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Grant helps fund nursing
By Cory Fechtelkotter
Published:
Monday, March 31, 2003
A $500,000 federal grant was recently awarded to SCSU, St. Cloud Technical College, the College of St. Benedict and the CentraCare Health System to fund nursing education in Central Minnesota.
The grant was made possible through a consortium of the four groups, working largely through Congressman Mark Kennedy. The majority, $300,000, will be awarded to the fledgling SCSU nursing program.
"That's a lot, especially in these uncertain and difficult budget times on the state level," said Susan Warner, director of the SCSU nursing program and chair of the nursing department. "To be able to get this kind of direct support from the federal level, it's showing how important our community is here and it's wonderful."
Warner attributes much of the consortium's success to the cooperation and help of Kennedy.
"We had been working with his office and had talked to him about the need for nurses and the nursing shortage," Warner said, "and he was aware of it because he has been hearing from his constituents from nursing homes and hospitals, people that utilize and need nurses. He had been hearing what a serious problem it was and he just thought it was important enough to respond to."
The nursing program is a very recent addition to the various areas of study offered at SCSU, with the first class being admitted in spring 2001. Staff and students alike agree that the grant will do much to help the program.
"Were really excited because it opens a ton of doors," said Kristin Payne, a class representative for the junior class. "We need that help being a new program and trying to get started. We're very hands-on and it's a very specialized program because we're dealing with patients in a life or death matter. It's tough; we were struggling for awhile."
Plans for the money possibly include hiring more instructors and an increase in technology spending.
"This couldn't come at a better time for us," Warner said. "We're going to be able to use it for many things. As we start out, were going to be improving and developing clinical learning laboratories. They are one time dollars so there are some restraints, but they will be a tremendous plus."
During its short time here, nursing has been a popular, yet at-risk program. While pre-nursing is the third most popular major among incoming freshman and transfer students, just after pre-business and elementary education, for a while it was one of many targets in upcoming budget cuts.
"We have had tremendous interest in the nursing program," Warner said. "For the class that was just admitted we had 105 applicants for the members of students 35 slots and currently on campus we have 304 enrolled in the pre-nursing institute."
The grant has relieved fears that the program would be cut for some students.
"When I first heard about the grant I was much more comfortable (in nursing) remaining a program," Payne said. "We were going to be cut, and knowing that we have this grant we're much more comfortable," Payne said.
Those involved in the nursing program agree that the grant will do much for nursing in general.
"It's really going to help all of us, not only SCSU nursing but all of nursing in St. Cloud," Warner said. "I think getting this grant really demonstrates clearly the support we have from the community, and these kind of outside dollars assist us (the program) and SCSU in fulfilling our mission. And our mission as a public institution is to serve the needs of the community."
"It's a well needed program, and SCSU's program was long overdue at a state college, not a private college, in central Minnesota," Payne said.
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