Using a student-faculty collaborative learning model to teach grant development in graduate nursing education

Area of Science:

• Nursing Education
• Health Services Research
• Grant Writing

Background:

• Graduate nurses require leadership skills for research translation and policy development.
• Securing funding for nursing initiatives is challenging, necessitating innovative solutions.
• The George Washington University School of Nursing developed a graduate grant writing course to address these needs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a collaborative learning model implemented in a graduate grant writing course.
• To illustrate how this model facilitated securing external funding.
• To provide insights for developing similar educational experiences for nurses.

Main Methods:

• A collaborative learning model was integrated into a graduate-level grant writing course.
• Students worked collaboratively on grant proposals.
• The model's effectiveness was assessed by its success in securing funding for a real-world project.

Main Results:

• The collaborative learning approach was instrumental in securing an Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality grant.
• The grant will support the development and implementation of a patient engagement project.
• The educational model fostered leadership skills and competitive grant-writing abilities among graduate nursing students.

Conclusions:

• Collaborative learning in grant writing courses can effectively develop nurse leaders.
• Innovative educational strategies are crucial for securing funding for nursing research and practice initiatives.
• This model offers a transferable framework for nursing schools aiming to enhance grant-writing competencies and leadership development.