Tuesday, January 14, 2025
1/14/2025
Project Title: Nurse Faculty Loan-Wayne State University College of Nursing Applicant Name: Ramona Benkert, PhD, ANP-BC-FAANP Address: 5557 Cass Ave. Room 201 Cohn Building, Detroit, MI 48202 Phone: (313) 577 4138; Email: ac3902@wayne.edu The overall purpose of the Wayne State University, College of Nursing (WSU-CON) proposal is to increase the number of advanced education nursing (AEN) degree graduates entering full time faculty positions in nursing universities and colleges, with preferential funding to doctoral students. The College of Nursing further seeks to transform the health care workforce by educating a diverse student body prepared to excel as clinicians, scholars, and leaders who target the healthcare needs of local and global communities. In 2022 in Michigan, just under 2.6% of registered nurses (RNs) held a doctorate in nursing. Among those with a doctorate, about three-quarters (77 %) have a Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) and about 23% percent have a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) with 0.7% holding a non-nursing doctoral degree. Our past NFLP recipients have been very diverse (45% on average). The funding has helped these students to successfully complete a doctoral degree and obtain faculty or APRN preceptorship positions. Our graduation rate of NFLP funded doctoral students is very high (95%). The NFLP funds, particularly for URMD doctoral students, will help to diversify the workforce of nursing faculty. The goals of the current proposal are to: 1. Recruit applicants for the Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP) who, if possible, are from underrepresented minority and disadvantaged backgrounds (URMD). 2. Offer ongoing financial and educational support through the Nursing Faculty Loan Program (NFLP) to students, with an emphasis on doctorally prepared students, to improve completion and retention rates. 3. Enhance the didactic and experiential training curriculum by offering training about social determinants of health, health equity, burnout, and resiliency. 4. Track the graduates who obtain faculty positions one-year post graduation in traditional faculty roles or advanced practice registered nurse (APRN) preceptor roles. During the 2024-25 academic year, the WSU-CON will offer funding to 65 students. As in the past, our team, including the Project Director (PD), College Program Directors, the Office of Student Affairs (OSA), the Office of Financial Aid and the Student Accounts Receivable, will work together to capitalize on our strengths. We will ensure that our OSA, Program Directors and PD will seek to maintain our average 43% URMD NFLP recipient numbers. We will use entrance and exit interviews (and several one-to-one conversations with the PD) to assist our NFLP graduates to find faculty or APRN preceptor positions. The PD and the Program Directors will enhance the number of academic-clinical partnerships to provide APRN placements that fulfill graduates’ teaching requirements. Our proposal will continue our past successes by funding graduate students with an interest in a faculty or a full-time clinical preceptor role in nursing. For the upcoming 2024/25 academic year, we are anticipating that 45 current students and 20 new students (focusing on full time doctoral students) will request NFLP funding. We are requesting $1,224,820 to cover the educational expenses for these 65. primarily doctoral students, which is the amount needed minus our remaining NFLP loan balance.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).