An $800,000 grant will provide students at Columbia-based University of Missouri with paid nursing assistant experience at MU Health Care.
The goal of the three-year grant from the Missouri Department of Economic Development is to train 300 students as nurse assistants and address staffing shortages, according to a Sept. 5 news release from the university.
The first group of 33 students in the Unlicensed Assistive Personnel course worked 5,000 hours in University Hospital during fall 2023, the release said. After completing their clinical hours and coursework, students are able to take an exam to earn a certified nursing assistant certificate.
Forty students were selected in the 2024 spring semester of the program, which will run until 2026.