“To have these notable leaders who are well-known throughout Indian country come to Arizona, where I live and work, is extremely humbling. I hope it serves as a source of inspiration for our students to see beyond their school years and the potential impact they can have on healthcare throughout the nation," ~ Timian Godfrey, DNP, FNP-BC, FAAN

As for the choice of UArizona Nursing as the setting for this renewal, Frasier points to the college's strong nursing program and its progressive ties to Native health through the Indians in Nursing: Career Advancement and Transition Scholars (INCATS) program. "The support services the university has around Native health and the programs you have there were a big factor," she says. "Our conference is really geared around Native nurses and bringing light to these kinds of programs."

UArizona Nursing Assistant Clinical Professor and Project Director for INCATS, Timian Godfrey, DNP, FNP-BC, FAAN, is excited about the choice of the college for this year's NANAINA conference -- noting that It speaks to the work that has been put into the college's diversity grants, equity, diversity, and inclusion (ED&I) efforts, and Native American workforce development. "The NANAINA conference committee was highly impressed with our community outreach and engagement that have been done through INCATS, so it was encouraging to hear we are nationally recognized by peers and indigenous nurses for the work we're doing. This serves as motivation to keep moving forward in the hard work we are doing with these grant projects."

In addition to providing a welcoming setting for colleagues to come together in person to share stories and bond over the collective challenges of the past few years, the 2023 NANAINA conference will give a platform for a slate of notable speakers from around the country. "I am in awe of the people who are coming to UArizona," Dr. Godfrey says. "To have these notable leaders who are well-known throughout Indian country come to Arizona, where I live and work, is extremely humbling. I hope it serves as a source of inspiration for our students to see beyond their school years and the potential impact they can have on healthcare throughout the nation."

Dr. Godfrey and José Muñoz, UArizona Nursing's Senior Professional, Diversity Equity and Inclusion, have been involved with the conference planning committee and will facilitate and moderate presentations. In addition, UArizona Equity, Diversity & Inclusion leadership will be taking a strong role, with Levi Esquerra, Senior VP for Native American Advancement & Tribal Engagement, presenting a welcome, and Karen Francis-Begay, Assistant Vice Provost for Native American Initiatives, reading the Land Acknowledgement. Other highlights include booths featuring goods from local Native vendors, appearances by local tribal leaders, poster presentations, a silent auction and banquet at Cocoraque Butte and Ranch on the Tohono O'odham Nation, and a presentation by a panel of UArizona Nursing INCAT scholars about their experience in the DNP program.

Kristin Melendez, a second-year DNP-FNP student and third-generation nurse, will be one of the student panelists at the conference. A member of the Tohono O'odham Nation, Melendez is excited to share her experience with her peers – and hopefully provide inspiration for others considering a career in nursing. "My passions are rooted in the Native community and how to better facilitate access to resources and education, because there's still that gap between our culture and western medicine," she says. “I’m hoping to meet people who share my experience and some of the challenges I’ve faced, so I can better help them and remind them that it’s possible and they can do it.”

With attendees traveling from as far as Alaska, South Dakota, Montana, Minnesota, and Baltimore, the 2023 NANAINA conference will be a celebration of renewal and hope. “It’s a great way to learn about the various aspects of Native cultures from Native American nurses from across the country,” Dr. Godfrey says. “We are blessed to live in a richly diverse indigenous state. However, there are hundreds of other Native American cultures out there. In addition to being a good networking opportunity for our students and faculty, it’s a great way to learn about and embrace Native nurses and the power that’s within us.”

Learn more about the 2023 NANAINA conference and register here.

As part of National Nurses Week, held in honor of the largest health-care workforce in the United States, eight nurse leaders from the University of Arizona College of Nursing will be honored by their peers during the annual 2023 Tucson Fabulous 50 Nurses gala held by the Tucson Nurses’ Week Foundation.

Timian Godfrey, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, Assistant Clinical Professor

It’s incredibly meaningful to be selected as a Tucson Fab 50 nurse for 2023, especially since this honor came from a nomination by Dr. Connie Miller, a colleague I highly admire and respect. Belonging to a faculty group who is so willing to uplift and recognize the work that each of us do speaks to the high regard we have for one another and is nothing short of inspiring. Receiving this recognition is extremely fulfilling and motivates me to forge forward in our efforts to impact health equity in practice, education, research, and policy.

