From staff reports
The University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB) has been awarded a four-year, $3.8 million federal grant to address the statewide nursing shortage.
Funded by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the USCB initiative aims to recruit more nursing students, prepare nurses to serve in acute and long-term care settings, strengthen clinical instruction, and boost workforce placement. Focus will be placed on helping underserved and rural areas of South Carolina.
“With this significant grant, USCB is well-positioned to help meet South Carolina’s future nursing needs,” said Professor Lynne Hutchison, director of the project. “We are taking a multi-pronged approach to recruit diverse nursing students, train and retain them to graduation, and promote their entry into the healthcare workforce.”
To achieve these goals, USBC plans to implement several student-focused strategies. These initiatives include increased student financial support and tutoring, upperclass peer mentoring, student success workshops, expanded clinical partnerships and training, and a 12-month transition-to-practice program.
The project aims to support up to 64 nursing students each year. USCB’s partners in the project are Beaufort Memorial Hospital, Novant Health, and Friends of Caroline Hospice.
“We deeply appreciate HRSA’s recognition of the strengths of USCB’s nursing program in awarding this grant,” said Dr. Kim Dudas, interim Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, “especially in light of the highly competitive federal grant environment.”
South Carolina will face a critical 20% shortfall in registered nurses by 2036, according to the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis. The challenge is compounded by an aging population. The South Carolina Institute of Medicine and Public Health predicts that by 2030 more than 1 million of the state’s residents will be aged 65 or older.
