UC Awarded Funds through Nursing Workforce Expansion Program
Award of $964,850 Will Help Expand Both Associate and Bachelor Nursing Degree Programs
The University of Charleston (UC) has been awarded $964,850 through West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice’s Nursing Workforce Expansion Program, which is designed to address the state’s nursing shortage through a multifaceted approach to attract, train, and retain nurses in the Mountain State. Representing a fundamental part of this approach, an award program was established to fund nursing program expansion projects at colleges, universities, schools of nursing, and career technical education centers across West Virginia.
Through UC’s award, the Capito Department of Nursing in the School of Health Sciences plans to expand its current Associate Degree in Nursing and Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs. The investment is expected to support up to 20 new nursing students at UC’s Charleston and Beckley campuses.
“The University of Charleston is very excited to expand our nursing programs to help address the acute shortage of licensed nurses in West Virginia,” shared UC President Marty Roth. “These funds will enable us to host high school bootcamps to generate awareness and excitement in joining the nursing profession, implement a first year Bachelor of Science in Nursing direct admissions program, and provide students with state-of-the-art simulation and virtual reality technology to enhance their clinical skills. Through the Governor’s generosity, we will be able to attract, enroll, and better prepare more students to enter the nursing profession in our state.”
The nursing program expansion awards are administered by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission and Community and Technical College System. Twenty-six funded projects across the state were announced by Gov. Justice on March 17. Approved projects were required to focus on increasing enrollment in pre-licensure nursing programs through innovative approaches concentrating on timely degree completion and licensure for graduates.
“We are tremendously grateful to Gov. Justice for providing this historic funding to support the expansion of nursing education programs across West Virginia,” said Dr. Sarah Armstrong Tucker, West Virginia’s Chancellor of Higher Education. “Through these new projects, our postsecondary education community will be better positioned to help shore up West Virginia’s nursing workforce – which, in turn, will help support our nurses working tirelessly on the front lines right now.”
Governor Justice announced the West Virginia Nursing Workforce Expansion Program in December 2021 by dedicating $48 million to support new and expanded initiatives that will train new nurses, fully fund the West Virginia Nursing Scholarship Program, value nurses already practicing in the state, and recruit nurses into West Virginia.