April 20, 2023

Missouri State Board of Nursing provides grants to 14 Missouri colleges and universities

Jefferson City, Mo – Today, the Missouri State Board of Nursing announced over $1.9 million in grant funding has been approved for 14 Missouri colleges and universities through the Nursing Education Incentive Program (NEIP) to help enhance nursing education programs throughout the state. 

“We are proud of our nursing education program leaders who leverage this grant funding by proposing bold solutions to transform Missouri’s nursing education pipeline,” said Lori Scheidt, Executive Director of the Missouri State Board of Nursing.

The NEIP is an annual grant program designed to increase the physical and educational capacity of professional nursing programs throughout the state. The Missouri State Board of Nursing works in coordination with the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development to determine the annual recipients. This year’s 14 competitive grants, totaling $1,979,605.36, include the following nursing schools: 

College of the Ozarks – $149,700 

Awarded grant funds will be utilized for scholarships for two nursing faculty, technology resources, and expansion of clinical experiences to enhance clinical learning (simulation).

Graceland University – $149,920    

Awarded grant funds will be utilized to add one full-time nursing faculty, purchase simulation equipment and supplies to enhance clinical learning experiences, provide faculty development, and add support staff to increase annual admissions by 26 percent for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program from 74 students to 100 students per year. 

Maryville University – $149,049.36

Awarded grant funds will be utilized to purchase a Victoria birthing simulator to enhance BSN students’ simulation experiences and specialty training in obstetrician (OB) rotations. This birthing simulator would help augment OB lab/clinical learning. 

Mineral Area College – $150,000

Awarded grant funds will be utilized to support the addition of two full-time faculty positions and expand the Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN) program to two extension sites located in Perry County and Cape Girardeau, increasing seats at the sophomore level of ASN from 48 to 78 seats this fall.

North Central Missouri College – $150,000

Awarded grant funds will be utilized to develop faculty salary and benefits packages that are competitive with other positions in the local healthcare market and add faculty to help expand clinical placements through the “Earn While You Learn” nursing program with clinical partners in the area, increasing capacity by 20 students within the next two years.

Ozark Technical Community College – $81,350 

Awarded grant funds will be utilized to purchase technology for an additional skills lab. 

Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar – $142,158

Awarded grant funds will be utilized to purchase additional simulation equipment, including a high-fidelity birthing and newborn simulator to augment the Bolivar campus lab. The simulation resources will also be used as a collaborative tool with Citizen Memorial Hospital (CMH) in Bolivar. 

Southwest Baptist University in Springfield – $150,000

Awarded grant funds will be utilized to add one full-time faculty member for the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program in Springfield. The funds will help support the transition of the MSN-Nurse Educator track to online instruction through the SBU Worldwide Campus. 

St. Charles Community College – $150,000

Awarded grant funds will be utilized to add a simulation technician position and the necessary technology to expand clinical placements in specialties such as pediatric nursing and support higher student enrollment.

St. Luke’s College of Health Sciences at Rockhurst University – $150,000 

Awarded grant funds will be utilized to add faculty positions and provide scholarships for faculty to support development of accelerated graduate nursing programs, to include a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner program and an accelerated RN-MSN bridge program.

State Fair Community College – $150,000 

Awarded grant funds will be utilized to enhance simulation equipment and provide installation at the Eldon campus, helping reduce travel time and expenses for the Eldon students that currently engage in clinical simulation at the home campus in Sedalia. 

Research College of Nursing – $117,428 

Awarded grant funds will be utilized to establish a clinical partnership with St. Sabina Wellness Center to expand clinical placements for the nursing program, increase access to health screenings, health education and disease prevention, and manage chronic health conditions for under-served communities. 

University of Missouri in Kansas City – $150,000

Awarded grant funds will be utilized to enhance clinical learning for pre-licensure and graduate students and support the development of six new master doctorate-prepared nurse educators that will teach in Missouri nursing schools.

William Jewell College – $140,000 

Awarded grant funds will be utilized to add one full-time nursing faculty, support transition for one clinical nursing faculty to full-time status, and fund adjunct faculty for supplemental instruction to help prepare pre-nursing students for college.

Since 2011, the Missouri State Board of Nursing has awarded more than $13 million in grants for nursing education programs throughout the state to increase capacity and pilot new education programs. This includes nearly $3 million Governor Mike Parson approved in September 2022 through a special appropriation by the Missouri General Assembly.

The Missouri State Board of Nursing is a part of the Division of Professional Registration, a division of the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance (DCI). The division provides administrative support to 41 professional licensing boards and commissions responsible for licensing and regulating the activities of more than 525,000 Missourians.

DCI is charged with protecting Missouri consumers through oversight of the insurance industry, banks, credit unions, utilities, and various professional licensees operating in the state. For more information about the department, please visit our website at dci.mo.gov.

###