Nurse education, practice, quality and retention - workforce expansion program - samford university's moffett & sanders school of nursing (msson) proposes to establish and enhance academic-clinical…

Samford University's Moffett & Sanders School of Nursing received $747,718 in federal funding from the Department of Health and Human Services' Health Resources and Services Administration Bureau of Health Professionals under the Nurse Education, Practice, Quality and Retention (NEPQR) Grants program (CFDA 93.359) Workforce Expansion Program track, awarded September 30, 2025, through September 29, 2029. The project establishes and enhances academic-clinical partnerships in acute and long-term care settings to deliver specialized nursing education to baccalaureate students, including evidence-based didactics and team-based, experiential learning activities focused on addressing social determinants of health and improving care for medically underserved and rural populations.

The grant funds development of a replicable collaborative team-based care model that prepares newly graduated nurses with enhanced clinical competence, cultural humility, and self-care capabilities for practice in high-need settings. Key deliverables include increased recruitment and training of diverse nursing students for acute and long-term care placements, expansion of clinical faculty and preceptor partnerships, and advancement of interprofessional education and practice. Through longitudinal clinical immersion and focus on health equity and literacy, the program aims to strengthen the registered nurse workforce and improve health outcomes for vulnerable patient populations and communities.

Nurse education, practice, quality and retention - workforce expansion program - samford university's moffett & sanders school of nursing (msson) proposes to establish and enhance academic-clinical partnerships in acute and long-term care settings to improve training for baccalaureate nursing students. Evidenced-based guidelines will be used to develop and implement specialized didactics as well as team-based, experiential learning activities addressing acute and long-term care nursing as a part of longitudinal clinical immersion. Students will participate in clinical placements in high need and demand areas. Learning activities will focus on addressing and managing social determinants of health factors and improving health equity and health literacy in medically underserved and rural areas and populations. The project will improve clinical competence, cultural humility, and self-care, which will aid in students entering the job market better prepared as newly graduated nurses (ngns) in acute and long-term care settings. Ngns will be equipped with the clinical and professional confidence and competencies necessary for efficient, effective, and productive practice to advance and improve the health of patients, families, and communities. Transformation of the registered nurse workforce will occur by increasing diversity in the profession, developing preceptor and clinical partnerships, and fostering interprofessional education, training, and practice. The program aims to: (a) establish a replicable collaborative team-based care model of an undergraduate nursing immersion program, (b) increase the number of diverse students trained to care for medically underserved patients in acute and long-term care settings, and (c) increase the number faculty/preceptors identified as program partners to enhance acute and long-term care nursing education.