CON gets grant for at-risk students

The Texas A&M Health Science Center (TAMHSC) College of Nursing recently received a two-year grant from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board focused on improving the success of at-risk students.

The Nursing Innovation Grant Program was created to address the shortage of registered nurses by developing programs and activities to provide at-risk students with the tools to succeed. Beginning nursing students will have the opportunity to participate in the study, and if determined to be at-risk, will have access to various online intervention tools and in-person aids such as a retention counselor or remediation courses.

Cathy Hansen, M.S.N., RN, assistant professor and director of undergraduate studies in the TAMHSC-College of Nursing, is the principal investigator on the grant. Working with her as Co-PI is Regina Bentley, Ed.D., RN, CNE, associate dean for academic affairs in the college.

This program was first enacted at Stephen F. Austin University in 2006. After a two-year period of tracking and intervening with the at-risk students, test scores improved and the retention rate increased by more than 10 percent.