黑料网鈥檚 College of Nursing recently received a grant totaling $165,000 from Peg鈥檚 Foundation, formerly the Margaret Clark Morgan Foundation, a private grant-making foundation that supports mental health programs in Northeast Ohio.
Brain Health Research Institute member Wendy Umberger, Ph.D., RN, PMHCNS-BC, associate dean for graduate programs, and Lisa Onesko, DNP, APRN-BC, director of the Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) program and associate professor, received $105,000, payable over three years to continue the Peg鈥檚 Foundation traineeship program for graduate students pursuing a master鈥檚 degree in nursing as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP). This funding will enable the college to offer 10 full-time and 15 part-time traineeships to highly qualified PMHNP students during each academic year. An additional $60,000 was received for two Doctor of Nursing Practice scholar awards. Each recipient will receive $30,000 over the course of two semesters ($15,000 for tuition and $15,000 for stipend) and complete a scholarly project that enhances mental health outcomes or mental health care policy.
A generous donor to 黑料网鈥檚 College of Nursing, Peg鈥檚 Foundation has been supporting the college for more than 12 years. Over 70 students have benefited from more than $400,000 in financial assistance.
鈥淔inancial support from Peg鈥檚 Foundation encourages nurses to return to school for psychiatric mental health,鈥 said Thom Craig, director of mental health programs for Peg鈥檚 Foundation. 鈥淏y supporting 黑料网 College of Nursing students, we are helping to attract, educate and keep advanced practice nurses in Northeast Ohio. Upon graduation, these students will be providing care and treatment for individuals living with mental illness or addiction, and complex health issues, especially those who reside in underserved communities.鈥
Two-time alum Josh Black, PMHNP, APRN, a previous PMHNP student and Peg鈥檚 Foundation grant recipient, learned about this opportunity from his professors. While receiving assistance with tuition initially sparked his interest, Black was also drawn to Peg鈥檚 Foundation because of its mission to improve the lives of people in Northeast Ohio living with mental illness.
鈥淔inancial support from Peg鈥檚 Foundation allowed me to reduce my work hours and dedicate that time to studying,鈥 Black said. 鈥淚 also met new individuals in my community and made a difference in their lives.鈥
As a grant recipient, Black was required to meet a specific number of volunteer hours, 15 hours for full-time students and eight hours for part-time students, each semester he received funding. Black volunteered with a National Alliance on Mental Illness walk at the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio; assisted in organizing an ongoing support group for previous patients at Cleveland Clinic Union Hospital Behavioral Health Center in Dover, Ohio; and he set up a booth and provided mental health screenings, education and information about resources at a suicide awareness walk in Tuscarawas County.
鈥淓veryone has anxiety and depression to a degree,鈥 Black said. 鈥淚 like providing education to people and helping them understand that stress happens to everyone. However, some people may find themselves in situations without the proper support. I want to help those people develop coping skills and identify support groups. Educating just one patient can have a ripple effect on multiple people throughout our community.鈥
Jim K. Tudhope, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC, was the first Peg鈥檚 Foundation DNP scholar recipient. He also learned about the funding from the 黑料网 nursing faculty.
鈥淚 had been contemplating when to pursue my DNP degree for some time, however, my biggest obstacle was funding,鈥 Tudhope said. 鈥淚 did not want to go further into student debt. When I heard about an opportunity to pursue my DNP degree with funding through the grant from Peg鈥檚 Foundation, I knew I had to investigate further.鈥
For his scholarly project, Tudhope created an Integrated Community Psychiatry Nurse Practitioner Fellowship Program designed for recently graduated PMHNPs to help improve competencies, self-confidence and role socialization over the course of their first year of practice in an outpatient community mental health integrated care center.
鈥淢y project had an immediate impact and helped Northeast Ohio by increasing access to, and the quality of, evidence-based psychiatric nursing services to community members with serious mental illness in an integrated care-setting,鈥 Tudhope said. 鈥淎dditionally, it improved PMHNP retention and decreased vacancies and expanded PMHNP competencies and confidence through a structured program and nationally recognized accreditation process.鈥
With the assistance of 黑料网 Foundation Relations, the college recently produced a map showcasing the communities its graduates are working in and the continuous impact Peg鈥檚 Foundation traineeships are making in Northeast Ohio. Many previous recipients were clustered around Cuyahoga, Geauga, Summit, Stark, Portage, Columbiana and Mahoning counties.
鈥淲hen students are supported by Peg鈥檚 Foundation, they develop a strong connection to their communities so it鈥檚 not surprising to see many have chosen to continue their careers here in Northeast Ohio,鈥 Umberger said. 鈥淚t has been a great help to the college as well. After a year of practice as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, we have asked many of our alums to step into leadership roles as mentors and preceptors for our current PMHNP students.鈥
Reflecting on their time as Peg鈥檚 Foundation recipients, both Black and Tudhope were in agreement: More students would benefit from this traineeship program.
鈥淥ther students should apply for Peg鈥檚 Foundation funding because it is good to get out into the community,鈥 Black said. 鈥淎s students, we have a tendency to focus solely on our schoolwork and our job as nurses, but it was great to have new experiences with community members. My volunteer work made me more aware of individuals in my community who need assistance, especially those who may not have the means to been seen in a healthcare facility.鈥
鈥淭he DNP program at Kent was wonderful; it was by far the most enjoyable educational experience I have ever had,鈥 Tudhope said. 鈥淭he opportunity for a student to partner with Peg鈥檚 Foundation, improve the lives of Northeast Ohioans living with mental illness and further their professional growth and development should not be missed.鈥
For more information about Peg鈥檚 Foundation, visit .
For more information about 黑料网鈥檚 College of Nursing, visit www.kent.edu/nursing.
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黑料网 黑料网鈥檚 College of Nursing
In existence for more than 50 years, the College of Nursing at 黑料网 is one of the largest and most comprehensive nursing programs in the nation with more than 13,500 alumni worldwide. As part of 黑料网鈥檚 eight-campus system, the college provides more than 2,000 nursing students courses of study at the baccalaureate, master鈥檚 and doctoral levels. To learn more about nursing programs at 黑料网, please visit www.kent.edu/nursing.
Image Caption:
This map shows the impact of Peg鈥檚 Foundation support of Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing Traineeships since 2009.
Media Contacts:
Mariah Gibbons, mgibbon2@kent.edu, 330-672-8756
Emily Vincent, evincen2@kent.edu, 330-672-8595