In addition, the honor of being acknowledged as a noteworthy nurse by the Tucson Nurses Week Foundation is immensely humbling. Since I’ve been a Tucson resident, I have been in awe of the local nursing community. Time and time again, my love for this community has been reinforced through demonstrated camaraderie, resilience, and commitment to care for one another. I can’t express what it means to have this incredible group of nurses deem me as a nurse worthy of recognition. All I can is thank you to our UArizona College of Nursing community and to the community of Tucson.

Kristie Hoch, DNP, CRNA, Associate Clinical Professor

It means the world to me to be recognized for the work I do as a CRNA, educator, and leader in advanced practice nursing. As the Nurse Anesthesiology Program Administrator, it is imperative to me to ensure patient safety and access to care and training of our nurse anesthesiology residents to meet the needs of Tucson and Arizona. The Nurse Anesthesiology program has only been in existence for 5 years, but we have grown, and will graduate 24 CRNAs each year.

Because CRNAs can practice independently, they fill critical healthcare staffing shortages. For instance, 80% of rural anesthesia care is provided by CRNAs, thus ensuring access to care. Their preparation is a responsibility I take to heart, because I want every person in Arizona to have the best care possible. I love my profession and I hope this passion inspires those around me.

Julio Loya, PhD, RN, Assistant Professor

I feel honored to be selected as one of this year’s Fab 50 nurses. I believe that being nominated and selected for this award recognizes and highlights the importance of the research in partnering with the community to improve their health. Specifically, my research partnership with Clinica Amistad enables me to answer important questions about the community and at the same time it benefits individuals by assisting them to incrementally change their health-related behaviors. This award is not simply a product of my own efforts, but rather it is a compilation of the many people that have helped me along in my journey as a nurse and a person.

Allen Prettyman, PhD, FNP-BC, FAANP, FNAP, Clinical Professor

I’m grateful to be selected as one of this year’s Fab 50 nurses. Dr. Allen Prettyman applies his expertise in interdisciplinary preventive healthcare and blends it with his administrative experience to lead healthcare innovations.  My educational trajectory has focused on families and applying a holistic model and approach to healthcare. I work to provide nursing students with an interdisciplinary telehealth educational platform to learn and apply clinical skills. In addition, I successfully balance the role of expert nurse practitioner providing care to individuals with administration responsibilities such as staffing, clinical outcomes protections, and budget. I strive for unsurpassed excellence in clinical outcomes and to this end develop ongoing collaborative relationships with interdisciplinary translational team members.

John Sparks, DNP, FNP-BC, PMHNP-BC, Assistant Clinical Professor

Upon hearing that I had been nominated and selected to be part of the 2023 Fabulous 50 Nurses Cohort, I felt deep humility that a fellow nurse not only believed I was worthy of such a recognition but also had taken the time and energy to nominate me. I am honored that the selection committee chose to pick my submission from among other dedicated and worthy fellow nurses. During my time as a nurse, I have always looked to those individuals selected to be part of the Fabulous 50 cohorts as examples of dedicated services to the community and the advancement of the nursing profession. Being honored has, and will, continue to increase my drive, desire, and passion for serving the greater Tucson community as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and heighten my efforts to represent and further the ideals of the nursing profession in my role as an educator.

Morgan Stock, Stock , MSN-Ed, RN, CNE, Lecturer

Why winning the Fab 50 is important to me: teamwork.  That’s what creates a productive educational environment for our students.  As a 2023 Fab 50 nurse, I know that success does not occur in a vacuum.   

 I am successful because of the wonderful BSN educators and leadership team at the College of Nursing and am grateful for the motivation and encouragement I receive from them. My success is their success— and theirs are mine.  We are a solid team, all dedicated to the success of our amazing nursing students.  The Fab 50 award underscores the Universities’ dedication to students. I am privileged to be part of that dedication! 

Shu-Fen Wung, PhD, MS, RN, ACNP-BC, FAAN, Associate Professor

In my 35-year nursing career, I am grateful to spend 22 years serving the Tucson community in my role as an educator to train advanced practice nurses and researchers, lead interdisciplinary research to advance science in personalized health monitoring across different care settings and provide direct care to older adults with acute and multiple chronic conditions.  It is my honor and privilege along with my outstanding colleagues to be recognized for this award.  I send my deepest appreciation to my mentors, mentees, colleagues, family, and friends who believe in me and support me so I can make meaningful contributions to this great community.  

