Moore Foundation Awards $5.5 Million for Nursing Program

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation has awarded two grants totaling $5.5 million to San José State University's School of Nursing for programs to increase the number of new nursing graduates and to educate additional nursing faculty. The two projects are the "Bachelor of Science in Nursing Boot Camp" and the "Master of Science Nurse Educators for Tomorrow: A Teacher Scholar Model."

According to Jayne Cohen, director of the School of Nursing, the boot camp project will provide, over a five-year period, for three cohorts of 30 honors students each to enter an 18-month accelerated bachelor of nursing education program over five years.

"Not only will this program assist the local nursing shortage by increasing the number of new nursing graduates each year," said Cohen. "It will also increase the number of potential nurse leaders and educators who are academically prepared to begin graduate level study. These students will be able to take advantage of the nursing educators for tomorrow program, also funded by the grant."

The graduate nursing in education program will expand the number of new master's of science nursing graduates who are ready to assume a faculty role by 45 over five years. In addition, 12 current MS-prepared nurses in other specialties will be able to complete the Nurse Educator Certificate program. The goal, says Cohen, is to shorten the time to degree for the current MS study program from more than three years to less than two.

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation launched the Betty Irene Moore Nursing initiative in November 2003, with the goal of improving nursing-related patient outcomes in acute care hospitals. The initiative is focused in Alameda, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties. Funding strategies include increasing the quantity of registered nurses, improving clinical skills effectiveness and promoting best practices for nursing care in the SF Bay Area.

"We are grateful for the funding from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation for SJSU's nursing program," said Don W. Kassing, SJSU's interim president. "The School of Nursing is well-known for its educational excellence and for serving the needs of diverse communities. This funding will greatly assist the university's efforts to improve the quality of life for future generations."

The Foundation was established in September 2000 by Intel co-founder Gordon Moore and his wife Betty to create positive outcomes for future generations. The Foundation funds outcome-based grants and initiatives to achieve significant and measurable results. Grantmaking supports the Foundation's principal areas of concern: environmental conservation, science, higher education, and the San Francisco Bay Area.

SJSU's School of Nursing provides innovative nursing education and care to a diverse community through applied nursing scholarship in a technologically complex environment. Since 1959, 4,500 BS and MS-prepared nurses have graduated from the program. The school is approved by the Calif. Board of Registered Nursing and nationally accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Education.

Contacts: Nancy L. Stake, Ron Bottini at 408-924-1166