News Release

December 13, 2010

Institute on Aging Awarded Two-Year Grant From RWJF's Evaluating Innovations in Nursing Education Program

The UNC Institute on Aging (IOA) was awarded a two-year grant ($299,847) from the Evaluating Innovations in Nursing Education (EIN) program funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. This work extends the IOA's collaboration with the UNC School of Nursing and the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research to evaluate the impact of State-Based Support-for-Service Programs (e.g. loan repayment, scholarship programs) on the recruitment and retention of nurse faculty. The study team is partnering with eight states to evaluate the impact of state-based programs on the recruitment and retention of nurse faculty. The project includes an in-depth study of state-based support-for-service programs, a survey of participating and comparison nursing programs and a nurse-faculty web-based survey.

The study team brings together accomplished researchers and educators across the campus to put their heads together on the pressing problem of nurse faculty shortage. Drs. Marilyn Oermann and Mary Lynn contribute the nursing education and nursing work-life perspective. Drs. Don Pathman and Thomas R. Konrad bring their extensive experience in evaluating support-for-service programs across disciplines to the table. Dr. Jennifer Craft Morgan, IOA Associate Director for Research, will serve as Principal Investigator for this project.

"This project addresses a pressing problem for North Carolina and the nation: How do we engage and sustain qualified individuals to become nurse faculty? At a time when population aging is increasing our need for nurses and other frontline workers, how do we make sure we have the capacity to educate qualified health professionals?" - Jennifer Craft Morgan, Principal Investigator

EIN is a national initiative of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that supports evaluations of interventions that expand teaching capacity or promote faculty recruitment and retention in schools of nursing. Dr. Michael Yedidia, Director of the EIN National Program Office at Rutgers University, commented on the award: "We are delighted to fund an evaluation of these support-for-service programs. Decision-makers are challenged by the need for reliable evidence when making policy decisions about such programs, and we expect that the findings will inform future policies related to these issues." By fostering replication of successful strategies to address the nurse faculty shortage, the ultimate goal of the EIN initiative is to increase the numbers of nursing school graduates.

About the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country. As the nation's largest philanthropy devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all Americans, RWJF works with a diverse group of organizations and individuals to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful and timely change. For more than 35 years RWJF has brought experience, commitment, and a rigorous, balanced approach to the problems that affect the health and health care of those it serves. When it comes to helping Americans lead healthier lives and get the care they needRWJF expects to make a difference in your lifetime.