$145,000 was awarded to 29 full-time nurse faculty at higher education institutions across Maryland.

The Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) Secretary, Dr. James D. Fielder, announced that a total of $145,000 was awarded to 29 full-time nurse faculty at higher education institutions across Maryland.

 

Each of the 29 nurse faculty who received the Academic Nurse Educator Certification (ANEC) award will receive $5,000 to complete the professional development and continuing education requirements to maintain their Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) credential, which is a symbol of expertise in the specialty practice of nursing education. 

 “These awards are critical to ensure that Maryland remains committed to the highest educational standards for those nursing students, who will soon become the healthcare professionals on the frontlines,” Governor Larry Hogan said.

MHEC’s Nurse Support Program II (NSP II) provides funding for the awards, which is based on faculty who demonstrated excellence as an academic nurse educator through achieving and maintaining the National League for Nursing’s (NLN’s) CNE credential. The recipients were nominated by their own institutions, which included nine community colleges and six universities throughout Maryland:

·         Anne Arundel Community College

·         Baltimore City Community

·         Carroll Community College

·         Chesapeake College

·         Community College of Baltimore County

·         College of Southern Maryland

·         Frostburg State University

·         Harford Community College

·         Johns Hopkins University

·         Montgomery College

·         Prince George's Community College

·         Salisbury University

·         Towson University

·         University of Maryland, Baltimore

·         Washington Adventist University

 

“Especially during these trying times, when we are calling on our healthcare professionals to go above and beyond, these awards showcase the selfless actions of our nurse faculty in Maryland, always working to keep up with the changing trends and cutting-edge technology, producing the next generation of healthcare providers in the field,” Secretary Fielder said.

Since inception of the award in 2019, a total of 86 full-time nurse faculty completed the requirements to be recognized as Certified Nurse Educators. A total of 13 community colleges and 10 universities nominated faculty for the award, showing an 83 percent participation rate in Maryland.   In order to renew, faculty must demonstrate continued excellence in the specialty practice of nursing education.

Due to NSP II sponsored NLN’s CNE Workshops with Dr. Diane Billings, a nationally recognized leader in nursing education,  Maryland is leading the way with higher faculty pass rates than the national average, resulting in an increased proportion of nurse faculty who hold the CNE credential, a mark of excellence in nursing education. 

“For academic nurse educators, these credentials establish nursing education as a specialty area of practice and creates a means for faculty to demonstrate their expertise in this role,” NSP II Administrator, Dr. Peg E. Daw said. “It also communicates to students, peers, and the academic and healthcare communities that the highest standards of excellence are being met.”

The grants were approved for funding by MHEC, as the administrator for the Maryland Health Services Cost Review Commission (HSCRC).  The Nurse Support Program is funded by HSCRC and administered by MHEC.  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.​

For more information on the Nurse Support Program II, go to https://nursesupport.org/nurse-support-program-ii/grants/statewide-initiatives/-academic-nurse-educator-certification-anec-/​