Get Your Master's Degree And Advance Your Career In Nursing!
While it hasn't reached crisis level yet, the need for nurses is looking pretty dire. According to the American Association of College Nurses, one of the profession's main professional societies, the gap between the number of people out there and what is needed is getting greater year after year.
Even more problematic is that the average age of a nurse is 43 and less than 10% are under 30. There is a need for every level, from those just starting out to those participating in nursing master degree programs.
Like education in general, one of the major inhibiting factors is finance. Yes, federal and state governments, and the AACN itself, are stepping up with grants, scholarships and loans, but what many students don't realize is there's more.
The need is reaching the point where even corporations in the health care industries are stepping in. These are the last people most think of for educational assistance. Yet some are putting up literally hundreds of thousands of dollars per year to create more nurses, from the young high school graduate to those out for their PhD. Here are a few samples:
Tylenol Scholarship Program - This was designed to helps students manage the rising costs of education as they get a healthcare-related education. It is aimed particularly at undergraduates. This year, they'll award $250,000 in scholarships to 40 students based on leadership qualities and performance. The maximum amount is $10,000 per student. The program has been around now for 18 years and shows now signs of stopping.
Business and Professional Women's Foundation - This is sponsored by New York Life and is open to applicants (U.S. citizen, female, 25 years of age or older and graduating within one to two) seeking the education necessary for advancement in the nursing field. They will provide aid in the range of $250 to $1,000 for tuition, fees, and school-related expenses such as child care and transportation.
Hewlett-Packard AACN Critical Care Nursing Grant - This program is particularly for nurses with a strong interest in technology and IT issues. Basically a fellowship, the recipient is awarded $30,000. Only RNs who are members of the Association can apply. The goal is to conduct research in information science as part of their academic degree. Preference is given to topics that address the information technology. Another emphasis is on any RN who wishes to do critical care.
Johnson & Johnson Campaign For Nursing's Future - This is designed for experienced nurses who wish to become nurse educators and help inspire the next generation of nurses, particularly minorities. The winner(s) gets an $18,000 grant. It is endorsed and administered by the Association.
This is just a handful of what is out there to help aspiring nurses of all types, including those wishing to attend nursing master degree programs. There are several hundred more on the Internet, as well as information on federal Pell grant monies. These offer everything from a few hundred dollars to paying the entire tuition. Go on a search engine and start doing some research. After that, the best thing to do is sit down with a financial aid officer to find the program that best meets your career aspirations.
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