The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Nursing is using nearly $1.7 million in state-administered grant funding to address the shortage of nurses in Arkansas.
UAMS received the funds in May through the Arkansas Linking Industry to Grow Nurses (ALIGN) program, which is operated by the Arkansas Office of Skills Development. The state awarded the grant using federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
Patricia Cowan, Ph.D., RN, dean of the College of Nursing, said nursing schools across the country have seen enrollment decline in recent years, which has further exacerbated a chronic shortage in the workforce.
“Part of our challenge in addressing the nursing shortage is that nursing schools like UAMS have not been able to accept additional qualified students because we don’t have enough clinical sites or faculty members,” she said. “The ALIGN grant gives us a way to grow our faculty, our student body and our experiential learning opportunities.”
The ALIGN program was designed to assist nursing schools in their efforts to teach nursing professionals new skills, expand apprenticeship programs and recruit and retain educators. UAMS must spend the funds by the end of 2026.
Cowan said the College of Nursing is already using the grant to implement programs that will help students learn new skills and reach the workforce more quickly. The college this year added an RN-to-master’s track for registered nurses who are interested in pursuing leadership roles in nursing administration. It also began offering a “summer senior fast-track” program that gives students a more rigorous summer experience and the ability to graduate a semester early.
The College of Nursing is expanding its clinical rotations to give students more opportunities to work with preceptors, Cowan said. It is also upgrading its simulation offerings to further enhance the educational experience.
“Simulation is a great, safe environment that provides students with experiences they often don’t get in clinical areas,” she said.
As UAMS provides more opportunities for nursing students, it will also need more educators to teach them, Cowan noted. To meet this need, the College of Nursing is partnering with community colleges to identify, hire and train adjunct clinical faculty members.
Cowan said some of the grant funds will be used to provide financial support for students who need the assistance. Those who have a bachelor’s or higher degree are ineligible for Pell Grants and other forms of financial aid, she said, so they rely on scholarships and personal unsubsidized loans.
The ALIGN program required that recipients provide a match worth half of the grant amount, and the College of Nursing received those in-kind contributions from UAMS Health, Arkansas Children’s and Washington Regional Medical Center.
Cam Patterson, M.D., MBA, UAMS chancellor and CEO of UAMS Health, thanked UAMS’ partners in health care and in the state government for the work they did to make the grant possible.