St. Thomas University is pleased to announce that it received a significant grant for its School of Nursing. The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has awarded the University $331,139 under its Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP). The grant is renewable each year.
The NFLP awards grants to accredited schools of nursing to provide loans to nurse educators pursuing a graduate degree. The program’s goal is to increase the number of nursing faculty by providing access to education that prepares and trains qualified educators to fill faculty vacancies and increases the number of trained nurses entering the workforce.
“As the demand for nurses continues to grow, qualified nursing instructors will be needed to train the next generation of nurses,” said St. Thomas University Dean of Academic Studies, Dr. Luis Fernandez-Torres. “The ethical, values-based training St. Thomas University provides to our MSN-FNP students will develop nurses that will be leaders in our global community.”
At St. Thomas, the NFLP will fund scholarships, books, and expenses for 20 graduate students in the masters-level Family Nurse Practitioner Program. According to the Florida Center for Nursing by 2025, there will be a 50,000 shortfall of registered nurses in the State. This funded program will positively impact the nursing workforce shortage in South Florida.