Janay Young, DNP, PMHNP-BC, FNP-C, Assistant Clinical Professor

I am very grateful to receive this award, as it represents the important work that all nurses are doing to promote, treat, and de-stigmatize mental health in Southern Arizona. I am honored that my work to study, bring attention to, and find effective interventions to treat the increasing rates of Post-Traumatic-Stress Disorder, vicarious trauma, and suicide is being recognized. I am grateful for the opportunity to help educate and promote resiliency in the next generation of health care providers, and to do clinic work that supports healing from PTSD with non-ordinary states of consciousness; it is meaningful that this resonates with others. 

“We need to do better as a profession. We need to do better to serve our community, and because of that we really need to weave equity, justice, diversity and inclusion into every single cause, ever single action we are doing as nurses and create Jedi nurses to provide affirmative healthcare for all," ~ Tarnia Newton, DNP, FNP-C

It was at FAU that she was exposed to the theory of caring  by Boykin & Schoenhofer. “At FAU they really intertwined this theory throughout every class and essay with this philosophy truly shaping my nursing career in the way I practice with my patients today being authentically present for them at all times,” she says. It was at FAU that Dr. Newton was exposed to community engagement as a student, and Indigenous health and she states that it was these experiences that drives her passion today for   UArizona students to have experiences like these. “It was at FAU that I went to Cherokee nation and participated in various community programs.  It was life changing,” she says.

When Dr. Newton reflects on her educational experience it seems it was unique as compared to other nursing students of color. “I was located in South Florida, which was very diverse, because in Miami you have influences from the Caribbean, Latin America, South America, and Central America,” she says. “As a person of color, I always had people of color as faculty, and my classmates were very diverse, so I always felt very comfortable. I didn’t feel isolated.” Afterward, she attended the historically Black graduate college Charles R. Drew School of Medicine & Science in California, where she earned her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), before obtaining her Doctor of Practice in Nursing (DNP) at Frontier Nursing University.

What led you to pursue a career in academia?

Honestly, I’ve always wanted to teach nursing. When I was in my master’s program a lot of fellow students said, ‘You know, Tarnia, you would be an amazing educator,’ because they always liked my presentations. I always taught within in the hospital setting for skills fairs, ACLS, BLS but officially did not get into higher academia until I completed her Doctorate in Nursing Practice starting at Galen College of Nursing in San Antonio, TX.  I look back on it now, realizing how diverse both the faculty and the student body were there compared to where I am here. And I truly feel it probably boils down to access creating programs that support diverse people and their lifestyles.

Do you agree with many public health experts that racism is a public health crisis?

I do agree that systemic and structural racism is at the core of health disparities. The Black Faculty Series recently had Ruja Benjamin as a speaker, and in her book “Viral Justice” she talks about weathering,  which is the repeated exposure of socioeconomic adversity, racism, and perpetual discrimination which in turn can harm health.  COVID 19 definitely shone a light on this.  If we had justice in our health care system, or justice overall, we wouldn’t have inequities. Once we do not have inequities, we will have more access and better outcomes.

How is UArizona Nursing addressing those issues?

As a college, we’re starting to move forward. We’re making small steps, but we definitely need to do more. We need to change our focus in the sense that we should be intertwining equity, diversity and inclusion throughout the curriculum and not isolating it to just one item. We need to embed it in our core classes and really unpack situations because even myself, after the COVID19 pandemic, had to really reflect on certain biases I might have. I look at it this way: if I myself, a woman of color, have to reflect, I think everyone within health care or here within the college might need to reflect on that as well. If we truly embedded it in our curriculums and truly had more community engagement activities with southern Arizona and  the Borderlands. I think than UArizona would be able to make a difference to connect students to diverse communities so biases are examined, assumptions challenged, and critical conversations are engaged to assist in the deconstruction of systemic inequity.

Tell us about a personal interaction that informed your thoughts on this subject.

When I was an ICU nurse, I had an indigenous patient of Cherokee descent.  She was just so distraught. She said, ‘I really believe in more traditional ways. I’m far away from Oklahoma, where I’m from.’ It just so happened that the week before I had been in the Cherokee nation, so for me, it was one of those moments where you get goosebumps. I was able to share with her my experiences and tell her I learned a word ‘Osiyo’ -- ‘Hello’ -- in her native language and tell her, ‘I was on your land last week.’ I had that moment with her where she felt comfortable, she felt seen, she felt heard, and connected with her land and she knew that I as a nurse was going to take very good care of her. From a Nurse Practitioner standpoint, it’s so important that patients see and hear people that look like them, or have very similar lived experiences as them, because it helps them heal and helps them be open with their providers.

