Friday, April 4, 2025
4/4/2025
Nurse Faculty Loan Program - Project Abstract Project Title: Partnerships and Mentoring to Address the Nurse Faculty Shortage Applicant Organization Name: Auburn University Address: 710 South Donahue Drive, Auburn, AL 36849 Project Director Name: Dr. Caralise Hunt Contact Phone Numbers: 334-844-6763, 334-663-0202 Email Address: huntcar@auburn.edu Website Address: https://cws.auburn.edu/nursing Program Funds Requested: $103,213 Auburn University College of Nursing (AUCON) located in Auburn, Alabama is requesting funding for July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024 for the Nurse Faculty Loan Program. The nursing faculty shortage limits the number of student admissions to schools of nursing. This coupled with the number of nurse faculty who will be retiring within the next decade has increased the need to recruit and prepare nurse faculty in their areas of specialty. Nurses need specialized nursing education courses to prepare them for teaching in the classroom and clinical settings. As a predominantly rural state, Alabama is especially impacted by the need for nurse educators prepared with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to address social determinants of health and health disparities among underrepresented populations in our communities. These skilled educators can prepare the next generation of nurses to significantly impact and improve the health of Alabama citizens through acute and primary care. The purpose of the project, Partnerships and Mentoring to Address the Nurse Faculty Shortage, is to increase the number of nurse educators prepared at the doctoral and master’s levels by providing loans to nurse educator students who are enrolled in AUCON’s Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing (PhD), Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), and Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) programs. Financial constraints limit many students from pursuing additional courses to prepare them to serve as nurse faculty. Providing Nurse Faculty Loan Program funds for AUCON graduate students interested in pursuing nursing faculty roles will help to offset the financial constraints and provide them the option to complete courses in nursing education. AUCON offers a Master of Science in Nursing-Nurse Educator track and a Post-MSN Nurse Educator Certificate Program that can be taken concurrently while pursuing the Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing or Doctor of Nursing Practice degree. The Nurse Educator master’s program is 35 credit hours comprised of four courses for a total of 11 credit hours. The certificate program includes the four nurse educator courses and is designed for nurses seeking an advanced practice degree to complete simultaneously while completing another concentration. The Partnerships and Mentoring to Address the Nurse Faculty Shortage project includes four objectives: (1) Increase enrollment of qualified nurses into the nurse educator courses by 50%; (2) Increase enrollment of qualified nurses from diverse populations to 20% of the nursing graduate student population; (3) Expand academic practice partnerships with community colleges for placement of nurse educator students; and (4) Establish a tailored mentorship role for all NFLP recipients. The project team, including the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs (Project Director), four faculty members, and an educational research methods and analysis expert, will collaborate with the Auburn University (AU) Student Financial Services Office to provide loan disbursement and service. AUCON and AU Graduate School support staff will provide assistance with tracking of student data.
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).