The University of Alabama received a $3.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor to combat the shortage of nursing educators in Alabama.

The BAMA DIstance project (“DI” stands for diversity and inclusion) will work with historically Black colleges and universities and community colleges to add up to 80 nursing students who want to pursue masters and doctorate degrees over the next several years. The grant provides tuition assistance for nursing students and expands employer partnerships to provide paid internships.

Dr. Susan Welch, associate professor at the Capstone College of Nursing, secured the funding because of the lack of diverse nursing faculty. She said only about 10% of nursing educators in Alabama are from underrepresented communities.

“I’ve been in nursing education a long time and heard a lot of conversation about the need to diversify nurse educators,” Welch said. She decided it was time for action and to “be bold” about that need.

A lack of nursing faculty is a direct cause of the overall nursing shortage. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, 91,938 qualified applications were turned away in 2021 from baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs because of insufficient faculty, clinical sites, and classroom space.

The schools UA will work with include Tuskegee University, Reed State Technical College, Lawson State Community College, Jefferson State Community College, Bevill State Community College, and Coastal Alabama Community College. The grant program will also expand nursing student wellness and leadership opportunities.

“(We) need to diversify our nurse educators in the state, so that we can have culturally competent health care in the state and break down barriers for any inequality with our health care access,” Welch said.

Recruitment has already begun, and the deadline is October 15. Interested applicants should contact Vickie Samuel, coordinator for graduate student services.