Local colleges selected for $523K in nursing grants

Three local colleges were picked to receive a collective $523,208 in grant funding from the Missouri State Board of Nursing.

The local colleges were among 14 institutions statewide selected by the state board to receive more than $1.9 million in grants, according to a news release. The State Board of Nursing is part of the Division of Professional Registration, a division of the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance.

The largest local recipient was Southwest Baptist University, which received a grant each for its Bolivar and Springfield campuses.

In Springfield, $150,000 is going toward SBU to add one full-time staff member for its master's in nursing program, according to the release. The funds are slated to help support the transition of the MSN nurse educator track to online instruction through the SBU Worldwide Campus.

SBU's Bolivar campus received $142,158 to buy simulation equipment, including a high-fidelity birthing and newborn simulator. The simulation resources also will be used as a collaborative tool with Citizen Memorial Hospital, the release said.

Point Lookout-based College of the Ozarks is receiving $149,700. The college plans to use the funds for scholarships for two nursing faculty, technology resources and the expansion of clinical learning simulation experiences, according to the release.

With its $81,350 grant, Ozarks Technical Community College is slated to purchase technology for an additional skills lab.