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Sen. Bunning Delivers $400,000 April 15, 2004 Sen. Bunning, R-Ky., delivered the federal funding for a one-year accelerated master of science in nursing program, which prepares graduates to function in the role of nurse educator. This program will help address the serious shortage in nursing faculty, which compounds the shortage of practicing nurses, said Dr. Donna Blackburn, head of WKU's Nursing Department. Student recruitment into the accelerated MSN program will be enhanced through 15 graduate fellowships to offset the cost of advanced education, she said. Students will be able to complete the program in one year through the use of interactive television, Web-based course offerings and a mentoring program, she added, and then they will be prepared to assume faculty positions in nursing schools. Dr. Blackburn said schools of nursing lost 10 percent of their faculty last year. "Nearly 16,000 qualified applicants were turned away from nursing programs this current year even though seats were available due to an insufficient number of faculty," she said. These facts led to the submission of a proposal for federal funding to enhance the nurse educator option at Western. Western is the only state-supported school in Kentucky to offer a master's degree in nursing education and only one of two in the state, she said. "Sen. Bunning's support not only demonstrates is interest in Western and our nursing program, but more importantly his commitment to nursing and its future," she said. Dr. John Bonaguro, dean of the College of Health and Human Services, said the college is focused on meeting the needs of the community it serves. He said the grant was the result of leadership from Dr. Blackburn "who had the vision and had the foresight to begin planning to look at how we need to address the nursing shortage in our state and in our country." WKU President Gary Ransdell said Western "is dedicated to being a good recipient of this kind of support from our federal government. Western is dedicated to improving the quality of life for Kentuckians and no program more exemplifies that resolve than what we're doing with our healthcare programs and our nursing program." Sen. Bunning said the nationwide nursing shortage is well know, "so it's time to do something about it. Western has a program that needed, and will get, a little shot in the arm for instructors in the nursing program. Education is one of the keys, if not a major key, to the economic future, not only here, but throughout the Commonwealth." Sen. Bunning added that nurses are especially important in rural areas of the state where there are fewer doctors. "We think this program, and the idea behind it, is a step to fill that gap," he said. "This check won't change the world, but at least it will help to make a difference not only for Western, but eventually for the students who will move on from here throughout the Commonwealth." For more information, contact Dr. Donna Blackburn at (270) 745-3579. More WKU news is available on the World Wide Web at www.wku.edu. If you'd like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.
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