The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Nursing received a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Nursing Workforce Diversity (NWD) Program grant worth $997,076 to support the School’s Student Nurse Achievement Program (SNAP).
SNAP is a successful, ongoing initiative that addresses the critical need to increase the numbers of diverse professional nurses in the workforce by recruiting and retaining students from racially, ethnically and culturally diverse backgrounds.
“This HRSA grant provides comprehensive services to students from underrepresented, diverse populations within the region,” said Dr. Laura Bernaix, interim dean of the School of Nursing. “The SNAP program has been highly instrumental in enriching students’ educational experiences and promoting success during their academic program. We are excited that this work can now continue by virtue of this new grant.”
The targeted population groups for SNAP are high school graduates in the Illinois counties of Madison and St. Clair, as well as collegiate pre-nursing students enrolled at SIUE. The structured interventions of SNAP include evidence-based academic strategies designed to address the educational and cultural disadvantages which impede the academic and career success of students.
The program builds on the students’ self-esteem and self-perception, while building a social support system that continues beyond graduation. To that end, SNAP provides early social and academic interventions to address social determinants through tutoring, mentoring, study tables and networking. These evidence-based interventions and individual-level strategies are implemented to help students successfully complete the nursing program, graduate, pass NCLEX-RN and enter the workforce as professional registered nurses in their community.
Jerrica V. Ampadu, instructor in SIUE’s Department of Primary Care and Health Systems Nursing and SNAP lead, believes that this funding will allow the School of Nursing to build upon the University’s mission of diversity and commitment to retention.
“The funding from this grant will assist with the recruitment of students, as well as provide resources to students to ensure success throughout their academic careers,” said Ampadu. “A diverse student body enhances the educational experiences of all students.”
Photo: SIUE School of Nursing students (L to R) Azia Taylor, Glenda Jeffries and Carolita Holmes.