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The newspaper of The Johns Hopkins University January 14, 2008 | Vol. 37 No. 17
 
JHU to Host National Program for Academic Nurse Leaders

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation last week announced a new scholars program to develop the next generation of nurse leaders in academia and boost the stature of junior faculty in nursing schools. The RWJF Nurse Faculty Scholars program will provide $28 million over the next five years to outstanding junior nursing faculty to help them advance in their fields and seek faculty positions earlier in their careers by providing mentorship, leadership training, salary and research support.

The five-year program will be hosted by the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing and directed by Jacquelyn C. Campbell, the Anna D. Wolf Chair and Professor.

"The Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing is proud to be the national program office of the RWJF Nurse Faculty Scholars program, and I am excited to have the opportunity to direct the program," Campbell said. "As one of the leading schools of nursing in the country, JHU SoN holds among its highest priorities the development of nursing faculty as academic leaders--leaders who combine excellence in research, teaching, practice and service. This program is exactly what schools of nursing like JHU need to develop our young, promising faculty members so that they continue to teach the future nurses of this country."

Despite a rise in applicants, nursing schools in the United States turn away thousands of prospective students from baccalaureate and master's programs because of an acute shortage of faculty and clinical preceptors, training sites, space and funding constraints. Since the stature of nursing schools and the promotion of nursing faculty are dependent on the quality of the faculty's scholarly and/or research pursuits, the Nurse Faculty Scholars program will work to strengthen the link between institutional reputation and faculty success by providing career development and other opportunities for outstanding junior faculty.

Scholars will be given opportunities to develop a research program and other scholarly activities, work closely with institutional and national mentors, participate in leadership training, and network with scholars, experts and colleagues in their fields and related ones. Scholars also will be able to gain protected time to get the critical skills needed for a successful career in academic nursing.

Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, said, "Universities are turning away thousands of qualified applicants to nursing schools each year because they lack the faculty to teach them. We have a pipeline problem. We need to fill that pipeline or we all will suffer the consequences."

There also are not enough nurses lined up to fill positions that will be vacated by retiring faculty, and the Nurse Faculty Scholars program will aim to encourage junior nurse faculty to continue on in their roles as educators.

The program will award up to $350,000 for three years to each RWJF Nurse Faculty Scholar; up to 15 scholars will be selected each year. Applicants must be junior faculty members with at least two but no more than five years of experience in a faculty role. Candidates who completed their doctoral degree within 10 years of receiving their initial nursing degree are encouraged to apply.

The Nurse Faculty Scholars call for applications is available online at the RWJF Web site, www.rwjf.org. The deadline for registration is April 1. Potential applicants should visit www.rwjfnursefacultyscholars.org for more information.

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