WEST LIBERTY, W.Va., April 3, 2025 – West Liberty University (WLU) has been awarded $255,788 through West Virginia’s Nursing Workforce Expansion Program, which is designed to address the state’s nursing shortage through a multifaceted approach to attract, train, and retain nurses in the Mountain State.
Representing a fundamental part of this approach, an award program was established three years ago to fund nursing program expansion projects at colleges, universities, schools of nursing, and career technical education centers across West Virginia.
Through West Liberty University’s award, the Department of Nursing plans to engage in student and faculty success initiatives to recruit and retain students in the traditional and accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree programs. This initiative will enable students to work with innovative technology in the expanded campus nursing simulation laboratory to improve clinical judgement skills and better prepare them for success on the NCLEX exam. The investment is expected to support up to 20 new nursing students at WLU.
Kimberly Crow, Instructor of Nursing and Co-Principal Investigator on the Nursing Expansion Grant stated, “The Department of Nursing is very excited to receive continued funding to recruit students into our accelerated and traditional programs to support the growing nursing workforce needs in West Virginia. As a result of this funding, students will be more prepared to provide high quality nursing care to their community.”
Twenty-three grant awards were distributed to nursing programs statewide for the third year of the program. Funded projects build upon progress made in the first two years and are focused on increasing enrollment in pre-licensure nursing
Since its launch, West Virginia’s Nursing Workforce Expansion Program has helped yield a nearly 25 percent increase in filled seats at nursing programs across the state.
The nursing program expansion awards, made possible by funding from the West Virginia Legislature, are administered by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission and Community and Technical College System.
