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The College of Nursing at The University of Southern Mississippi has been awarded a $1.2 million grant through the Health Resources and Services Administration that will be used to provide specialized training for students in the Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) or Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) programs.
The Advanced Nursing Education Workforce grant will enable the college to distribute traineeship funds for students who plan to work in underserved areas after completing the advanced programs. The grant will provide longitudinal immersion clinical practice experiences in primary care and behavioral health care facilities.
The grant is focused toward students already certified in one of these specialties and who are seeking a second certification, along with a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree.
“Both programs are intensive, and for nurse practitioners who are already in practice, it is difficult for them to give up their full-time practice to return to school,” said Dr. Melanie Gilmore, FNP program director and director of the grant project. “The traineeships will allow NPs to return to school with financial assistance to allow them to seek a second certification and a doctoral degree.”
The two-year grant is the first of its kind obtained by the USM College of Nursing. The grant proposal stemmed from an identified need in Mississippi – to produce advanced practice nurses prepared at the highest degree level who are dually certified for healthcare providers delivering holistic care.
“We believe that the support created from this grant will attract more highly qualified students and assist the University in meeting the healthcare needs of the state,” said Dr. Lachel Story, assistant dean for Research and Evaluation.
To learn more about advanced degree programs offered by the USM College of Nursing, call 601.266.5445 or visit: https://www.usm.edu/nursing
