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QCC Nurse Education Department Receives BHE Grant

College to Lead Central Massachusetts Cluster

Contact: Cherie Ronayne
Office of Institutional Communications
508.854.2849
cronayne [at] qcc.mass.edu

Release Date: 
2/15/2006

WORCESTER – Quinsigamond Community College’s Interim President Sheila Sykes recently announced the receipt of a grant from the Board of Higher Education (BHE) and the Massachusetts Hospital Research and Education Association.  The $10,993 grant was awarded in an effort to increase the number of faculty in Massachusetts community college nursing programs.

Jane June, Dean of Instruction for Healthcare and Human Services, who will administer the program, is extremely pleased that QCC will be part of this program.  She feels it is important that such programs be developed to assist nursing programs right now, stating, “There is a severe lack of qualified nursing instructors and nurses.”

The grant establishes a collaborative project between QCC, as the lead school, Framingham State College’s (FSC) nursing program, and Mt. Wachusett Community College (MWCC).  QCC will monitor its course, MWCC's course, and the online course offered at FSC.  This coursework will be followed by a practicum.

According to Patricia Creelman, MS, RN, QCC’s Director of Nurse Education, “The grant from the BHE allows the Nursing Program to participate in a partnership that will allow them to increase the supply of nursing educators.”

Each school will have six candidates in the program, which begins in September 2006.  The year long certificate program will end in 2007.  The tuition is free for those nurses selected to participate.

Creelman added, “The advantage of the grant is that it allows us to select our own candidates who are already committed to our program and give to them an opportunity to earn the qualifications necessary to seek full time employment as a nurse educator.”

The QCC/FSC/MWCC cluster is one of two established by this grant.  The total collaboration is between FSC and five community colleges.  The split into two clusters maximizes recruitment potential and cost efficiency.  The overall aim of this project is to increase the number of registered nurses who are interested in and qualified for academic and clinical positions on the faculty of associate degree in nursing programs in Massachusetts community colleges, adding not less than 18 new nursing faculty helping to alleviate the shortage.

The QCC Nurse Education Department is a major provider of nurse education for the Worcester area and offers both Practical and Associate Degree in nursing educational programs.

Quinsigamond Community College is the most affordable higher education in Worcester County. As a regional leader in education and workforce development, QCC serves the diverse educational needs of Central Massachusetts by providing affordable, accessible, and high quality programming leading to transfer, career, and lifelong learning.