What strategies can we use to improve disparities and create more situations like you’ve described?

Justice and equity need to be in focus. From a nursing perspective, we really need to create JEDI nurses – meaning Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Nurses need to become like Jedi warriors. We need to infuse that JEDI framework into nursing because we as nurses need to be those warriors to be able to advocate for our patients. That means being politically involved. It means being in community and really looking at the inequities. If we as nurses can become like Jedi warriors, we will improve our patients’ outcomes, we will improve the disparities and inequities, and health care will become more of a just landscape. We need to develop nurses with the capacity to transform communities by addressing inequity in health care practices.

Can you share some advice for students of color considering a career in nursing?

The fact is that only 20% of the nursing workforce is diverse. So, I would say, ‘We need you to make a change. We need your voices; we need your resilience; we need your experiences and stories.’ It makes a big difference to have different voices coming to the table.

Do you have hope for the future about our ability to broaden the workforce and improve patient outcomes?

I’m very hopeful. Small steps bring big rewards. We need to do better as a profession. We need to do better to serve our community, and because of that we really need to weave equity, justice, diversity and inclusion into every single cause, ever single action we are doing as nurses and create Jedi nurses to provide affirmative healthcare for all.

“This ranking is a testament to our hard-working faculty. The College of Nursing’s increase in NIH funding is a direct result of their dedication to improving the care of individuals and society through discovery and testing of interventions designed to promote health and wellness," ~ Interim Dean Kathleen C. Insel, PhD, RN

“This ranking is a testament to our hard-working faculty. The College of Nursing’s increase in NIH funding is a direct result of their dedication to improving the care of individuals and society through discovery and testing of interventions designed to promote health and wellness,” said Interim Dean Kathleen C. Insel, PhD, RN, who received a $2.5 million grant that contributed to the ranking.

The BRIMR rankings underestimate the amount of research being conducted by UA College of Nursing faculty, Dr. Gordon said, adding the rankings include only NIH funding to faculty members listed as principal investigators within the College. The rankings do not reflect faculty’s roles on grants funded to other colleges or universities or other types of extramural funding, such as the Health Resources and Services Administration, Department of Defense, NASA, or private foundations. The UA College of Nursing recorded over $6 million in research expenditures in 2022.

The College’s research aims to improve the health and wellbeing of the State of Arizona and our nation. For example, our faculty and staff are making innovations in prevention, treatment, and management of chronic illness, improving nursing workforce systems, and maternal and child health. The UA College of Nursing are leaders in health research and science.

The Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research is a nonprofit organization that ranks U.S. medical schools by NIH grant awards each year. The NIH is the largest public funder of biomedical research in the world. NIH-funded research has led to breakthroughs and new treatments helping people live longer, healthier lives, and building the research foundation that drives discovery.

The Blue Ridge Rankings track yearly NIH funding awards from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30. The rankings are determined by the whole value of awards to a principal investigator’s institution and do not include research and development contracts.

“I am truly honored to receive this award, as it represents the work that all nurse practitioners are doing to increase health equity in the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic again made clear that systemic inequities must be addressed to improve health outcomes in the United States. I am grateful for the opportunity to help educate the next generation of healthcare providers to be change leaders in our country," ~ Lisa Kiser, DNP, CNM, WHNP

“I am truly honored to receive this award, as it represents the work that all nurse practitioners are doing to increase health equity in the United States,” Dr. Kiser said.  “The COVID-19 pandemic again made clear that systemic inequities must be addressed to improve health outcomes in the United States. I am grateful for the opportunity to help educate the next generation of healthcare providers to be change leaders in our country.”

Dr. Kiser’s work in health equity includes increasing access to cervical cancer screening for uninsured and underinsured women, demonstrating her commitment to improving access to quality healthcare for all people. Her experience living in Central America solidified her passion in working with women and female-bodied people to partner in culturally relevant care. She greatly appreciates the opportunity to work with women across the lifespan and offers care to women from menarche (onset of periods) through menopause and beyond.

A Tucson native who has spent her career working in Arizona, Dr. Kiser recognizes the need for cultural humility in health care and supports individual and community autonomy for traditional and indigenous peoples. Dr. Kiser loves the Sonoran Desert and values being outdoors on runs, bikes, and hikes. Her understanding of wellness is one of balance and connection, and she sees her role as a health care provider as one of partnering with patients to build on their own capacity for well-being. Dr. Kiser currently provides care at United Community Health Center Continental Family Medical Center and Arivaca locations.

