Posted: 7/24/2009
The Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing (JHUSON) will receive more than $984,000 over the next five years as a recipient of the Who Will Care? grant, given by the Maryland Hospital Association (MHA).
Associate dean for academic affairs Pamela Jeffries, DNS, RN, FAAN, ANEF, and associate professor Linda Rose, PhD, RN, will use the grant to develop and pilot test an alternative model for clinical teaching and integrating emerging technologies (i.e. simulation, online courses, and electronic student portfolios) into the program to enhance and track clinical skills and experiences. This will allow more flexibility to people wishing to purse nursing degrees who may not be able to attend class full-time and/or in person.
“We welcome the opportunity to increase the number of nursing students we can graduate,” said Dean Martha N. Hill, PhD, RN, FAAN. “This grant money means more qualified applicants will be accepted into our program and graduate as nurses.”
Hospitals, insurance companies, businesses, and private citizens donated $15.5 million to fund the grant, aimed to increase the number of nursing graduates in response to the potential nursing gap that will exist once the economic downturn ends. In all, 17 schools received these initial grants.
“Without this initiative, we will face a shortage of 10,000 nurses in Maryland,” MHA president and CEO Carmela Coyle said. “These grants will begin the increase so we wont face a huge chasm when almost half of the nursing workforce retires just as the baby boomer generations health needs reach their peak,” she explained.
Individuals interested in contributing to the campaign can go to www.mdhospitals.org or contact Ellen Stanley at [email protected] for more information.