In April, the Truman Nursing Department received a Nursing Education Incentive Program grant in the amount of $150,000, which it will use to provide more clinical experiences and for the purchase of additional technology.

Initial plans for the NEIP grant include partnering with A.T. Still University to design and set up simulated mental health scenarios using standardized patients. Additionally, funds will be used to purchase a new, more realistic nursing manikin for use in simulations.

“We are honored to receive this grant and look forward to expanding our clinical instruction,” said Brenda Wheeler, Nursing Department chair. “By using simulation, our students have the opportunity to experience clinical situations they might not otherwise encounter in a rural setting. Students can practice nursing skills and enhance their decision-making skills, which will better prepare them to enter the nursing workforce.”

The NEIP was established through legislative action and appropriation of Missouri State Board of Nursing funds to increase the physical and educational capacity of professional nursing education programs in Missouri. This is the fourth time Truman has received the grant. Among the needs filled by previous grants were the addition of faculty members and the creation of new programs.