Journal of professional nursing : official journal of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing
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This article illustrates how a grant designed to promote new program development provided a vehicle for organizational transformation. The collaboration surrounding this initiative created a common focus within the school that more effectively channeled its resources and resulted in an unprecedented level of scholarly achievement and recognition. Faculty leveraged the success of this initial grant to procure additional funding for related projects. ⋯ Recommendations for engaging faculty, gaining support, and developing a collaborative network are discussed in the article, with findings from a stakeholder-focused evaluation demonstrating new program goal achievement as well as the transformative changes that occurred in the organizational culture. A focused, theory-derived program plan, with comprehensive process and outcome evaluation components resulted in a major transformation of one school of nursing. Unanticipated outcomes included renewed synergy among faculty; the development of a preferred vision for the future; scholarly collaboration around a central theme that effectively channeled limited resources and dramatically increased productivity; increased regional and national recognition; and the creation of regional, national, and international partnerships.