By Amy Curtis | February 2026

In this issue: February Research Committee, Brain Health Fellowship Opportunity, Kansas ANE-SANE program honored 

This newsletter is 940 words long, about a 3-minute read.

February Research Committee Meeting

Watch a recording of the February research committee meeting where Teri Kennedy, PhD, MSW, ACSW, FGSA, FNAP, Project Director/Principal Investigator for the Kansas 4M Geriatrics Workforce Education Program shared an update about Kansas 4M: Advancing Evidence-Based 4Ms Care of Older Kansans through Statewide Academic-Practice Partnerships.

The March Research Committee speaker is TBD.

Led by Shin Hye Park, PhD, RN, the Research Committee facilitates and promotes collaborative nurse research activities across the state. The committee's goal is to leverage research talent to better serve the healthcare community of Kansas, advance the field of nursing and healthcare, and strengthen the nursing workforce in Kansas.

Sign up here to receive the Research Committee meeting link. Please send this link to colleagues who may also wish to attend.

Kansas 4M 2026 Opportunity: Advanced Practice Provider Rural Brain Health Fellowship

Kansas Advanced Practice Providers, apply now for the one-year Rural Brain Health Fellowship. Applications are due April 6, 2026 and the Fellowship concludes in May 2027.

Kansas 4M, in collaboration with the University of Kansas Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, is developing the next generation of advanced practice nurses in rural Kansas who care for older adults living with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders.

Why Should You Apply?

Qualified applicants will be:

Click here to learn more and apply.

Kansas 4M Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).The award provided 100% of total costs and totaled $5 million with funding from 07/01/2024 through 06/30/2029. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official views of, nor an endorsement by, HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government. For more information visit HRSA.gov.    

Pittsburg State University ANE-SANE Grant featured in HRSA video

The Bureau of Health Workforce, a division of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), published a video recognizing the success of the Pittsburg State School of Nursing’s Advanced Nursing Education-Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (ANE-SANE) program.

Why this matters: The ANE-SANE program is designed to expand access to trauma-informed sexual assault nurse examiner services, especially in rural and underserved communities. The PSU program has built statewide partnerships, increased certification rates, and strengthened the resilience of the nurses in the SANE workforce.

According to project director Amy Hite, DNP, EdS, APRN, FNP: “The forensic nurses in Kansas are the best and deserve recognition for their accomplishments. From the beginning, Senator [Jerry] Moran announced this award and said, ‘I wish we didn’t need resources to help these victims.’ But we are making a difference in Kansas and in collaboration with other states and programs.”

Watch the video here.

p.s. If you’re a regular viewer of The Pitt, a medical drama set in an emergency department in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this season features a SANE giving this type of exam. The episode takes great care, detailing how difficult this exam can be for both the victim of the assault as well as the SANE nurse. Check out this article from nurse.org.

Kansas HOSA—Future Health Professionals, here we come!

Hello colleagues and friends!

This spring is shaping up to be a busy travel and meeting season for the Kansas Nursing Workforce Center.

Next week we will travel to Wichita to present at the Kansas HOSA Spring Leadership Conference. Over 1,200 members will have hands-on experiences, competitive events, leadership opportunities, scholarships, and conference presentations. HOSA students, from 14-18 years old, will build skills, grow connections, and discover their path in health care, including nursing. This will be the third time the KNWC has attended one of KS HOSA’s bi-annual meetings and we have to say, it’s one of the best events... The energy from these young future healthcare workers is palpable, we have learned a great deal from the members, and they keep us excited for the future of the Kansas healthcare workforce.

We’d love to collaborate with you too. If you think your organization or group could benefit or learn from the Kansas Nursing Workforce Center, reply to this email. We’d love to join you to talk about the nursing workforce or prelicensure nursing education in Kansas

—Barbara MacArthur 

Kansas Nursing Workforce Center

Last Chance: Share Your Thoughts

We are collecting information for the State of Nursing Education in Kansas report, set to publish in 2026, and we’d love to include your thoughts.

Questions include:

Access the form:

We may use your ideas in this publication.

What We’re Reading

In Case You Missed It!

Download your copy of the State of Nursing in Kansas, Volume 2. This edition tracks trending data from 2015 to 2025.

Download your copy of an advance report, The State of Nursing Education in Kansas, prepared for the Kansas Legislature. This advance report provides data about prelicensure nursing education programs in Kansas.

Have Kansas Nursing Workforce news, solutions, or kudos you’d like us to share?
Email nursingwill@kumc.edu

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