Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Michele Beatty and Stacy Skelton, both School of Nursing instructors, have received Nurse Educator Fellowship Program Awards.
Beatty and Skelton teach in the Department of Primary Care and Health Systems Nursing. They are among 22 nursing faculty in Illinois colleges and universities selected by the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) for the honor.
“The School of Nursing is extremely proud of Michele and Stacy for being recipients of this competitive fellowship,” said Dr. Anne Perry, SIUE School of Nursing interim dean. “It is a great opportunity that will contribute to the retention of these two extremely skilled and compassionate faculty members.”
The State of Illinois faces shortages of both well-trained nurses and highly qualified nursing faculty to educate students. The Nurse Educator Fellowship Program serves as a retention tool to keep nursing faculty at institutions of higher learning that award nursing degrees. Beatty’s and Skelton’s fellowships will be used to supplement their salaries.
“The IBHE Nurse Educator Fellowship Award is highly competitive,” said Dr. Andy Griffin, interim chair of the SIUE Department of Primary Care and Health Systems Nursing. “So, it is an honor for both faculty members and our School of Nursing.
“Through this program, our awardees will be able to expand their skills as teacher-scholars. They will participate in several seminars and conferences related to health profession and nursing education. Ultimately, SIUE nursing students will benefit from their increased level of expertise.”
Illinois institutions of higher learning with a nursing program nominate the fellows. The programs must be approved by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation, and accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) or the National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission (NLNAC).
Photos: Upper right Michele Beatty; middle Stacy Skelton,