Seattle University College of Nursing Awarded $2.5 million to Increase Providers in Underserved Communities

Seattle University’s College of Nursing (CON) received a $2.5 million grant to help prepare doctoral nurse practitioner (DNP) students in an effort to increase health care providers in underserved urban and rural areas, while also expanding the diversity of the workforce to include more BIPOC professionals particularly in the areas of primary care, midwifery and psychiatric mental health. At the college, BIPOC students comprise roughly 60 percent of all DNP students.

“Recognizing the tremendous health care needs of underserved, historically marginalized and geographically distant communities, this HRSA award will allow Seattle University to better support training of advanced practice registered nurses," says CON Dean Butch de Castro, PhD. “This pursuit truly reflects our college’s mission to take action in ways that will transform health care in order to create a just and humane world.”

Covering four years, the grant will support several initiatives including:

• Partial scholarships for roughly three dozen primary care, midwifery and psychiatric mental health DNP students each year, including travel and lodging for travel to rural areas in southwest Washington and eastern Montana.
• Funding for creating a BIPOC peer mentorship program and for faculty to attend a yearlong DEI workshop in partnership with Seattle University’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion. 
• A half-time program support person as well as funds for the College of Nursing to obtain a continuing education license and for faculty to develop online trainings for clinical partners.

“I think one of the reasons we were awarded the grant is because we place such emphasis on serving the underserved and routinely partner with heath care agencies who share our mission and values,” says Associate Dean for Graduate Programs Dr. Bonnie Bowie, RN, FAAN, who has been at the College of Nursing for 23 years. “Of all the things I have accomplished during my time at SU, increasing the diversity of our student population is something I am most proud of. However, there is more work to be done in this area and I am thrilled with this HRSA award.”

Learn more about Seattle University’s College of Nursing. 

For media inquiries, contact Lincoln Vander Veen at vanderv1@seattleu.edu or 425-830-2448.

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