October 15, 2004
Oklahoma Baptist University's School of Nursing was one of three Oklahoma nursing programs recently awarded $1 million grants payable over five years. The grants are being funded by an anonymous donor through the Communities Foundation of Oklahoma who has a goal of increasing the number of registered nurses in central Oklahoma hospitals. Through this granting initiative, Oklahoma Baptist University, Oklahoma City University, and the University of Oklahoma were each selected as recipients of a $1 million award.
"The generosity and foresight this donor has demonstrated will prove to be critical to addressing health care concerns related to the shortage of nurses that our society is facing," said Dr. Mark Brister, OBU President. "As Oklahoma's oldest baccalaureate nursing program, the OBU School of Nursing is committed to producing nursing graduates who will provide cutting-edge, competent and compassionate Christian nursing care."
OBU will use these funds to address the shortage of nurses by:<ul><li>Providing 40 new scholarships that generate enrollment growth in the nursing program.</li><li>Providing additional faculty support for clinical education made necessary by an increased number of nursing students which will allow OBU to keep the size of clinical groups to a maximum of eight students.</li><li>Establishing a nursing residency program which will increase the retention of new graduates in Oklahoma City metropolitan area hospitals.</li></ul>
Dr. Lana Bolhouse, dean of the OBU School of Nursing says, "We are excited to have access to the expertise of Dr. Claudine Dickey, retired dean of the OBU School of Nursing, who will be the director of the nursing residency program. This program will include OBU graduates in addition to new graduates from other nursing programs who are employed by the cooperating hospital. I believe that the results of this grant will ultimately yield more nurses practicing in the greater Oklahoma City area."
For more information about the scholarship program or the grant itself, please contact Dr. Bolhouse at 405.878.2081.