PA launches nurse training initiative

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell has kicked off a $7 million initiative designed to both boost the number of nurse educators available in the state and increase the number of nurses that graduate from the state's schools. The "Loaned Faculty" program, which will distribute $4 million, will pay for healthcare providers and educational facilities to loan faculty members to nursing schools experiencing teaching shortages. Another $3 million, meanwhile, will go directly to schools and healthcare providers to help fund education for nursing students.

Pennsylvania's problems aren't unique. In fact, due in part to the comparatively low salaries paid by academic institutions, there's a nationwide shortage of qualified and available nurse faculty members. A recent American Association of Colleges of Nursing study found that nursing schools rejected 41,000 qualified candidates last year due to teacher shortfalls.

Find out more about Gov. Rendell's plans:
- see the state's press release
- read the state's grant making guidelines

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