School Helps Grads Earn a Quick BS in Nursing

A pledge of $200,000 in scholarship funds will help Marymount University in Arlington, VA address a critical, and growing, shortage of nursing professionals, according to a story in the Sun Gazette.

Twenty scholarships of $10,000 each will be provided to students enrolled in Marymount's accelerated (four-semester) bachelor of science in nursing program, which is designed for those who already have a bachelor's degree in another field of study. The scholarship program is funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's New Careers in Nursing scholarship program, part of an initiative between the foundation and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

The students who are recipients of these scholarships offer some interesting reasons for making a change in career focus. "This scholarship is definitely a blessing," said Jared Sharp, who earned a Bachelor of Science degree in health science and a Bachelor of Arts degree in international studies from Andrews University before coming to Marymount. Sharp hopes to become a nurse practitioner, specializing in orthopedics. Mr. Sharp moved from the field of diplomacy, to health administration, to an option that will actively involve him in medical care.

Some students could not have afforded to make the change without help from the scholarship program. Marcella Dario's early choice was an applied science degree in molecular, cellular and developmental biology from the University of California Santa Cruz. "I wouldn't have been able to get enough loans, and it's less stressful not to have to worry about paying back a loan."

One young man earned both a bachelor's in nuclear medicine and a psychology degree before deciding to go into nursing. The reason for his decision, despite having put in years studying for other careers, was an early childhood chronic illness. Making a difference for patients will be a way to pay back the nurses who brightened his day when he battled chronic illness as a child. "Those nurses inspired me to continue the trend of excellent patient care," he said, signing up for yet another professional path.