The University of Central Arkansas and Conway Regional Health System announced another partnership in March, which is aimed at addressing shortages in the number of registered nurses.
The Conway Regional Health Foundation is providing a total of $390,000, with $240,000 for student scholarships and $150,000 for faculty development and School of Nursing initiatives.
The Partnership for Clinical Excellence, or PCE, will award a $2,500 scholarship to an average of eight students in the UCA School of Nursing. Funds will be granted per semester for four semesters for students pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
“UCA continues to be a leader in producing exceptional clinical professionals for the health care industry in Arkansas, and we recognize the growing need for quality nursing graduates. We are uniquely positioned to meet the growing demand in our state and region,” said UCA President Houston Davis.
“As longtime neighbors and partners working together to positively impact this community and state, Conway Regional is proud to be a part of the solution to the growing demand for quality nurses. This partnership with UCA will ensure that we can continue to provide the community and our patients with excellent and compassionate care for years to come,” Conway Regional CEO Matt Troup said. “Health care providers across the country are looking for ways to tackle this critical nursing shortage, and we see this investment in education as an important step along with the added benefit of a focus on clinical best practice and other areas such as research and staff development.”
The January 2012 issue of the American Journal of Medical Quality includes a report that projects a nursing shortage between 2009 and 2030, with the most acute shortages in the South and West.
“As a UCA nursing graduate myself, I understand the challenges faced not only by the health care provider in great need of nurses but also by the educational institutions striving to produce more graduates to meet the demand of the market. Our hope is that this new program can help more students pursue their dream of becoming a nurse,” said Angie Longing ’94, Conway Regional chief nursing officer.
Nursing students will be admitted with the standard admissions requirements in the UCA School of Nursing. The university and Conway Regional will jointly select students for the PCE scholarships. PCE students must commit to working for Conway Regional for a minimum of two years after graduation and passing licensure requirements.
UCA will also receive support for nursing faculty development and School of Nursing initiatives through the Nursing Enhancement Fund, a $150,000 grant with $50,000 paid annually over three years.
“Nationally, and here in the Southern region, the nursing shortage is augmented by the shortage of nursing faculty. In fact, the shortage of nursing faculty is just as critical as the shortage of nurses, if not more so,” said Susan Gatto ’90, director of the UCA School of Nursing. “This initiative will help support the retention of current faculty and recruitment of other faculty here at UCA.”