Project Title: HRSA Nurse Faculty Loan Program University of West Georgia, Address: 1601 Maple Street, Carrollton, Georgia 30118 Dr Sally Richter, Ed.D, RN, Office: 678-839-6552: srichter@westga.edu, Grant funds requested $300,000.00 The University of West Georgia (UWG) is seeking funding through the NFLP program in order to provide financial assistance to MSN and MSN Post-Master’s students in the School of Nursing’s Nurse Educator track As well as the Ed.D students in the School of Nursing’s Ed.D in Nursing Education program This funding will enable students to obtain a degree they might not otherwise have been able to afford as our student population includes minority students from rural residential backgrounds who provide for their families and work fulltime Funding from the NFLP program may assist students to work fewer hours while they pursue their graduate or doctoral education full-time This is the UWG School of Nursing’s seventh application for NFLP funds The University of West Georgia’s School of Nursing provides high quality undergraduate and graduate education as evidenced by recognition as a National League of Nursing 2019 Center of Excellence in Nursing Education The BSN and MSN programs are fully accredited by the Council on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) The Ed.D in Nursing Education is fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) In addition, the Ed.D in Nursing Education program is a priority within the University of West Georgia Strategic Plan as the university is committed to education at the doctoral level as a doctoral-granting university per the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education Our programs, with a focus in nursing education, are designed to address the HHS and HRSA priority of transforming the workforce – targeting the need for nursing faculty positions in colleges and universities It is essential for faculty to have adequate preparation for the teaching role and pedagogical preparation includes coursework that focuses on teaching to develop the skills and knowledge commensurate with role expectations (Oermann, 2017) In such coursework, students will acquire evidence-based knowledge of learning styles, teaching methods, and methods for evaluation of learning This education is paramount as the National League for Nursing (NLN) clearly states that all nursing education programs should promote nurse educators’ expertise in academic and practice environments allowing change leaders to emerge in nursing education (NLN 2013) Our graduates of the Ed.D in Nursing Education doctoral program will be in a direct position to conduct research essential to nursing education but also interdisciplinary higher education The Ed.D in Nursing Education program prepares students to pursue intellectual inquiry and conduct independent research that contributes to the development of nursing education as a science Thus, the doctorate in Nursing Education (Ed.D) assists in preparing nurses specifically for the nurse faculty role in addition to all forms of scholarship The Ed.D in Nursing Education will impact the faculty shortage by producing doctorally prepared registered nurses to teach BSN, MSN, and doctoral programs in nursing Our MSN Nurse Educator track is a direct “stepping stone” for future doctoral study in nursing education The graduates of the MSN Nurse Educator track will be prepared with a focus on teaching, clinical practice, with scholarship aspects Their preparation will allow the MSN student to develop innovative learning activities, assessment strategies, interprofessional and population health experiences The MSN students are prepared to serve on committees to make decisions about admissions and progression in nursing programs; evaluate their nursing courses, and support pre-licensure nursing students to care for patients from diverse populations, within community settings, and effectively use health information technology In closing, the University of West Georgia School of Nursing’s vision is to “Lead in the scholarship of teaching and learning…” and our mission is to “Exemplify excellence in a caring environment…” and student learning outcomes The Ed.D in Nursing Education program and MSN Nurse Educator track reflect the NLN Core Competencies for Nurse Educators (NLN, 2012) Approximately 20 masters, post-master’s, and 25 doctoral students will participate in the Nurse Faculty Loan program