DCI News

Jefferson City, MO – The Missouri State Board of Nursing announced over $1.2 million in grant funding to seven Missouri colleges and universities through the Nursing Education Incentive Program (NEIP). This year, the grants focused on enhancing faculty recruitment and retention and integrating technology and innovation into nursing education to prepare students for practice. 

"Missouri is very fortunate to offer this grant program, which allows nursing programs to identify their needs to increase their capacity for students and then request funding to address those needs,” said Missouri State Board of Nursing Executive Director Lori Scheidt. "We developed this program with an understanding that we must invest in infrastructure to build a solid foundation to increase the number of nursing graduates. We thank nursing program leaders for continuing to adapt and proposing solutions to address the nursing program capacity issues."

This year’s competitive grants, totaling $1,219,732, include the following schools:

• Avila University, Kansas City 

$141,000 to fund the salary of a clinical coordinator, increase clinical faculty pay, and provide faculty scholarships. Avila will use the funding to increase their clinical capacity for nursing students.

• Central Methodist, Fayette

$153,600 to purchase labor and delivery and pediatric simulation equipment to enhance nursing students' clinical skills.

• Jefferson College, Hillsboro

$150,000 to fund the salary for a simulation laboratory coordinator to meet simulation demand and increase instructional capacity. 

• Missouri Valley College, Marshall

$165,599 to fund an RN to BSN online program coordinator, aiming to enroll 10-15 students each semester and then increase to 25-30 students per semester within five years.

• Moberly Area Community College, Columbia and Hannibal locations

$230,213 to fund a simulation laboratory coordinator and purchase simulation and virtual reality equipment to increase the number of students.

• Southwest Baptist University BSN program in Bolivar and MSN program in Springfield

$300,000 for both programs (150,000 each) to purchase interactive anatomy technology equipment to enhance education and incorporate advanced technology into the curriculum. 

• Three Rivers Community College, Poplar Bluff associate degree in nursing program 

$79,320 to purchase computers for a dedicated nursing program computer lab to fully transition to computerized testing. Increasing technology will allow faculty to augment instruction by providing exams that mimic the national licensure examination. 

Since 2011, the Missouri State Board of Nursing has awarded more than $19 million in grants for nursing education programs throughout the state to increase capacity and pilot new education programs. This includes nearly $8 million in funding approved by Governor Michael Parson through appropriations by the Missouri General Assembly in 2022 and 2023. 

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.