The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is accepting applications for the fiscal year (FY) 2023 Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention-Pathway to Registered Nurse Program (NEPQR-PRNP).
Donor Name: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
State: All States
County: All Counties
Territory: Selected Territories
Type of Grant: Grant
Deadline: 04/27/2023
Size of the Grant: $1,000,000
Grant Duration: 4 years
Details:
The nation requires a nursing workforce that has an adequate supply and distribution of diverse, well-educated, and well-prepared nursing professionals. Professional nurses should reflect the cultural and social values and needs of the communities in which they serve. It has been demonstrated that having a diverse and skilled health workforce that is representative of the communities being served will improve the access to care and quality of services provided. Therefore, diversity in the nursing workforce is critical to achieve the goal of high-quality, safe, and accessible care. Ensuring that all populations have access to high-quality, culturally aligned, and competent care is necessary to reduce health disparities and improve health equity.
Purpose of the Program
The purpose of this program is to create a pathway from academic training to clinical practice through the creation and implementation of Licensed Practical Nurse/Licensed Vocational Nurse (LPN/LVN) to Registered Nurse (RN) Bridge Programs and employment of Clinical Nurse Faculty. Funding will be used for:
- Program Development: Funds can be used to develop and implement or enhance an accredited LPN/LVN-to-RN Bridge program targeting the needs of LPNs/LVNs.
- Direct Support for LPN/LVN to RN students: Funds can be used to assist in student success such as stipends, tuition, and other social supports (e.g., transportation and childcare assistance). LPNs/LVNs are nursing professionals and when entering a degree program there may be barriers in place that keep these students from being successful.
- Curriculum and Partnership Development: Funds can be used to develop curriculum and build/enhance/maintain partnerships between clinical and educational institutions. Challenges exist for students as they move from one educational institution to another (e.g., academic credits not transferring from 2-year to 4-year institutions) and working experiences are not always counted as credit toward their degree program. Strong partnerships are encouraged between clinical training sites and academic institutions including technical/vocational schools and community colleges to help to mitigate these challenges.
- Preceptor/Faculty: Funds can be used to recruit, retain, and develop clinical and didactic faculty and clinical preceptors. Faculty and preceptors are needed to train new students in the bridge program being created.
Program Goals
- Improve the supply and geographic distribution of the nursing health workforce by increasing the number of RNs entering the workforce through the development and implementation of accredited LPN/LVN-to-RN Bridge programs by reducing barriers that prevent LPNs/LVNs from transitioning into registered nursing careers.
- Increase the diversity of the nursing workforce to better address the needs of the populations they serve by recruiting and supporting students and faculty, including those from diverse populations such as students and faculty from disadvantaged backgrounds and underrepresented minorities in the nursing profession.
Program Objectives
- Recruit LPN/LVN-RN undergraduate nursing students committed to practicing in medically underserved communities.
- Provide nursing students with longitudinal interprofessional team-based, clinical, and didactic training experiences along the practice continuum in communitybased settings located in rural or underserved areas.
- Prepare program participants for the National Council Licensing Examination for Registered Nurses (NCLEX- RN).
- Provide participants with the knowledge, skills, and support(s) needed to successfully matriculate through innovative LPN/LVN-to-RN career ladder training programs.
Funding Information
- HRSA estimates approximately $8,900,000 to be available annually to fund approximately 8 recipients. You may apply for a ceiling amount of up to $1,000,000 per year (includes both direct and indirect). Your request for each year of the period of performance cannot exceed your year 1 request.
- The period of performance is August 1, 2023, through July 31, 2027 (4 years). Funding beyond the first year is subject to the availability of appropriated funds for NEPQRPRNP in subsequent fiscal years, satisfactory progress, and a decision that continued funding is in the best interest of the Federal Government.
Eligible Applicants
- Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
- Private institutions of higher education
- Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
- State governments
- Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
Additional Information on Eligibility
In accordance with Section 831(f) of PHS Act, eligible entities are defined in PHS Act section 801(2), and include an accredited school of nursing, such as a baccalaureate nursing program and community college that trains associate degree nurses, a health care facility, including federally qualified health centers or nurse-managed health clinics, or a partnership of such a school and facility. Schools of nursing affiliated with the proposed project must be accredited at the time of application. Applicants must provide documentation of current accreditation by a national nurse education accrediting agency, or a state agency approved by the U.S. Department of Education as Attachment 8. Individuals and for-profit entities are not eligible to apply. HRSA-23-016 6 In addition to entities in the 50 states, entities in the District of Columbia, Guam, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau may apply. Tribes and Tribal organizations may apply for these funds, if otherwise eligible. Foreign entities are not eligible for this HRSA award.
For more information, visit Grants.gov.
