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| OU's School of Nursing is the recipient of a $20,000 grant from the Jonas Center for Nursing and Veterans Healthcare. |
As a recipient of the Jonas Center grant, the SON is part of a national effort to stem the faculty shortage and prepare future nurses as America's healthcare system continues to evolve.
The 2010 Institute of Medicine's (IOM) report The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health advocates doubling the number of doctorally prepared nurses. The SON Jonas Scholars join nearly 600 future nurse educators and leaders at 110 schools supported by Jonas Center programs, the Jonas Nurse Leaders Scholars Program and Jonas Veterans Healthcare Program (JVHP). These scholarships support the IOM's recommendation of nurses pursuing PhDs and DNPs, the terminal degrees in the field.
"Many nurses admit that they do not feel adequately prepared to help veterans from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq reintegrate into society with the unique challenges they have," said Kathleen Spencer, Visiting Assistant Professor in the SON and Coordinator of Veterans Education Programs. "Receiving this grant will allow us to help nurses pursue doctoral degrees and ultimately help shape the way treatment is delivered to our heroes."Dean Kerri Schuiling agrees. "Improving healthcare delivery models, policy reform and advocacy for our veterans is paramount. Thanks to organizations like the Jonas Center for Nursing and Veterans Healthcare, the SON will be able to educate more nurses to be nurse faculty, leaders and administrators."
The Jonas Center, the leading philanthropic funder for nursing, is addressing a critical need, evidenced by troubling data from the AACN showing that 2013 saw the lowest enrollment increase in professional RN programs in the past five years. This is due primarily to a shortage in qualified faculty.
"The call for more nurses – and thus the faculty to prepare them – is massive. Healthcare in America has never been more complex, yet tens of thousands of would-be nurses are turned away from the profession each year," said Donald Jonas, co-founder of the Jonas Center. "We've stepped up the pace and expanded our programs to meet this need."
About Oakland University's School of Nursing:
The Oakland University Board of Trustees established the School of Nursing (SON) in 1974, and the first students were admitted in the fall of 1975. At that time, the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) degree was the only academic degree awarded by the SON. Graduate nursing programs began in 1984 leading to the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree. The Doctorate of Nursing Practice (DNP) program was established in 2006. All of the Oakland University School of Nursing academic programs are fully accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).
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