Georgia Southern University’s School of Nursing has recently received over $2.2 million in funding from three grants, one from the University System of Georgia (USG) and two from the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA).

The funds from these grants will help to build three main establishments new to the School of Nursing that will benefit both students and faculty.

From the USG the School of Nursing will receive a total of approximately $500,000. The money, which will be given over a two-year period, will help provide faculty members with support services to further faculty’s scholarship and research endeavors. Those services will be made available by the Center for Nursing Scholarship and Research, which is being established with the funding from this grant.

“This Center will serve to identify possible funding projects, assist in the preparation of grant submissions, coordination of on and off campus services and management of funded projects,” Sharon Radzyminski, Chair of the School of Nursing, said.

The Multiple Chronic Conditions grant for $1.2 million from the Health Resources Services Administration will be used to help begin a graduate level Chronic Illness Certificate program. This program will educate people about many issues related to MCC and disabilities. In addition, it will allow people to work in teams while learning about patients, including military members, veterans, and other members of the community, and how to help them by providing them with health care.

The grant will also ensure that faculty salaries and technology are equipped to support the program for a three year period. This opportunity will be available to all majors treating chronic illness and will become open to graduate students for enrollment in fall 2015.

The second grant from HRSA is a traineeship grant that will cover a two-year time period and will make it possible for students obtaining a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) degree to receive scholarships. This grant provided almost $700,000 of funds which will support tuition, books, and stipends that will be of assistance to FNP students while completing the education for their degree.

These three grants are expected to help GSU’s School of Nursing advance in the next few years. The USG grant for a Center for Nursing Scholarship and Research has already been put to use. Nursing students and faculty can expect to see changes and new additions very soon.

Radzyminski said, “It is expected to be fully operational by the end of the month.”