Angelo State University Grant
One of the ways in which the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) helps nursing schools and promotes the nursing profession is by awarding grant money to fund new and existing nursing programs.
An example of such generous funding is that awarded to Angelo State University. The department of nursing at Angelo University has recently received a grant of $1.27 million dollars which will be spent on a new, innovative nursing program. The goal of this unique nursing program is to minimize tuition costs as well as lecture time spent on-campus for licensed vocational nurses pursuing registered nurse degree programs. In addition, graduates of this nursing program will expand the pool of registered nurses employed at four local hospitals. Licensed vocational nurses which are currently employed by these hospitals will be able to enroll in the ASU nursing program and become registered nurses.
The hospitals who have partnered with the Nursing Department at Angelo State University in order to create an opportunity for such a unique nursing program include Shannon Medical Center, San Angelo Community Medical Center, Brownwood Regional Medical Center and Scenic Mountain Medical Center in Big Spring.
The new transition program enables licensed vocational nurses to complete the registered nurse education in only two semesters. Classroom attendance is eliminated from this program and all lectures are to be conducted online. Licensed vocational nurses will complete all clinical experiences at the hospitals where they are employed and will be guided by a registered nurse in that health care facility.
In addition, all students will receive a laptop computer plus monetary compensation for one study day each week. These incentives will help nursing students have the means and the time to complete their online lectures and assignments. Students are not responsible for any tuition or fees once accepted into the program since all cost will be covered by the four partner hospitals.
The estimated total cost for running this nursing program over a period of three years is expected to be about $860,000. The department of nursing at Angelo University plans to use the grant of $1.27 million dollars to buy the laptop computers for students, pay program directors and faculty salaries, upgrade the school's computer programs which will allow online course management, and help the partner hospitals cover the cost for the students' paid study days.
This pilot nursing program will run over a period of three years and it proves that there are many creative solutions that can be implemented in order to lessen the registered nursing shortage in the state of Texas. Over the course of three years this nursing program at the Angelo University will produce 140 new registered nurses while keeping its students employed full-time as licensed vocational nurses.
The new program will not only help licensed vocational nurses advance professionally, but it will also benefit the partner hospitals. These facilities will have better educated nurses provide a superior level of care to their clients and will also drastically reduce the cost of recruiting and orienting registered nurses.
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