WSSU Receives $100,000 Grant for Nursing Scholarships
Dr. Cecil Holland
The Division of Nursing in the School of Health Sciences at Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) has received a $100,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to provide scholarships for students in the division’s accelerated degree program.
The grant is part of the Foundation’s New Careers in Nursing Scholarship Program (NCIN) and will provide 10 students with $10,000 scholarships during the 2012-2013 academic year. The scholarships will support students who are traditionally underrepresented in the field and are pursuing a second career in nursing by earning a B.S. degree through an accelerated program. This program allows college graduates with degrees in other areas to transition into nursing through a 13-month course of study.
“Without this support, some of our students would not be able to participate or continue in the accelerated option due to financial constraints,” said Dr. Cecil Holland, assistant dean in the WSSU Division of Nursing. “Funding from RWJF has tremendously impacted our accelerated option in a very positive way by increasing recruitment and retention of underrepresented and disadvantaged students. We know we need a diverse workforce that is culturally competent in order to provide quality health care for today’s patient population.”
One of 55 schools to receive the grant this year, the WSSU Division of Nursing has received over $300,000 from RWJF. These funds have supported student recruitment and retention as well as the implementation of a pre-entry immersion program to help students with study, test-taking and other skills that aid them in managing the challenges of the accelerated program.
About NCIN
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) joined with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) to create New Careers in Nursing: an RWJF Scholarship Program to help alleviate the nursing shortage and increase the diversity of nursing professionals. Through annual grants to schools of nursing, NCIN provides $10,000 scholarships to college graduates with degrees in other fields who wish to transition into nursing through an accelerated baccalaureate or master's nursing program. For more information, visit www.newcareersinnursing.org
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