Courtesy of Bowie State University
Bowie State University’s Department of Nursing has been awarded a 4–year, $2.2 million grant from the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) to increase the number of doctoral faculty members with the goal of having 20 students in the Ph.D. program by 2029. It marks the largest grant ever awarded to the department.
Beginning in 2029 and in subsequent years, five new Ph.D. nurse faculty will graduate from the program, which will expand the number of nurse educators in the state who contribute to the ongoing development of the nursing workforce.
According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) website, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 193,100 registered nurse vacancies each year through 2032 when nurse retirements and workforce exits are factored into the U.S. demand for nurses. The national nursing faculty vacancy rate is 7.8%, with nearly 80% of vacancies requiring or preferring a doctoral degree.
“Nationwide, there is a shortage of nurse educators which restricts the ability of nursing schools to enroll and graduate sufficient professional nurses to meet the growing demands of our healthcare system,” said Dr. Jacqueline Hill, chair of the Department of Nursing. “The MHEC grant will enable the university to prepare more Ph.D. nurse educators and increase the number of students enrolled in our undergraduate nursing program.”
“MHEC’s grant is nothing short of a game changer for Bowie State’s department of nursing,” said Hill. According to the AACN faculty shortage report, faculty shortages at nursing schools across the country are limiting student capacity at a time when the need for professional registered nurses continues to grow. “With an increase in Ph.D. nursing faculty, we will be able to prepare more nurses to expand the workforce in a field that is in dire need of highly qualified healthcare clinicians.”
