UNT Health College of Nursing receives federal funding to expand nursing workforce pathways
Darla Gruben, EdD, RN, assistant professor at UNT Health Fort Worth’s College of Nursing and principal investigator of the RISE-RN program, observes a nursing student during a hands-on clinical training exercise.
UNT Health Fort Worth’s College of Nursing has received $753,262 in federal funding to launch a new program designed to expand pathways into nursing careers and help address workforce needs across North Texas.
The funding from the Health Resources and Services Administration will support the Recruitment, Innovation, Simulation, and Experiential Learning for Registered Nurses program, or RISE-RN. The program is expected to receive approximately $3 million through annual incremental funding over four years.
Funded through HRSA’s Nurse Education, Practice, Quality, and Retention program, RISE-RN will create and strengthen pathways for certified nurse assistants, medical assistants, behavioral health technicians, licensed vocational nurses and other frontline health care workers to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.
“We are grateful for this HRSA funding and the opportunity to launch RISE-RN,” said Darla Gruben, EdD, RN, principal investigator and assistant professor and prelicensure BSN track coordinator for the College of Nursing. “This project will help us expand nursing pathways, strengthen simulation and experiential learning, and prepare practice-ready nurses to serve the communities that need them most.”
The program will also expand clinical training opportunities in rural and medically vulnerable communities across North Texas, including rapidly growing rural counties and high-density urban areas with limited healthcare resources.
RISE-RN will give students and program participants additional opportunities to build their skills through simulation-based learning, virtual reality training, standardized patient experiences, benchmark testing and community-based partnerships. The experiences are designed to strengthen clinical judgment, cultural responsiveness and readiness to enter the nursing workforce.
“This funding affirms our commitment to preparing the nursing workforce of the future,” said Dr. Cindy Weston, DNP, APRN, founding dean of the College of Nursing. “RISE-RN strengthens our ability to partner with communities, educators and healthcare organizations to address workforce needs and expand access to nursing education across North Texas.”
The project will also address the need for nurse faculty and clinical preceptors in Texas through TEACH-UP, or Transforming Educators through Advancement, Competency & Health Professions Upskilling and Preparation. The microcredential program is designed to support the development of nursing faculty and preceptors and strengthen the workforce needed to educate and train future nurses.
Gruben will lead a multidisciplinary team of nursing educators and clinical experts that includes Cody Bruce, PhD, RN; Bridgette Pullis, PhD, RN; Elizabeth Wells-Beede, PhD, RN; and Suzie Kardong-Edgren, PhD, RN.
Grant funding will support curriculum and partnership development, student success resources, simulation and experiential learning, and faculty and preceptor development, helping the College of Nursing build a stronger and more accessible nursing workforce pipeline across North Texas.
This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $753,262.00 with 100 percent funded by HRSA/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by HRSA/HHS, or the U.S. Government.