News Releases

Four University of Maryland School of Nursing Faculty Members Awarded Nurse Support Program II Grants

August 1, 2018

UMSON awarded nearly $2 million in NSP II grant funding.

‌‌Baltimore, Md.– ‌Four University of Maryland School of Nursing (UMSON) faculty members have been awarded Nurse Support Program II (NSP II) grants funded through the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission and administered by the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC). UMSON’S grant awards total nearly $2 million.

NSP II grants aid in increasing the capacity of nurses in Maryland by implementing statewide initiatives to grow the number of nurses prepared to serve effectively in faculty roles. MHEC offers a number of educational grant programs, funded by state general funds, special funds, and federal funds, designed to address Maryland’s economic and workforce development needs, campus reform initiatives, student preparation for post-secondary education, faculty and student diversity goals, and teacher professional development objectives.

“We are thrilled that UMSON has received NSP II grant support for four significant and quite varied projects, each of which will help address Maryland’s need for a well-educated and well-prepared nursing workforce. These projects expand opportunities for seamless progression of Maryland high school students into nursing careers, increase the number of highly qualified clinical preceptors, build further expertise in quality improvement and evidence-based practices, and create a Maryland Nursing Workforce Center to ensure appropriate data for future decision-making,” said UMSON Dean Jane M. Kirschling, PhD, RN, FAAN. “We are grateful to the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission for its generous support of nursing research and the Maryland Higher Education Commission for its leadership in administering the NSP II initiative. Together we are ensuring that Maryland’s residents have access to excellent health care now and in the years ahead."

The NSP II grants awarded to UMSON beginning in Fiscal Year 2019 include:

Debra Bingham, DrPH, RN, FAAN, associate professor – Advancing Implementation Science Education Project ($698,995, 3 years): The Advancing Implementation Science Education (AdvISE) project will expand statewide capacity in improvement science and quality improvement (QI) expertise. Implementation science expertise is a necessary foundation in expanding the effectiveness and impact of Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) students’ quality improvement projects. Implementation science and QI expertise is needed to increase evidence-based practices, which will improve the quality and safety of health care delivery and reduce moral distress and burnout among registered nurses. Through this project, Bingham and the AdvISE Steering Committee seek to advance faculty implementation science and QI knowledge and skills. This project will also aid faculty in effectively guiding and educating DNP students on how to develop, implement, and evaluate QI initiatives.

Shannon Idzik, DNP ’10, MS, ’03, CRNP, FAANP, FAAN, associate professor and associate dean of the Doctor of Nursing Practice program – Continuation of Statewide Preceptor Modules for APRNs ($359,211, 3 years): Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) programs across Maryland struggle to identify enough preceptors to meet the growing needs of the program. Additionally, many active preceptors feel challenged in acquiring the skills needed to adequately mentor APRN students in a positive way. During the first cycle of funding, Idzik and colleagues created online learning modules and an in-person simulation to educate preceptors around the state. Through this continuation grant, Idzik seeks to recruit and educate more than 300 preceptors, who receive 11 Continuing Education Units upon completion of the program requirements.

Nina Trocky, DNP, RN, NE-BC, CNE, associate professor and associate dean for the baccalaureate program – PTECH at Dunbar High School for Health Professions with Baltimore City Community College ($629,919, 3 years): Through the NSP II grant, Trocky and UMSON aim to improve opportunities to develop a diverse and competent professional nursing workforce to care for patients in Maryland. UMSON plans to extend the Pathways in Technology Early College High (PTECH) program at East Baltimore’s Dunbar High School and use it as a pipeline to prepare and send students to earn an Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) from Baltimore City Community College (BCCC). After graduating from BCCC with an ADN, students can enroll at UMSON to earn their Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree. The mentoring program will offer students academic support, an overview of the nursing field, and financial aid options and is designed to improve career options and employment prospects for students.

Rebecca Wiseman, PhD ’93, RN, associate professor and chair of the University of Maryland School of Nursing at the Universities at Shady Grove – Establishing the Maryland Nursing Workforce Center ($265,467, 2 years): The Institute of Medicine’s 2010 Future of Nursing report recommended improving collection methods of workforce data. Currently, data about the nursing workforce in Maryland available to nursing agencies and organizations is lacking. In planning for future workforce needs and to measure the success of programs and initiatives, it is essential to have an accurate and comprehensive data set. Through this project, Wiseman seeks to establish the Maryland Nursing Workforce Center at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, to be responsible for compiling and reporting relevant data.

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The University of Maryland School of Nursing, founded in 1889, is one of the oldest and largest nursing schools in the United States and is in the top 10 nationally for all of its ranked master’s and DNP specialties. Enrolling nearly 1,900 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.