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OU School Of Nursing Awarded Federal Grant To Train Jobless Nurses
By: Taylor Mirfendereski
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Ohio University's School of Nursing has been awarded a nearly $5 million federal grant to train unemployed nurses and those seeking to increase their credentials.
The School of Nursing says it intends to use the $4,989,080 from the U.S. Department of Labor to pay tuition and administrative costs for training more than 200 students in its associate, bachelor's and master's degree programs. It says that a large portion of these applicants will be people who have been unemployed for six months or more.
"Job creation has been slow in many urban and rural communities, which also has led to prolonged unemployment," said Mary Bowen, Ohio University professor of nursing and co-author of the grant.
Bowen said the project will collaborate with local and regional employers to bring employment opportunities to the medically underserved region of southeast Ohio.
The nursing grant will begin this month and will be spread over the next four years. It's part of a $183 million federal outlay aimed at providing education, training and job-placement assistance in high-growth fields such as health care.
The School of Nursing, housed in the College of Health Sciences and Professions, is Ohio University's fastest-growing academic unit. Nearly 7,000 students are enrolled in its online and university campuses.
"As a result of this grant, the School of Nursing will be able to contribute to increasing the nursing workforce and increasing the knowledge and skills of nurses already in practice who wish to practice in advanced roles," said Deborah Henderson, interim director of the School of Nursing.
According to a forecast by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, Southeast Ohio is expected to add 700 nurses between 2008 and 2018.