Holy Names University (HNU) receives $1.5 million 3-year grant award from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to implement a Master of Science in Nursing Program with a new focus in education, and a new Post-Master of Science Certificate Program, also with a focus in education. These University programs in collaboration with several Bay Area healthcare institutions and the California Nurses Foundation will prepare clinicians to be educators as opposed to the current system that relies on college-base educators (i.e., PhDs), who are also in short supply, to teach in the clinical setting. "All of us are aware that there is a shortage of qualified nurses throughout our nation, but most especially in California. Holy Names University is committed to addressing this need," says HNU President Rosemarie Nassif. The Betty Irene Moore Nursing Initiative launched by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation supports grantees in their work to increase the quantity of registered nurses, improve clinical skills, and promote best practices for nursing care in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Holy Names University, formerly Holy Names College, was founded in 1868 and is located in the hills of Oakland, CA. Educating nurses at the baccalaureate level since 1930, in 1997 HNU established its Master of Science in Nursing program. In 1995, HNU initiated NEXUS--a videoconference-based program (currently in collaboration with Catholic Healthcare West) that is delivered from the HNU campus directly to registered nurses in the hospitals in which they are employed, leading to the Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing.

With the guidance of Dr. Fay Bower, DNSc, Chair of the Department of Nursing, Holy Names University also has a partnership with Samuel Merritt College of Nursing, located in Oakland, CA., in which high school students seeking a Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree will enroll for the first two years at HNU and transfer to Samuel Merritt to complete their degree.

Dr. Bower is highly respected throughout the field of nursing and the higher education community. In the 70's and 80's, she became known among students, clinicians and administrators for her first book, The Process of Planning Nursing Care. Dr. Bower has since written three more acclaimed books, as well as numerous articles and book chapters. She recently published Nurses Taking the Lead: Personal Qualities for Effective Leadership. To learn more about the nursing programs at Holy Names University, please contact Dr. Fay Bower at 510-426-1024 or by email at bower@hnu.edu. For more information regarding the University, please explore our website at www.hnu.edu.

The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation launched the Betty Irene Moore Nursing initiative in November 2003, with the goal of improving nursing-related patient outcomes in acute care hospitals. The initiative is focused in Alameda, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, and Santa Clara Counties. Funding strategies include increasing the quantity of registered nurses (RNs), improving clinical skills effectiveness, and promoting best practices for nursing care in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The Foundation was established in September 2000 to create positive outcomes for future generations. The Foundation funds outcome-based grants and initiatives to achieve significant and measurable results. Grantmaking supports the Foundation's principal areas of interest: global environmental conservation, science, and the San Francisco Bay Area.