Arkansas Awards $2.6 Million Grant to A-State, ASU-Beebe to Boost Nursing Education

JONESBORO – The College of Nursing and Health Professions at Arkansas State University is the recipient of a $2,598,396 grant from the Arkansas Department of Commerce and Arkansas's ALIGN (Arkansas Linking Industry to Growing Nurses) program to help attract, prepare, and retain more nurses in the state.

A portion of the total funding announced by Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders is a sub-award to Arkansas State University-Beebe.

A-State's proposal, “Expanding the Arkansas Nursing Workforce: Recruit, Retain, and Reimagine (R3),” addresses the state's nursing shortage by introducing strategies to attract and retain nursing staff in the state.

Dr. Scott E. Gordon, Dean of the College of Nursing and Health Professions, is leading the project, while Dr. Sarah J. Davidson, associate dean of nursing at the College of Nursing and Health Professions, is co-leading it.

“In addition to enrolling more students, our plan to strengthen student preparation before and during program enrollment will help increase retention rates, graduation rates, and pass rates on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX),” Gordon said.

In addition to state funding, the college is partnering with local health care providers for matching funds. To be eligible for the state grant, applicants must secure $1 for every $2 provided by the state.

A-State will partner with St. Bernards Healthcare and NEA Baptist Health System. ASU-Beebe will partner with Unity Health, ARcare, and The Crossing at Riverside. The total amount of grant funding and partner matching funds is $3,901,671.

Each successful applicant for the state grant proposed their own projects or equipment needs.

Gordon added: “Implementing our expanded and enhanced education plan in collaboration with our health care partners will produce a significantly larger number of high-quality LPNs and RNs for Arkansas's workforce. Furthermore, it will allow our graduates to transition more quickly through their studies as well as through employer onboarding into independent patient care at hospitals, clinics, long-term care facilities, and other health care employers.”

Davidson emphasized that the project includes elements that reimagine the future of nursing student recruitment and education in Arkansas, bringing a sustainability element to the project.

She also said: “This grant will allow us to provide access to advanced technology in our professional nursing programs to prepare RN graduates to meet today's health care needs. Innovative teaching models such as the Designated Education Unit will be expanded with our clinical partners, St. Bernards Healthcare and NEA Baptist Health System, to give students more opportunities for clinical experience, enabling a faster transition to practice and better outcomes for patients.”

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Below is the full press release from the Arkansas Department of Commerce:

Sanders, Department of Commerce Announce $20 Million to Grow the State's Nursing Industry.

LITTLE ROCK – On Monday, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Secretary Hugh McDonald, and Cody Waits, director of Arkansas Workforce Connections, announced more than $20 million in training grants to support the growth of Arkansas's nursing industry. Through the Arkansas Linking Industry to Growing Nurses (ALIGN) program, the Arkansas Office of Skills Development (OSD) awarded $20.4 million to 19 two- and four-year colleges and universities in Arkansas. The ALIGN program is designed to advance the qualifications of nursing professionals, expand nursing apprenticeship programs, and increase the recruitment and retention of nursing faculty.

“As Governor, one of my biggest priorities is preparing young Arkansans for careers of the future. Health care and nursing are one of our key focus areas,” Governor Sanders said. “The 19 two- and four-year colleges and universities receiving funding today train some of the best nurses in America. Each of them will help us build Arkansas's next generation of health care professionals.”

“Nurses play a critical role in providing quality health care in our state. It is essential that we have qualified nursing professionals to meet Arkansas's health care needs, today and in the future,” Secretary of Commerce Hugh McDonald said. “Strengthening education and apprenticeship opportunities is critical to growing Arkansas's nursing pipeline, and the ALIGN program will provide funding to support the growth of our state's nursing sector.”

Public and private postsecondary institutions in Arkansas offering LPN, RN, and BSN degrees are all eligible to apply for ALIGN funding. All applicants are required to provide health care partner contributions at a 2:1 state-to-partner ratio for every dollar contributed by the health care partner.

Funding for ALIGN grants is provided through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Eligible uses of funding include advancing professional qualifications, expanding nursing apprenticeships, increasing recruitment and retention of nursing faculty, expanding clinical rotations, increasing nursing program capacity, tuition reimbursement, equipment purchases, simulation centers, and laboratory expansion.

All ALIGN award funding must be used by December 31, 2026.