Belmont University’s School of Nursing received a $285,000 Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP) grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) to address the national shortage of nurse educators who are committed to educating the next generation of nurses and family nurse practitioners.

Dr. Cathy Taylor, dean of the College of Health Sciences and Nursing, stated, “Congratulations to the School of Nursing and primary authors, Dr. Martha Buckner and Dr. Linda Wofford, for securing funding to initiate an exciting new chapter for graduate nursing at Belmont. This award will enable us to support talented students and directly impact the growing national shortage of nurse educators in a meaningful way. It’s a win-win.”

In addition to the traditional Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) education in the family nurse practitioner (FNP) role, students will obtain coursework specific to the role of a nursing educator. Students in the Belmont NFLP will benefit from mentor-ship, strong nurse educator preparation, as well as monetary support to pursue doctoral education and loan forgiveness. Easing the financial barrier to doctoral education will improve the supply of nurse educators and nurse practitioner preceptors.

The program will provide loan forgiveness of up to 85 percent of Belmont tuition, fees and associated costs if graduates are employed full time as family nurse practitioner preceptors or faculty in any school of nursing in the United States for four years following graduation. Students will have one year after graduation to secure appropriate employment. Continue reading →