By Michelle Hines, University Relations
Contact: (336) 334-5371
Posted 7-11-08
GREENSBORO, NC – A continuation grant of almost $800,000 will enable UNCG to educate PhD-level nurses who can research and address health disparities across the state and the nation.
The federal grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration provides $254,774 per year over the next three years. The PhD Nursing program, the third in the state, will continue to focus on reducing health disparities in minorities, women, children and older adults and on increasing the diversity among students and faculty.
Dr. Richard Cowling, principal investigator for the grant proposal and director of the program, says North Carolina’s need for nurses will only get worse as nursing faculty age toward retirement. “The need is there, and we do understand the need for providing care across the spectrum of age, race and gender. What this grant really addresses is preparing people to do research and to teach. We need researchers out there to look at why there are differences in the level and quality of care. We also need to prepare people for academic roles so they can start preparing more nurses.”
Ethnic minorities account for almost a third of the state’s population, and 93 percent of the state’s 100 counties are considered medically underserved. North Carolina rates for HIV/AIDS, heart disease, obesity, stroke, cancer and diabetes rank above the national average.
Dr. Eileen Kohlenberg, associate dean for graduate programs in the School of Nursing, obtained initial funding for the PhD Nursing program three years ago. The program now boasts about 30 students who range in age from young adult to middle age and include African Americans, Hispanics and Asians. About 88 percent of students come from medically underserved areas, making it more likely that they will return home to work in those areas after graduation. One student graduated in the spring, and another is preparing to graduate.
Students have published articles in peer-reviewed journals such as Advances in Nursing Science and the International Journal of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing. They have also delivered presentations for national organizations such as The American Academy of Health Behavior and The American Public Health Association.
“It’s not common to get continuation funding on this sort of grant,” Cowling says. “In fact, it’s extraordinary. I think it shows that the federal government appreciates and understands what we’re doing here, and that we are making an impact.”
For more information on PhD Nursing program, contact Richard Cowling at (336) 334-4785
or wrcowlin@uncg.edu.
