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Governor Ehrlich to Attend Convocation for University of Maryland School of Nursing

May 15, 2006

Governor will extend congratulations to 551 graduating nurses.

Baltimore, Md. – Governor Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. will attend the Convocation ceremony honoring 551 graduating nurses from the University of Maryland School of Nursing, being held at the Baltimore Convention Center at 9:30 a.m. Friday, May 19. The School of Nursing, which is one of the first established in the nation and has more than 16,000 alumni, has a long history of innovation in nursing education, and consistently educates more professional nurses than any other institution in Maryland.

“Our School has a strong track record for creating nurse leaders who are knowledgeable and independent thinkers, and who are powerful and effective advocates for their patients,” says Janet D. Allan, PhD, RN, CS, FAAN, dean of the School of Nursing. “Governor Ehrlich has been a strong supporter of our educational initiatives, and we are grateful for his recognition of the vital role of nurses and his consistent commitment to the profession. We are delighted to have him participate in our Convocation.”

Governor Ehrlich has been instrumental in supporting nursing education throughout his administration. He recently endorsed a collaboration between the Maryland Higher Education Commission and the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission to administer the Nurse Support Program II, created to help alleviate Maryland's critical shortage of nurses and nurse faculty. The first round of funding for this program awarded grants to seven institutions 
totaling $6 million over five years. The University of Maryland School of Nursing competed for and was awarded two of these grants totaling $2,345,000. The funds will be used to support a new doctoral degree at the School – the Doctorate of Nursing Practice – and to promote the career mobility of associate, diploma, and baccalaureate prepared nurses to obtain graduate degrees.

The 397 baccalaureate graduates, 136 master's graduates, and 18 PhD graduates from the University of Maryland School of Nursing will respond to the tremendous need for nurses in the state and across the nation by providing direct patient care, supervising teams of nurses and other health care providers, conducting scientific research, and educating future nurses. 
Call 410-706-4115 for more information, or visit www.nursing.umaryland.edu