St. Bonaventure University was awarded a New York State Department of Labor grant to help create a talent pipeline for registered nurses in the region.

The St. Bonaventure University Underemployed Workforce Training Opportunity project is supported by a $200,000 state grant and will allow 10 associate prepared registered nurses residing in the Western New York region to achieve a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the university. The university will provide $120,900 in discounted tuition and fees to support the students.

Ten RN to B.S. in Nursing students will receive full tuition, fees, and supplies from this project opportunity with special focus given to veterans, single parents, and older individuals (55+).

“We are excited to use this grant funding to give back to nurses in our community who give to others every day,” said Connie Perkins, Ph.D., RN, founding director of the nursing program. “Giving nurses access to education is key to the health and future of our community and we are pleased to be part of that.”

St. Bonaventure’s RN to B.S. in Nursing program, completed in four semesters over two years, is an innovative way for registered nurses to earn a bachelor’s degree. All courses in the program are flexible and cater to working adults through weekly evening course instruction and overall hybrid format.

“This grant will generously provide both assistance and access to nurses who are in our community and will stay in our community,” said Doug Pisano, Ph.D., dean of the School of Health Professions at the university.

St. Bonaventure nursing students build upon essential nursing skills such as leadership, professionalism, collaborative care, and quality care while also learning about themselves as they work to become more emotionally intelligent providers. The program’s faculty also work to introduce technologically advanced concepts to students to build consumers of the future. The university’s program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.

Students in the St. Bonaventure Underemployed Workforce Training Opportunity program will receive career development skills through program curriculum and through the university’s Career and Professional Readiness Center, as well as one-on-one nursing faculty advising and counseling. Business engagement opportunities will be provided to these students through lessons focusing on emotional intelligence throughout the program.

This training opportunity aligns with New York’s Regional Economic Development Councils and plans to prepare regional nurses to better care for our populations. Studies have concluded that having a workforce with bachelor’s prepared nurses decreased the odds of patient mortality and patient length of stay. Having a Bachelor of Science in Nursing also allows graduates to qualify for management positions.

The Cattaraugus-Allegany Workforce Development Board, Inc. will partner with St. Bonaventure on this project with referrals, support services and student recruitment.

For more information about the university’s RN to B.S. in Nursing program, visit www.sbu.edu/Nursing. To be considered for the grant, students must officially apply and complete an interview confirming they meet the grant criteria.

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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure University is a community committed to transforming the lives of our students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a lifelong commitment to service and citizenship. In 2020, St. Bonaventure was named the #2 regional university value in New York and #3 in the North by U.S. News and World Report.