The AANP State Award for Excellence was established in 1993 and is given to an NP in each state who demonstrates excellence in clinical care. In 1993, the AANP Advocate State Award for Excellence was added to highlight the efforts of individuals who have made a significant contribution toward increasing the awareness and recognition of NPs. Awards are distributed to the recipients throughout the year, with recipients honored during the annual AANP national conference. AANP is the largest professional association for NPs of all specialties, with more than 121,000 members and headquarters in Texas and Washington, D.C.

“I want students to walk away from this course empowered with knowledge that they can not only commandeer their own body regarding sexual health, but they can then share this information as truth with their peers," ~ Robin J Poedel, PhD, RN, FNP-BC

Dr. Poedel has designed NURS 151, which will be available as a campus-wide elective, to be accessible to students with varying science backgrounds. “I want to give my class the bare bones, the foundational information,” she says. “We’re going to make it understandable. We’re not going to talk over anybody’s head with all the scientific jargon.”

The course covers the basics such as the anatomy and physiology of the male and female reproductive tracts, an introduction to STIs and their risk factors, diagnosis, and epidemiology of STIs, an explanation of the prevention and treatment strategies used to manage STIs locally and globally, and deep dives into the most common – and destructive -- STIs.

“We make it easy to understand,” Dr. Poedel says. “We discuss what the terms mean, what the incidences mean, and what the prevalence is, so that when students look at statistics, they can understand the ramifications. By doing so, they’ll have a better idea of what they’re working with and what the risk factors are, and they get to understand why these organisms are so stealth, why they fly under radar repeatedly.”

One of Dr. Poedel’s ultimate goals for NURS 151 is to create cohorts of knowledgeable peer facilitators. “They’ll have scientific knowledge, presented to them in an easy-to-digest format, so that they can then explain things to their friends in a way that they were explained in my course,” she says.  “I want them to walk away from this course empowered with knowledge that they can not only commandeer their own body regarding sexual health, but they can then share this information as truth with their peers.”

Below are the top nine takeaways students will get from NURS 151:

1. Describe the characteristics of the most common reproductive tract infections, STIs and HIV
2. Compare and contrast bacteria, viruses, and other causative organisms
3. Discuss the epidemiology of STIs/HIV and associated statistics
4. Explain prevention and treatment strategies used to manage STIs/HIV locally and globally
5. Understand the role of protective measures (ex. condoms) in the prevention of STI transmission
6. Discuss the relationship between birth control and STI transmission
7. Describe awareness of the relationship between STIs and sex trade (ex. sex for drugs), sex work, and sex trafficking
8. Understand HIV/AIDS and not only how to prevent acquisition, but how to live life Positively if already HIV+
9. Live every day as a peer facilitator and share your science-based knowledge with your peers in an effort to decrease the incidence and prevalence of STIs.

“We must approach nursing and healthcare in general from a place of empathy. You have to be able to meet them where they are and help them feel special because your job is to help them heal. I tell students ‘We’re not dealing with things; we’re dealing with people,'" ~ Lateefah Collingwood, PhD, NNP

What led you to your work in higher education?

In college I did a dual major because I always liked education. I did a nursing major, but I took education classes from the beginning all the way through grad school. When I worked as a nurse and then an NP, I did a lot of training within the hospital and moved my way up to work as the hospital’s education director.

Tell us about your passion for teaching.

I really like to bring students to the ‘Aha’ moment. Working in nursing, it’s so important to be passionate about developing new nurses, especially with the nursing shortage that we continually face. We need people who are interested in developing the workforce of the future. I tell my college students in the hospital, ‘One day, I’m going to be on the other side of the bedrail, and I want to make sure that the person that I’m looking up at knows what they’re doing. When I look up I want to be able to just exhale.’

What is your teaching philosophy?

My teaching/learning philosophy is centered around experiential learning, and it’s based on the fact that it’s a relationship that’s born between the teacher and the learner. I believe that learning has to be active for it to stick. I love creating learning environments where students get engaged and where you can take them from total confusion to ‘Oh, wow.’

How do approach your role as a mentor?

It depends on the student, of course, because you would like to meet the student where they are. I try to be the person that can meet the needs that the students have at the time and help them think a little bit more broadly. Sometimes it’s just about being an ear that will listen to them and give them sound advice.

What are your research interests?

I’m really interested in the transition of new nurses into the workforce. I’m also interested in patient safety. My dissertation was all about the perspectives of nursing leaders at all levels and their responsibility for keeping patients safe, but I want to spread that research out to nurses as well.

