BALTIMORE, Maryland – (November 7, 2019) – The Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) Secretary, Dr. James D. Fielder, announced $1,040,000 was awarded to 52 Maryland nursing faculty members in an ongoing effort to recruit, retain, and assist in the development of new nurse faculty in Maryland.
The 52 new recipients of the New Nursing Faculty Fellowship (NNFF) will each receive $20,000, which will be disbursed over a three-year period. The new recipients will receive $10,000 this year and $5,000 each consecutive year. In addition, 81 faculty are receiving 2nd or 3rd year payments, based on continued full-time employment in good standing.
The number of faculty awarded at each of the participating colleges and universities includes:
· Allegany College - 6
· Anne Arundel Community College - 6
· Chesapeake College - 1
· College of Southern Maryland - 1
· Harford Community College - 3
· Montgomery College - 2
· Prince George's Community College -7
· Wor-Wic Community College - 3
· Bowie State University - 1
· Johns Hopkins University - 12
· Notre Dame of Maryland University - 1
· Stevenson University - 3
· Towson University - 2
· University of Maryland Baltimore - 4
“This is one more example of how MHEC is working to meet the critical need for additional nurses and nursing faculty in Maryland,” Secretary Fielder said. “It is imperative that we identify, train, and retain highly educated nurses in Maryland and this program is helping to accomplish that difficult task.”
Nurses with doctorates are needed to teach future generations of nurses and to conduct research that becomes the basis for improvements in nursing science and practice. Research is showing an urgent need for an increase in highly educated nurses and an improved education system to address the nursing shortage expected to impact the state by 2025.
The Deans and Directors of Nursing Programs at six Maryland universities and eight community colleges recognized and nominated nurse faculty for these awards. This is an annual process instituted in 2005, with new nominations due every August. This program has an impressive 89 percent retention rate of new nurse faculty who remain employed full-time at a Maryland nursing program after three years.
The Fiscal Year 2020 Nurse Support Program II (NSP II) New Nursing Faculty Fellowships (NNFF) are administered by MHEC and were approved for funding by the administrator for the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC). Over the years, the Nurse Support Program, both NSP I and NSP II (originally Nurse Education Support Program) has been expanded to encourage new and innovative approaches to address the challenges and demands facing nursing.
Dr. Peg Daw, Director of the Nurse Support Program II, was recently recognized by the National League for Nursing's Certification Board of Commissioners for her outstanding contributions to nursing faculty in Maryland.
###
