By: Elizabeth Ryan

The University of Minnesota’s School of Nursing received a $5.3 million grant last month that will allow 100 more students to enter the school in the next five years.

Minneapolis VA Health Care System will work with the University on the VA Nursing Academic Partnership, a national program funded by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, to train more nurses to treat issues veterans face.

The University was one of six schools chosen for the partnership, said Christine Mueller, nursing professor and co-writer of the grant.

Mueller said the program, which will bring nursing students into the VA to work in a clinical setting, has benefits for both the VA and the University.

“From the VA’s side, they are valuing the students who would graduate from the School of Nursing as nurses who would understand the needs of veterans,” she said.  “And those graduates would consider … positions in the VA system.”

For the University, Mueller said the benefit is a stronger curriculum where students will learn to treat a variety of issues that veterans face, like post-traumatic stress disorder or multiple chronic illnesses in older veterans.

Kaylee Wessel, nursing junior, has worked with veterans before and said she looks forward to participating in the program this fall.

“It’s a different experience working with veterans,” she said. “There are different mental health conditions and sometimes multiple conditions they are facing as compared to civilians.”

For more on issues veterans face on campus, pick up Wednesday’s Minnesota Daily.