News Releases

New $3 Million Initiative from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to Aid Nursing Programs

March 28, 2013

Baltimore, Md. – As the nation faces pressing health care challenges, the University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON), in collaboration with Montgomery College and the Universities at Shady Grove (USG) in Rockville, Md., continues to champion the preparation of well-educated nurses for the workforce. With the help of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), UMSON will be able to provide greater resources for its students through a new $3 million RWJF initiative that will help states assist educational institutions in providing top-notch programs for nursing students.

UMSON will receive funding from RWJF through the Future of Nursing State Implementation Program, a program that will assist the Maryland Action Coalition in addressing the challenges associated with academic progression throughout Maryland. Grant recipients will work to implement programs that prepare nurses to lead system change, strengthen nursing education, and expand access to care by maximizing the use of nurses, recruiting and training a more diverse nursing workforce, and improving quality and coordination of health care.

“This is a historic opportunity to build on Maryland’s Registered Nurse-to Bachelor of Science in Nursing articulation model and move to models that offer seamless and timely academic progression,” said Rebecca Wiseman, PhD, RN, assistant dean for the UMSON program at USG. “We are excited about the enthusiasm that our academic and health care provider partners have brought to the discussions as we work to build on nursing education opportunities.”

The Future of Nursing State Implementation Program will bolster efforts already underway in 50 states and the District of Columbia by transforming health care through nursing and meeting the challenges stemming from an aging and more diverse population. A joint initiative of AARP and RWJF, the Campaign for Action is working to implement the Institute of Medicine’s (IOM) evidence-based recommendations on the future of nursing. It provides a voice and a vehicle for nurses at all levels to lead system change to improve health outcomes for patients and families by collaborating with business, consumer, and other health professional organizations. The initiative will provide two-year grants of up to $150,000 to 20 state-based action coalitions that have made substantial progress toward implementing the IOM recommendations, however, it calls for states to obtain matching funds.

“I am very excited about having the opportunity to promote academic progression for Montgomery College nursing graduates, and hopefully, all associate degree graduates in Maryland,” said Barbara Nubile, MSN, RN, associate dean/director of nursing at Montgomery College.

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The University of Maryland School of Nursing, founded in 1889, is one of the oldest and largest nursing schools, and is ranked eleventh nationally. Enrolling nearly 1,700 students in its baccalaureate, master’s, and doctoral programs, the School develops leaders who shape the profession of nursing and impact the health care environment.