Two CCN Faculty Members Secure over $1.8 Million in Grant Funding

Drs. Alice March and Robin Lawson have been awarded over $1.8 million in grant funding for 2018-2019, all benefiting students in Capstone College of Nursing’s graduate programs.

Dr. Alice March has had two U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration’s grant proposals funded. The Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students (SDS) proposal was funded for $600,000 for the coming year, and the Nurse Faculty Loan Program proposal was funded for $526,001. Dr. March received approval for expanded application of the Nurse Faculty Loan Program this year; now these funds will be available to Doctor of Nursing Practice students, as well as Nursing EdD students.

CCN has dubbed its SDS Program “BAMA Tide to Success for MSN Students.” Scholarship money from the program is intended to support eligible master’s level nursing students during completion of the degree, enabling them to provide primary care to rural and underserved populations. CCN’s goals for program outcomes are to increase enrollment of disadvantaged and minority students, increase retention rates for those students, and, ultimately, prepare about 70 primary care nurses for positions in medically underserved and rural communities. The BAMA Tide to Success funding is available in $600,000 increments each academic year to be distributed among scholarship recipients. To qualify for this graduate scholarship, students must be from an underrepresented group including men in nursing, minority racial or ethnic groups, or from disadvantaged backgrounds, either now or in the past. This means that persons who attended a high school with a high rate of free/reduced lunches or had a low graduation rate may qualify. Some amount of financial need should be demonstrated on the FAFSA form, which is required for consideration.

The UA NFLP Supporting Doctorate of Education and Doctor of Nursing Practice project will increase the nursing faculty workforce in Alabama and the US by providing loans to manage the costs of tuition, books, fees, and related expenses for students in the EdD or the DNP programs at UA. The Capstone College of Nursing and College of Education administer a collaborative doctoral program, the EdD in Instructional Leadership for Nurse Educators to prepare nurses for the faculty role. The CCN will offer DNP students two elective courses to prepare them to function as academic nurse educators. Funds will be made available for 56 EdD and 15 DNP students, with each student receiving $4,375.00 per semester for two semesters and $3,250.00 for one semester of the academic year, totaling $12,000.

Read more about Dr. March’s grants here.

Dr. Robin Lawson, Senior Associate Dean of Academic Programs, received notice that her Advanced Nursing Education Workforce proposal submitted to HRSA was approved for funding of $650,896 for 2018-2019 as part of a 2-year award totaling approximately $1,309,988. The purpose of this project, BAMA-Care, is to prepare primary care nurse practitioner (NP) students to practice in rural and underserved settings through targeted academic and clinical training via an enhanced academic-practice partnership (APP) and supplemental ANEW funding. Through ANEW funding, the University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing will enhance its current APP with Whatley Health Services, Inc. (WHSI), one of the largest Federally Qualified Health Centers in West Alabama, with 16 locations in rural and/or underserved areas. BAMA-Care students enrolled in the MSN Nurse Practitioner Program and Primary Care for Rural Populations will complete longitudinal, immersive clinical experiences with rural and/or underserved populations with preceptors at WHSI practice sites.

Read more about BAMA-Care here.

The University of Alabama Capstone College of Nursing prepares graduates for the professional practice of nursing. The college is a national innovator in clinical simulation in nursing education, utilizing simulators and telehealth technology in teaching, research and health care delivery.