January 19, 2007
Gala Scholarships Offered to Nurses, Nursing Students
Genesis seeks to increase number of BSN-prepared nurses
DAVENPORT, Iowa - The Genesis Health Services Foundation is setting aside up to $50,000 for financial assistance to current Genesis Medical Center, Davenport nurses and college students who are pursuing a baccalaureate degree in nursing.
The financial assistance will be made available through the Foundation’s Gala Nursing Scholarship program. This is the sixth year the Gala Nursing Scholarships are being offered.
The unique Gala Scholarship program will provide five scholarships of $6,000 each, for a total of $30,000, to college students who are seeking admission to, or have been accepted into, an undergraduate baccalaureate program in nursing at an accredited Iowa or Illinois college or university in the region. The scholarship is awarded as a forgivable loan, meaning Genesis will waive repayment if the recipients agree to work full-time at Genesis Medical Center, Davenport, for two years upon completion of their degree.
“Our scholarship program creates a relationship between the students and hospital,” said Carole Reid, MSN, RN, Vice President of Patient Services at Genesis Medical Center, Davenport. “We hope that relationship develops into a rewarding career at Genesis.
Advancing nursing education
This year, for the first time, in addition to the scholarships aimed at college students, a significant portion of the Gala Scholarship funding will be dedicated to employed nurses at Genesis Medical Center, Davenport. Ten annual scholarships of up to $2,000 each, for a total of up to $20,000, will be made available to currently employed RNs seeking to attain their BSN degree.
“The designation of Genesis Medical Center, Davenport, as a Magnet nursing facility challenges us to continually strengthen our professional practice model,” Reid said. “One of our goals is to increase the number of BSNprepared nurses to 40 percent of staff. These scholarships will encourage and support their educational development.”
Because nursing is a dynamic profession, lifelong learning is essential for nurses to stay current with the increased complexity of health care today and into the future. Research evidence has demonstrated that patients who are cared for by nurses with a baccalaureate education in nursing have improved clinical outcomes. Additional benefits of BSN degree completion include enhanced career progression, which is increasingly important in filling nursing management and faculty positions.
Projections show that the nationwide demand for nurses will exceed the supply by 20 percent by the year 2020. The scholarship program is one of many ways Genesis Medical Center is working to combat this problem.
“While Genesis has been successful in hiring and retaining good nurses and usually has a very low number of nursing openings, the need for nurses is critical and will continue to be for several years,” added Reid. “This scholarship program provides an incentive for students to pursue a baccalaureate nursing degree and help diminish the impact this nationwide shortage could have on Genesis in the coming years.”
“Money raised for the scholarships comes from generous community support of the Foundation’s annual Gala,” said Missy Gowey, CFRE, Executive Director, Genesis Health Services Foundation. “These scholarships are indicative of the importance Genesis and Quad Citians place on nurse retention and professional development, factors which positively influence patient outcomes.”
How to apply
College students may obtain a Gala Nursing Scholarship application at the following college financial aid or nursing department offices: Clarke College in Dubuque, Iowa; Coe and Mt. Mercy Colleges in Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Iowa Wesleyan College in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa; St. Ambrose University in Davenport; the University of Iowa in Iowa City; Bradley University in Peoria, Ill.; and Millikin University in Decatur, Ill.
Or, an informational letter, fact sheet and application can be downloaded from the Genesis Health System website, www.genesishealth.com. Just click on the “Gala Nursing Scholarship” rotating ad box on the home page.
Employed Genesis Medical Center, Davenport, nurses can find Gala Scholarship application materials on the internal Genesis intranet.
Applications for the scholarship are due on or before March 2, 2007. For more information, call the Genesis Health Services Foundation office at (563) 421-6865.
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