nursing scholarship essay

nursing scholarship essay

The Importance of Nursing Scholarships

1. Introduction

Nursing scholarships are important, as they prevent nursing students from dropping out of school. Considering the current number of students needed in the healthcare industry, the labor market is a buyer’s market, making it easier for healthcare institutions to stipulate that a registered nurse graduate is the minimum requirement for employment. However, with the nation’s focus on curtailing costs, the educational barriers are becoming higher as healthcare institutions are seeking the BSN-prepared nurse. Currently, there is a shortage of registered nurses. This is due to the fact that there is a lack of educators to teach the next generation and a general disinterest in the profession. Measures are being carried out to make a change by luring current students to take up the educator’s role. Since there is evidence to suggest that nurses will further their education if given the chance and have a clear pathway, the nurse educators of today will be able to mold the nurses of tomorrow.

As healthcare costs continue to rise, the demand for qualified nurses will also rise. Different forms of financial aid have been developed to encourage students to take up nursing programs. Ranging from registration fees to tuition fees and assistance, various nursing scholarships are available. In exchange for the monetary aid, the scholarships offered to students are bonded with an agreement to serve in the healthcare institution for a specified period, often with the facility’s preference. This essay provides some insights on the various nursing scholarships available for nursing students, whether they are in RN to BSN programs, second-degree master’s programs, or are registered nurses pursuing some other advanced degree.

2. Financial Benefits of Nursing Scholarships

One of the biggest benefits that nursing students can attain from a scholarship is the financial benefits. As all nursing students are aware of, the requirement for both tuition and books are very high. Classroom. Nursing students have an increased amount of time spent in the classroom and studying their books. With all of this time spent inside a classroom, an occupation similar to the Clinical Nurse Specialist would not benefit a student who has large amounts of experience in the clinical area. This type of biased scholarship was reported in 2002 by the Dept. of Health and Human Services. What they found was almost 65% of all student aid for nursing students was aimed at those in undergraduate programs. This student received aid at a percentage over seven points higher than the student in the basic RN program. Efforts to eliminate this problem will enable all nursing students, especially those in advanced practice areas to receive student aid. Esther McCready is a civil rights pioneer who has a story similar to no other. Her court case against the University of Maryland helped to open up a gateway for all future nursing students who wished to benefit from her scholarships in nursing. In 1950, the university rejected McCready’s application for its School of Nursing solely because she was African American. Six decades later, McCready reflects on her experience and where this battle has taken her. Primary care! Those were the remarks stated by McCready. With a shortage of primary care physicians in our nation, awarding scholarships to potential nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists, clinical nurse specialists, and nurse midwives will help to reach the goal of affordable healthcare for all Americans.

3. Academic Opportunities for Nursing Students

Nursing scholarships are imperative in order to support the future of nursing. Many organizations have created funds for nursing scholarships. The Regina A. Flannery Scholarship is offered to nurses working to achieve a master’s degree in nursing. The March of Dimes Graduate Nursing Scholarship is offered to nurses who are involved in maternal-child nursing. Healthcare system specific scholarships are available for a wide range of healthcare organizations. All of these scholarships lead to a higher standard of living, both for the individual and the community as well. With a higher education in nursing, there will be a decreased shortage of nurses in the future. With a decrease in the shortage of nurses, there will be fewer patient deaths and an overall increase in public health. Studies have shown that a decrease in the shortage of nurses leads to increased job satisfaction among nurses. With the ability to attain a higher education and the decreased hassle often associated with paying for college, there would be fewer nurses leaving the profession, and more individuals would pursue a nursing career. Earning a higher degree of education through scholarships can also lead to a greater understanding of a specific area of nursing. For example, Canada offers post-basic baccalaureate programs to nurses in various areas of specialty. A nurse with extensive experience in emergency care may choose to earn a degree in critical care nursing. This degree would provide the knowledge and skills necessary to transfer into a critical care area, and many scholarships are available to facilitate this transition. The more education a nurse has, the more autonomy and responsibility he or she will have within that position. In today’s society, we see the role of the nurse becoming increasingly independent, with a greater degree of decision making. Many advanced practice nurse roles now require a master’s degree in nursing.

4. Advancing the Nursing Profession through Scholarships

Many nurses, in all areas of clinical practice and in nursing education, have advanced their academic preparation in master’s and doctoral programs. These programs prepare nurses to practice in advanced roles as primary care providers, educators, administrators, and direct and indirect researchers. The advanced education that these nurses obtain enables them and their students, as well as other nurses and healthcare consumers, to benefit from a broad body of scientific knowledge that contributes to the health and well-being of the public. Unfortunately, in an era where all forms of financial aid are dwindling, including programs to assist disadvantaged and underrepresented students, scholarships for advanced education in nursing are not as prevalent as they once were. This is true for many programs designed to elevate the preparation of nurses at baccalaureate and master’s levels, especially those from minority and disadvantaged backgrounds. In an advanced practice scene in which many other health professions have placed a higher degree as the level for entry into practice, it is crucial to have more nurses prepared at higher levels, as this is the arena in which nursing can have a greater impact on the health of the nation. The full benefit of numerous research and expert reports on the future nursing workforce, and the right mix of academic preparation across all types of professional nursing, will not be evident for some years to come. The vision includes building a cadre of nurse scientists from diverse and well-prepared backgrounds who can contribute to discoveries that integrate new knowledge into practice and improve the health of populations. The availability of a highly educated nursing professional and advanced practice workforce is dependent upon there being a robust and diverse pool of nurse faculty to teach and mentor students in all nursing programs. Today’s nurse educators are increasingly expected to serve in faculty and leadership roles at levels comparable to practice counterparts, with a growing number prepared in fields other than nursing. This creates a need to increase the number of nurses with doctoral degrees who can conduct research on health and nursing issues, educate future researchers, and provide leadership in the research community and in the health policy arena. Although far from its conclusion, nursing’s slow progress in research utilization and in developing policies that better the health of populations is highly dependent on the production of more and better-prepared nursing researchers and scholars who can represent the profession in the scientific and policymaking arenas of other disciplines.

5. Conclusion

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation recently recommended a major shift in the ways nurses are educated at U.S. colleges and universities, calling for action to increase the proportion of nurses with a baccalaureate by 2020. With the actual cost of tuition and fees rising each year, this can be a discouraging endeavor for many registered nurses (RNs) who have an associate degree in nursing. This is yet another aspect of the nursing profession that makes higher education appear out of reach. Scholarships can ease this financial burden and allow many RNs to further their education to the baccalaureate level. The future implications are vast as we would expect to see improved patient outcomes and an overall increase in the health of the nation.

Scholarships also provide a wider perspective of the nurse’s role. It is reported that there is a shortage of nurses in this country to serve the vast and growing needs of the aging population. Research shows that there is an increased need for nurses with a baccalaureate degree and that nurses educated at the higher level have a profound positive impact on patient outcomes. These findings highlight the growing necessity of a more educated workforce. As scholarship programs are established and more funding becomes available for educating nurses, the results affect more than just the individual receiving the scholarship.

Scholarships are certainly the future of the nursing profession. The many benefits that come from providing scholarships are undeniable. The field of nursing is one of the best examples of the limitless opportunities that come from a superior education. In taking away the financial stress that comes with tuition, scholarships allow students to enter into a field that is expanding and forever fulfilling.