For the second year in a row, the School of Nursing received funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s (RWJF) New Careers in Nursing Scholarship Program to build upon Stony Brook’s efforts to increase the number of students enrolled in its one-year accelerated nursing program and diversify the student base. The School received $100,000 (10 scholarships, $10,000 per student) for its 2010 Accelerated Bachelor of Science Degree Program, which begins in June 2010.
The Accelerated B.S. Program was created in the 1990s to prepare students who already have undergraduate degrees in other fields for the nursing profession. The program was developed in response to a growing national nursing shortage, with the idea to pipeline well-educated individuals into the healthcare environment. Students carry degrees and experience in other fields, such as business, finance, accounting, and various sciences.
“This grant enables us to further our School’s mission to provide affordable nursing education at a high level of training and to offer qualified individuals from underrepresented groups an entry into the field of nursing,” said Lori Escallier, clinical professor and director of Grant Development and Management.
Escallier said the School will provide individualized mentorship and leadership development for scholarship recipients. The expansion of the program will also help leverage the School’s efforts to develop future nursing faculty through the opportunity for seamless education within Nursing, progressing from the registered nurse accelerated baccalaureate through the School’s doctor of nursing practice program.
In 2008 RWJF and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing launched the New Careers in Nursing Scholarship Program to dramatically increase the enrollment of students nationwide in accelerated nursing programs. Accelerated programs offer the most efficient route to licensure as an RN for adults who have already completed a baccalaureate or graduate degree in a discipline other than nursing.
Having other college degrees can disqualify people from receiving most federal financial aid programs for entry-level nursing education. The New Careers in Nursing scholarships address this problem, making it easier for potentially hundreds of students to start their careers in nursing.
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