maryland
Project Title: Master’s Preparation of Staff Nurses to Expand Clinical Instruction Capacity
Partners: Anne Arundel Medical Center, Baltimore-Washington Medical Center, Good Samaritan Hospital of Maryland, Mercy Medical Center, Shore Health Medical Center, Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, Franklin Square Hospital Center

For more information, see www.mhec.state.md.us/Grants/NSPII/NSPII.asp.

The Maryland Higher Education Commission is a 12-member coordinating board responsible for establishing statewide policies for Maryland public and independent colleges and universities and private career schools. It serves as an advocate for more than 325,000 college students in Maryland, for the State and its needs, and for business and industry in Maryland.
 

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