Over $2M in grants to help TU meet current, future nursing workforce needs

By Megan Bradshaw on October 15, 2018

Towson University Department of Nursing faculty members Briana Snyder, Hayley Mark and Kathy Ogle have received grants totaling over $2 million to introduce more flexibility into nursing education for students and educators.

“MHEC provides high-level support for nursing education throughout the state,” said Lisa Plowfield, dean of the College of Health Professions. “As a recipient of these awards, TU’s Department of Nursing continues to be well positioned to meet not only the current nursing workforce needs but also the critical need for well-prepared faculty to educate our future nursing workforce. We remain on the forefront of supplying nurses for our state’s healthcare workforce.”

Snyder received over $1 million to introduce an online degree option for Associate-to-Bachelor’s (ATB) students, who often are older working full time and have family demands. Being able to choose their course delivery format (face-to-face, online or a mixture of the two) will offer them the degree of flexibility they need. The grant also involves continuing education for the faculty in online course design and delivery.

“Nursing has really been at the forefront of the online education world,” said Snyder. “Due to the unpredictability of shift work, online education has done wonders to improve flexibility in getting a nursing degree.”

Mark’s $902,000 grant will help her support members of the TU faculty who want to earn doctorates.

“The university nursing education field is moving toward requiring a doctorate,” Mark noted. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to help our faculty go back to school. It’s good for TU, our faculty and the field—a real win-win-win.”

The grant will support six faculty members earning their doctorates by providing course release time. The grant will fund adjunct faculty to cover the educator-students’ courses, giving them time to complete their studies. Through the grant, the Department of Nursing will also partner with a faculty education and mentoring initiative to train the adjunct faculty and provide mentorship opportunities with full-time faculty.

The focus of Ogle’s nearly $150,000 award is to examine opportunities for graduate nursing education that will support the ongoing workforce need for nurses and nursing faculty.

This story is one of several related to President Kim Schatzel’s priorities for Towson University: TU Matters to Maryland and World-Class Faculty Development Center.