As the demand for qualified nurses continues to rise, some organizations are giving grants to schools to help fund scholarship opportunities. By offering financial assistance to students who are pursuing an advanced degree, academic institutions hope to boost enrollment in masters programs.
The Rush University College of Nursing was recently awarded a $100,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, which will fund scholarships awarded to individuals entering the school's nursing masters degree program, according to PioneerLocal.com. This opportunity will benefit students who have earned a non-nursing bachelors degree, and would like to pursue a career in healthcare.
This program will provide a generalist nursing education at an advanced level, and make students who graduate eligible for certification in clinical nursing or for registered nursing licensure, the news source reports.
Candidates for the scholarships must be members of a group underrepresented in the field, such as men, African Americans, Hispanics and American Indians. Individuals who come from educationally or financially disadvantaged backgrounds can also apply for this opportunity.
Lisa Rosenberg, an associate professor in the school's Department of Community, Systems and Mental Health Nursing, stated that these scholarships "will make a significant impact in reducing student debt, while increasing the opportunity for diverse of disadvantaged students to receive a graduate education in nursing," quoted by the news source.
Government statistics suggest that employment of nurses is expected to grow by 22 percent in the next eight years.
