Nursing Department Receives $28,789 Grant 

SALISBURY, MD -- The Department of Nursing at Salisbury State University recently received a one-year $28,789 grant from the Maryland Department of Health and Human Services to fund scholarships in SSU’s Master of Science in family nursing in rural areas program.

The "Professional Nurse Traineeship Program" provides students with the opportunity to complete their program of study without outside employment. SSU has a high rate of placing graduates in rural or medically under-served communities.

Salisbury State’s graduate program in family nursing in rural areas is fully accredited by the National League for Nursing and the Maryland State Board of Nursing. Within the program, there are three tracks: administration, clinical specialist and family nursing practitioner. In addition to a post master’s family nurse practitioner certificate, SSU offers an accelerated B.S.-M.S. for second degree students, enabling those students to earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees in three years.

Many master’s students are residents of Wicomico, Somerset and Worcester counties. The popularity of the accelerated B.S.-M.S. program has increased enrollments from the Eastern Shore of Virginia, Delaware and other states.

"The majority of the 35 students in the graduate program work full-time and are therefore only able to pursue part-time studies," said Dr. Ruth M. Carroll, nursing graduate program director. "In the past, with traineeship funding, several students have been able to pursue full-time studies while only working part-time. With the current recommendation of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing for increased clinical hours for students in the direct care tracts, it is even more important for these students to decrease their number of employment hours."

For details about the Professional Nurse Traineeship Program please call the SSU Department of Nursing at 410-543-6420.