Colleges Awarded $19M to Expand Nursing Workforce in Rural Areas
Credit: SDI Productions / E+ / Getty Images- The Health Resources and Services Administration has a grant program to address nursing shortages in rural areas.
- Five colleges and universities recently received funds as part of this program.
- The goal is also to increase the number of nurses working at acute and long-term care facilities.
Five colleges and universities will receive a combined $19 million over the next four years to expand nursing education programs.
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) awarded grants to these universities as part of a program aimed at increasing the number of nurses working in rural areas of the U.S.
While most of the country is grappling with a nursing shortage, this shortage is pronounced in rural areas where it is often difficult to recruit nurses and educational programs are sparse.
Grantees include institutions in Oregon, California, Michigan, and Georgia.
HRSA 2024 GRANTS
| Location | Year One Grant | Total Four-Year Grant Amount | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon Health & Science University | Portland, Oregon | $1 million | $4 million |
| University of Pacific | Stockton, California | $1 million | $4 million |
| University of Michigan-Flint | Flint, Michigan | $999,425 | $3,938,111 |
| Central Georgia Technical College | Macon, Georgia | $915,000 | $3,660,000 |
| Southern Crescent Technical College | Griffin, Georgia | $960,575 | $3,952,010 |
The grants are part of the federal government’s Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention (NEPQR) — Workforce Expansion Program (WEP). Funds will be used to expand nurse education programs, with a focus on increasing the number of nurses working in acute and long-term care settings.
Central Georgia Technical College (CGTC) said it will use funds to increase the community college’s capacity to provide clinical training. It also promised to create pipelines for graduates to enter acute and long-term care facilities with immediate employment after graduation.
“This investment will allow us to expand our nursing programs and equip more students with the skills needed to serve in high-demand healthcare roles,” Patricia Wynne, dean for the Health Sciences Division at CGTC, said in a statement.
“In partnership with local healthcare providers, we aim to fill the gap in nursing services, which is especially crucial in our rural communities.”
CGTC was one of two colleges from the Technical College System of Georgia to receive an NEPQR-WEP grant.
Traditionally, colleges and universities have used grant awards to hire more faculty to train more nurses.
In Florida, for example, the University of Florida and Florida State University nearly doubled the number of nurses enrolled in their bachelor’s programs thanks to a $100 million investment from the state. The deans at both universities told BestColleges in late 2023 that increasing faculty was instrumental in growing enrollment and, in turn, addressing nursing shortages in the state.
The Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania similarly pledged to hire more faculty after receiving a $5 million gift in late 2023.
Other factors contributing to the nursing shortage include an aging workforce and high turnover.
Rural areas are especially vulnerable to shortages because aspiring nurses often have to leave their rural hometowns to earn a nursing degree. When they do, they are often recruited by metropolitan hospitals offering higher pay, making them less likely to return home and practice in a rural area.