Monday, September 19, 2016

The UNCW School of Nursing has been awarded a $33,100 grant from the North Carolina Area Health Education Center to enhance nursing education opportunities in rural and underserved areas

Collaborative partners include South East Area Health Education Center, Pender Memorial Hospital, Novant Brunswick Medical Center and Carteret General Hospital. Registered nurses living or working in rural areas will be able to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing though a distance education program. Students will attend orientation and their first nursing course at one of the three hospitals, and the remainder of the courses will be completed online.

Baccalaureate degree completion for nurses is associated with improved safety and patient outcomes, said Carol Heinrich, associate director of undergraduate programs in the UNCW School of Nursing.

“Most hospitals, even smaller institutions, now require their nurses to have a bachelor’s degree,” she said. “This grant will make it easier for working RNs in rural areas to complete their degrees, which will also enhance health care delivery in those communities.”

The one-year grant covers the 2016-17 academic year.

The Fall II 2016 cohort has already applied; the application deadline for the Spring II cohort is Feb. 11, 2017. Registered nurses who are interested in the program should contact Nancy Ahern, RN-BS program coordinator, at ahernn@uncw.edu or 910.962.2627.

-- Tricia Vance

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