The Kent State University College of Nursing is proud to announce four new recipients of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s New Careers in Nursing Scholarship. Each student will receive a $10,000 scholarship toward his or her education in the Accelerated Baccalaureate Nursing Program. The recipients are:

• Eric Bell, South Euclid, Ohio
• Cecilia Gallardo, Hudson, Ohio
• Kevin Kollai, Twinsburg, Ohio
• Anthony Turner, Columbus, Ohio

The scholarships are possible through a national initiative launched by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. The initiative’s goal is to alleviate the nation’s nursing shortage by increasing the number of students in accelerated nursing programs. In total, 10 Kent State nursing students will receive scholarships in the 2008-2009 academic year. The four recently announced students join fall 2008 recipients Victoria Dorsey of Atwater, Ohio, and Martin Duru of Columbus, Ohio. Four additional students will be named in May.

“Kent State’s Accelerated BSN Program is intense, making it difficult for enrolled students to work full time outside of their studies,” says Tracey Carlson, director of Kent State’s Accelerated BSN Program. “Many of the accelerated students need to work in order to support themselves or their families. This student funding alleviates some of the financial worries to allow them to focus on becoming a competent nurse.”

 The scholarships are awarded to students based on grant criteria which require that recipients are from a disadvantaged or underrepresented racial or ethnic minority; are citizens or permanent residents of the United States; are admitted to the Accelerated BSN Program; and are committed to pursuing professional licensure through the National Council Licensure Examination for Registered Nurses.

 “This program aims to safeguard the health of the nation by helping to ease the nurse and nurse faculty shortage,” says Robert Wood Johnson Foundation President Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., M.B.A. “This new initiative also will advance our strategic goal of promoting leadership in the health professions.”

 The New Careers in Nursing Scholarship Program supports accelerated programs, which offer the most efficient route to licensure as a registered nurse for adults who have already completed a baccalaureate or graduate degree in a discipline other than nursing.

 The Association of American Colleges of Nursing serves as the national program office for this Robert Wood Johnson Foundation initiative. For more information about this program, see www.newcareersinnursing.org.

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Media Contacts:
Kathy Donchess, kdonches@kent.edu, 330-672-8747
Kevin Brosien, kbrosie1@kent.edu, 330-672-8589