The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Future of Nursing Scholars Program is building a large and diverse cadre of Ph.D.-prepared nurses who can bring transformational change to nursing and patient care as the nation addresses a changing health care climate. And the University of Rhode Island’s College of Nursing is one of the first 14 schools nationwide to receive a Future of Nursing Scholars grant.

The URI College of Nursing has selected Pamela McCue, the chief executive officer of the Rhode Island Nurses Institute Middle College Charter School, as its inaugural recipient of the grant. Beginning her three-year doctoral program in the fall, McCue will receive $75,000, and the College of Nursing will provide a $25,000 match in the form of a graduate assistantship. McCue will receive an additional scholarship later this year. The Future of Nursing Scholars Program provides scholarships, mentoring and leadership development activities.

“The most exciting part of this is you have access to so many nurse-scientists, the resources at URI, and a national network that RWJ can provide,” said McCue, a resident of Cumberland. “The knowledge that comes with a Ph.D. is going to make me a better leader, and provide me with new ways to contribute to advancing the science of nursing, enhancing the profession and improving health care.”

Mary Sullivan, interim dean of URI’s College of Nursing, said such support will help students move more quickly through URI’s Ph.D. program—critical because a pending wave of retirements among nursing faculty locally and nationally is expected to lead to a shortage of instructors to teach the next generations of nurses. Numerous experts and studies have said the key factor in having enough nurses to address an impending nationwide shortage is the lack of instructors with doctorates.

“We cannot build a culture of health without many more highly educated nurse leaders,” said Julie Fairman, Future of Nursing Scholars program co-director. “Ph.D.-prepared nurses are leaders in research, innovation, policy and education. The alumni of the Future of Nursing Scholars program will be among the nurse leaders who pioneer the groundbreaking research that provides solutions to our most pressing health problems, and they will educate thousands of nurses over the course of their careers.”