Can you tell us more about your dissertation?

Working in a hospital setting for over 30 years, I was always baffled by the fact that we have so many strategies in place to keep patients safe and yet they still get injured. When it came time to engage in research, I wanted find out what’s happening at an initial level and then dig deeper later to find out what’s really happening. I started with the people that were responsible for the unit just to get a sense of how they think about things. Who do they think owns safety?

I expected to find that the leaders would say It’s the responsibility of nurses at the bedside, but I did a qualitative study and what I found was that there was mutuality. They thought that every person that encounters a patient has some responsibility for keeping that patient safe. As leaders, they acknowledged that they believe we all share responsibility. However, we work in a very complex system with a lot of variables. While we’re all in agreement about patient safety, there are a lot of other factors that prevent us from being successful. The next phase of my research will be to discover whether nurses feel the same way that the leaders do. I want to know how nurses view their responsibilities for nursing for keeping patients safe in their care environment.

What advice do you have for students considering entering the nursing field?

When I encounter new students, I always talk to them about their purpose. I tell them that number one, you have to like people. Because you’re caring for people in their most vulnerable state. They don’t feel well. They’re coming into a hospital setting with strangers, so you’re going to do things for them that they used to be able to do for themselves. We must approach nursing and healthcare in general from a place of empathy. You have to be able to meet them where they are and help them feel special because your job is to help them heal. I tell students ‘We’re not dealing with things; we’re dealing with people.’ There’s a human being on the other side of every decision we make, every short cut we take. When we excel, there’s a human being on the other side of that excellent care that we give. Everything we do impacts a human being. We may not know them. They might be just Mr. Jones in Bed Two to us but there might be a sister, a child, a grandchild, a wife that’s very worried about them, so we need to look at the whole patient and do things for the patient as a whole being and not just give a shot or change a dressing.

“We are thrilled at the additional support we are receiving from the State of Arizona,” said UArizona College of Nursing interim dean Kathleen Insel, PhD, RN. “These scholarships to our MS-MEPN program students will not only help address the ongoing nursing shortage, but also allow bachelor-prepared students in other fields to re-career as nurses, starting an exciting new career in a highly rewarding and in-demand field. It really is a win-win for the state, the students and the citizens of Arizona.”

“These scholarships to our MS-MEPN program students will not only help address the ongoing nursing shortage, but also allow bachelor-prepared students in other fields to re-career as nurses, starting an exciting new career in a highly rewarding and in-demand field. It really is a win-win for the state, the students and the citizens of Arizona," ~ Kathleen Insel, PhD, RN, Arizona College of Nursing interim dean 

The ADHS provided the grant for scholarships to be used in programs designed to allow students to complete entry-level nursing degrees in 12 to 18 months. Both in-state and out-of-state residents are eligible for a full scholarship.  Recipients must agree to practice nursing in Arizona for at least four years upon completion of their degrees. The funding is made possible by HB 2863, approved by the Arizona State Legislature in 2022.

The MS-MEPN program is a four-semester, highly accelerated generalist master’s program tailor-made for students holding university degrees in other fields who want to become registered nurses.

“We look forward to implementing the program scholarships soon with our MEPN accelerated nursing program to expand the nursing workforce in Arizona,” said Connie Miller, DNP, RNC-OB, CNE, principal investigator for the ADHS grant and the division chair responsible for all prelicensure programs at the College of Nursing. “Master's level education strengthens the workforce by enabling nurses to lead health care teams to improve patient and population health outcomes in the state of Arizona. These nurse leaders will provide excellent, evidence-based nursing care and potentially use their graduate education as future faculty members to teach the next generation of nurses.”

The MS-MEPN program launched in 2011 as Arizona’s first accelerated master’s entry program and has since graduated 1,105 students. The college will offer 96 MS-MEPN seats each semester ­– fall, spring and summer – 48 in Tucson and 48 in Gilbert, Arizona. Previously, a total of 130 students were admitted once a year. The next cohort starts in May, and applications are opening soon for those interested in starting in August.   

The College of Nursing has been preparing to increase enrollments due to the current shortage of nurses to meet the needs of Arizona residents and the anticipated increased need for nurses in the state. The college’s Gilbert location recently doubled in size from 17,500 square feet to a total of 35,000 square feet of space in the University Building. This space will accommodate the increased number of MEPN students who will be enrolled every semester.

For more information about the scholarships, or to learn more about qualifying, please reach out to the College of Nursing Office of Student and Academic Affairs.