The nursing program at Francis Marion University (FMU) recently received a federal grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) intended to help promote diversity in the field of nursing. FMU will use the four-year grant to support 100 nursing students by providing financial help, assigning graduate mentors to work with undergraduate students, and offering academic support through the Center for Academic Success and Advising.
Roughly 30-40 percent of FMU’s nursing student population is composed of minority groups, but the university hopes to increase that number to 50 percent to better represent the population of students on campus. Dr. Ruth Wittman-Price, dean of the School of Health Sciences, tells PatriotNewsOnline.com, “The whole goal of the grant is to increase workforce diversity. The workforce in any community should mimic the demographics of the community. This will assist us to get that closer in line.”
Students chosen to receive help from the grant were chosen based on a number of factors. Those students have been split into groups of 10 and paired with a graduate student mentor in nursing or psychology. Students will meet with their graduate mentors twice a month in a group setting and mentors will follow their students through all four years of their education.
To learn more about FMU’s new nursing grant and efforts to increase diversity in the field of nursing, visit here.
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