SF 734

1st Engrossment - 86th Legislature (2009 - 2010) Posted on 02/09/2010 02:15am

A bill for an act
relating to health; establishing a grant program for nursing education
demonstration projects; appropriating money.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1. new text begin INNOVATION IN NURSING EDUCATION DEMONSTRATION
PROJECTS.
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new text begin (a) The commissioner of health shall make grants to the College of St. Catherine
and the College of St. Scholastica for innovation in nursing education demonstration
projects. Through the demonstration projects, each grantee must redesign its nursing
education curricula to include a greater use of technology in teaching and learning,
purchase educational software and hardware, and provide faculty training and leadership
to ensure the effective use of teaching technology in the classroom.
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new text begin (b) The goal of these projects is to demonstrate that the use of nursing education
technologies will accomplish the following:
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new text begin (1) increase the number of nursing graduates without the need to hire additional
faculty;
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new text begin (2) reduce the burden on health care providers in providing clinical time for nursing
students by utilizing a virtual clinical experience on campus;
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new text begin (3) reduce the burden on health care providers for postgraduation, entry-level
nursing training;
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new text begin (4) improve the ability of nursing graduates to serve underserved rural populations;
and
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new text begin (5) improve cultural knowledge among nursing graduates.
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new text begin (c) By March 15, 2011, the College of St. Catherine and the College of St.
Scholastica must report to the commissioner of health, the Board of Nursing, and the
membership of the Minnesota Association of Colleges of Nursing on the progress made
towards the goal stated in paragraph (b).
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Sec. 2. new text begin APPROPRIATION.
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new text begin $1,504,000 in fiscal year 2010 is transferred from the state government special
revenue fund to the general fund. $1,504,000 is appropriated in fiscal year 2010 from the
general fund to the commissioner of health for grants to the College of St. Catherine and
the College of St. Scholastica for the innovation in nursing education demonstration
projects. The grants shall be distributed equally so that each grantee receives $752,000.
Grant amounts not expended in the first year of the biennium shall not cancel but shall be
available in the second year. This is a onetime appropriation.
new text end