Fayetteville State University has been awarded a $2,069,213 grant from the University of North Carolina System as part of the Health Care Workforce Expansion Initiative.

This funding will enable FSU's School of Nursing to expand its program and “bolster undergraduate degree completions.” The SON currently has 113 students enrolled in its pre-licensure track and accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs. During the 2024 Commencement in May, 23 nurses graduated from FSU and the group boasted an impressive 95.24% pass rate on the NCLEX-RN® examination.

“Resources from this award will allow the School of Nursing to enhance student success initiatives, expand clinical education opportunities and support faculty development,” said Jennifer Johnson Edwards, Ph.D., associate dean and professor for FSU’s School of Nursing, in a press release. “Increasing successful nursing degree completions is expected to help mitigate the current health care workforce shortage we are experiencing.”

Supporting the UNC System’s goal to produce more nursing graduates, the North Carolina General Assembly funded the grants. The state projects a shortage of up to 18,600 registered nurses over the next decade, a major challenge for health care providers and an aging patient population, according to an analysis by The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Sheps Center for Health Services Research.

“Dedicated nurses are the backbone of a strong health care system, and we see huge demand for nursing talent across North Carolina,” said UNC System President Peter Hans in a press release. “Our public universities not only train the next generation of nurses, but also provide excellent professional development and life-saving research for health care providers. I’m grateful to our lawmakers for helping us meet those needs more effectively.”

The UNC System allocated a total of $29 million to 12 public universities and North Carolina’s Area Health Education Centers in an effort to address the nursing workforce shortage in North Carolina and enhance the quality of health care education. The System’s intent is to increase its output of nursing degrees by 50% over the next decade.