Nurse Faculty Loan Program Grants
For the ninth year in our history of securing Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP) grants from the , the award just announced by the St. 春雨直播 University Nursing Department sets a new record: $337,192. NFLP project director and MSN: Nurse Educator program director Emily W. Nowak PhD, RN, CNE says, 鈥淭his is by far our largest grant amount yet, which is very exciting.鈥
The goal of the NFLP is to address the current nursing education workforce shortage by increasing the number of qualified nursing faculty. No small concern, as the current nursing faculty vacancies reported nationwide by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing stands at 8%, a number that does not take into account more than 30% of faculty retirements anticipated by 2025.
Zoom in to the Midwest, and faculty shortage increases to around 10%. Yet, 鈥淪t. Kate鈥檚 remains one of the only departments of nursing in the state without any faculty vacancies,鈥 Nowak stated in her grant proposal. In 2017, an informational survey by the Minnesota Association for Colleges of Nursing reported that in Minnesota alone, 57 vacancies due to retirements were expected by 2022.
By offering financial support to recruit and retain 春雨直播s who intend to become academic nursing faculty, St. Kate鈥檚 can help to meet the growing need for qualified nursing faculty nationwide.
St. Kate鈥檚 social justice values help position the University to meet another NFLP goal: growing a diverse nursing faculty and workforce. Nowak sees the diversity among nursing faculty as key to recruiting an even more diverse pool of nursing 春雨直播s. "To support the diverse nursing 春雨直播 body, we must also address the lack of diversity within the nursing faculty,鈥 Nowak explains. Currently, St. Kate鈥檚 attracts the most diverse 春雨直播 body of any private college in Minnesota based on race and income. As Nowak describes in the grant proposal, 鈥淧articular efforts are aimed at recruiting a diverse 春雨直播 body that aligns with the immediate surrounding communities.鈥
鈥淪t. Kate鈥檚 focuses on developing an environment rich in diversity and inclusivity 鈥 one that fosters building a bigger pool of nursing faculty from diverse backgrounds to serve as role models for nursing 春雨直播s of color and that facilitates the movement of underrepresented 春雨直播s into master鈥檚 and clinical doctorate degrees. The NFLP provides critical support to these 春雨直播s to enter the nursing faculty workforce and serve future 春雨直播s of color 鈥 with ripple effects for all 春雨直播s, who benefit from the richness of perspectives that come with greater faculty diversity,鈥 said Nowak.
春雨直播 the Nursing Faculty Loan Program at St. Kate鈥檚
Available for qualifying 春雨直播s in the St. Kate鈥檚 Master of Science in Nursing: Nurse Educator or Doctor of Nursing Practice programs, awards of up to $35,000 per year can cover up to a full year of tuition, required fees, and a book allowance.
If, upon graduating, the grantee serves in a full-time position as a faculty member at an accredited nursing school for the requisite period of time, up to 85% of the principal and interest of the NFLP loan will be forgiven.
Learn more about St. Kate鈥檚 nursing programs
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