FSU Department of Nursing Awarded $1.5 Million Nurse Support Program II Grant
Jun 26, 2023 8:00 AM
New BSN Pre-Licensure Program Aims to Expand Opportunities in Western Maryland
Frostburg State University’s Department of Nursing was recently awarded a grant in excess of $1.5 million by the Maryland Higher Education Commission’s Nurse Support Program II. The funds will be utilized to expand the capacity of pre-licensure nursing programs within the state, specifically in Western Maryland, where there is a lack of traditional 4-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) programs.
“This grant, when combined with our recently completed Education and Health Sciences Center, positions Frostburg State University to provide additional nursing programs for Western Maryland residents,” says FSU President Dr. Ronald Nowaczyk.
Scheduled to begin this fall, FSU will introduce a traditional pre-licensure BSN in addition to an online LPN to BSN program. “These two programs will significantly augment the availability of nursing seats for students in the region and across the state,” says Dr. Kara Platt, FSU’s Department Chair of Nursing. “This crucial support and funding from the state are instrumental in facilitating this expansion.”
Dr. Nowaczyk added, “The on-campus BSN degree reduces the distance regional students need to travel to receive the BSN degree in a residential 4-year campus setting, and the LPN to BSN program complements our very successful RN to BSN program for working adults.”
Platt, a local former high school student herself, agrees that this expansion of nursing program offerings will yield numerous benefits for the region. “I personally experienced the need to attend FSU for two years of prerequisite classes before having to transfer in order to earn by BSN.” The implementation of this comprehensive 4-year BSN program at Frostburg will allow local students to remain there to pursue their nursing degree.
“These new programs are particularly significant considering the imminent and severe nursing shortage we are facing,” says Platt. “Increasing the number of BSN-prepared nurses in the workforce is essential, and the addition of these new nursing seats represents the initial step towards addressing this critical issue.”
Platt noted that the University is proud to have support from local healthcare facilities and “looks forward to beginning these programs in the fall.”
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